Readers love butterscotch-rum cake

With Thanksgiving in mind, we need to get right on our favorite pumpkin recipes. Or do we?

Oddly enough, or maybe not, it so happens that pumpkin isn't really the end-all and be-all for some of us. But one thing multitudes of Forum readers do like, really like, is a butterscotch-rum cake Everett cook Carol Wilson shared with us in a Feb. 20 Forum column.

"This is a very easy cake recipe I've had for several years,'' she told us. "I haven't made it in a while and decided it was time I did. The recipe calls for one cup of butterscotch chips, but I always put in a little more. I have made it with or without the rum and liked it both ways.''

We don't know whether all but one of the cooks who continue to ask for a copy of this recipe used the rum or not, but hootched up or plain, the cake's obviously a winner.

In fact, it's so good that not only has the Forum had continuing requests, but Monroe cook Gary Bee was prompted to tell us, in a Forum on March 23, "I tried the butterscotch-rum cake from Carol Wilson and, while it was good as presented in the Forum, I thought I would try tweaking it a little.

"First, like most things in life, I thought it needed more booze, so instead of the 5 to 6 teaspoons of rum, I went with a minimum of 1/2 cup.

"I also thought that since there was no frosting and it is sweet enough without it, that it needed to be a little more moist, so I went with the Pillsbury super-moist yellow cake mix on my second try. Then, instead of 3 teaspoons of sugar, I added about 3 tablespoons of molasses.''

Winding up, Gary concluded, "That is all I changed but, in my humble opinion, it made a big difference.

"I was tempted to drizzle the top of the cake with about a cup of warm 50/50 butter and rum mix, but thought that maybe enough was enough.''

So, Carol's way or Gary's take on the cake, let's not miss this chance to make:

Butterscotch-rum bundt cake
1 package (18.25 ounces) yellow cake mix
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sour cream
1 package (4-serving size) instant butterscotch pudding mix
5-6 teaspoons rum
4 eggs
3 tablespoons sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter and flour a 10-cup bundt pan or spray with baking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, vanilla, butter, sour cream, pudding mix, rum, eggs and sugar; beat until well combined. Stir in the nuts and chips. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 55 minutes.

Let cool in pan 5 to 10 minutes before inverting onto rack to cool completely.

Makes one 10-inch bundt cake.

The next Forum will appear in Monday's Good Life section.