Nonna Rora's Rum Cake

A traditional birthday treat.

My Nonna Rora shared this recipe with me over the phone as a surprise for my father's birthday. This is the recipe she used every year for birthday cakes, and my father had not had her cake since she moved to Florida in 2004. I decided over the lockdown that I would surprise my father for his birthday and make his favorite childhood birthday cake. I called my Nonna and she explained over the phone how to make it. I have since begun tweaking the recipe to make it my own, but it still tastes just like Nonna's, or at least that's what my Dad says!

Nonna Rora's Rum Cake

Cake:

Ingredients

12 room temp. eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 pinch salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 round 9 inch cake pans

Directions

Blend together eggs, vanilla extract and sugar until soft peaks. Gently fold in sifted flour and salt one spoon at a time. Butter pans and sprinkle with flour. Bake for 1 hour at 350°.

Filling:

1 quart milk

1 stick butter

2 cups sugar

1 lemon peel

8 tbsp flour

8 egg yolks

1 pinch salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Combine milk, butter, sugar, vanilla extract and lemon peel in pan over medium heat. Add eggs and flour one spoon at a time and cook until it thickens into a cream.

Assembly

When cake is cooled, level cakes with a knife and soak with rum. Layer rum soaked cake with filling. Decorate with extra filling if you have enough!