Created by a small family-owned business, The Denver Pie Company, this unique gift product is available for the more than 27 million annual travelers to Colorado and the surrounding states. The Rum Cake is packaged specially in natural earth-tone packaging combined with regional graphics and custom labeling. Ultimately, the rum cake provides retailer with a unique product to provide its customers.

Jason Kline, owner of The Denver Pie Company, says that each cake is still made the old-fashioned way – in small batches. The combination of vanilla and other secret ingredients and then a generous hand glazing with gold rum (straight from one of the oldest distilleries in the world) make this a mouth- watering experience. In addition, each cake is individually vacuum sealed, ensuring a shelf life of 6 months or indefinitely, if refrigerated or frozen.

“Visitors to this beautiful region of the U.S. deserve a high-quality, gourmet souvenir,” Kline said. The original Denver Pie product line originated with Peanut Butter and Key Lime variations. “We wanted to create a product to encourage the state’s millions of tourists to take home a piece of the Rocky Mountains.”

The story of the Rum Cake begins in early 1800s where beaver trappers and traders explored the expansive wilderness of the Rocky Mountains; they encountered American Indians and built forts that still stand today. It was not uncommon for these fur traders to carry a supply of rum with them through their travels. Not only was it used for trading, but cooking too.

The creation of the rum cake stems from a legend where on one cold winter’s night, a mountain man was enjoying some cake, but found it to be too dry. He doused the cake with some rum; it was so good that he later developed a method of immersing the cakes in rum syrup, and used it for trading at outposts all along the Rocky Mountains. This creation is enjoyed and sold today!

Kline’s enthusiasm toward his hometown is apparent. Many shop owners have found success with Rum Cakes as well. “These Rocky Mountain Rum Cakes convey a very warm and inviting feeling. They are a delicious and thoughtful gift. The flavor is exceptional! After all, it’s Rum and Cake! What could be better!” said Christine Shamrell, Gift Shop manager St. Regis Resort, Aspen

Ingredients:

2 cups of sugar

Rind of 1 lemon

4 medium or large eggs

1 cup of vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups of flour

1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

3 large tart apples, grated

1/2 cup of raisins

Serves approximately 12 people (depending upon individual appetites)

Directions:

Mix the sugar and lemon rind quickly in the food processor.

Add eggs and blend until it becomes a nice cream.

Continue blending while slowly adding the oil.

Blend until it is well mixed then add the vanilla.

In a separate bowl sift the dry ingredients all together (flour, allspice, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon).

Mix the dry ingredients slowly into the batter blending until it becomes a nice thick cream.

Add grated apples and blend quickly into batter just to mix. Be sure not to overblend as this may shred the apples too much.

Add raisins and pulse the processor as to just mix them in and not shred them.

Bake for 55 minutes at 325°F or until sticking a knife into center comes out clean.

1 (18 1/2 ounce) box Duncan Hines moist deluxe devil’s food cake mix

3 1/2 oz instant chocolate pudding mix

1/2 cup chocolate chips

4 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups sour cream

3/4 cup Kahlua

4 tablespoons powdered sugar

3/4 cup chopped walnuts, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease or Butter Bundt Pan

Mix all ingredients well in a large bowl.

Pour into a greased, 12-cup bundt pan Add 12 walnuts to top of cake and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with crumbs clinging to it – about 45 minutes.

Cool in pan and serve on a platter with powdered sugar lightly sifted over the top. YUMMY!

The part that I like about this muffin is that it is very versatile, you can use any kind of fruit in it besides blueberries, for example you can use cranberries, raspberries, apples, and if you add some solid pack pumpkin with seasonings you have pumpkin muffins and so on, let your imagination run away with you.

OK, here is the recipe. You know that all ingredients should be room temperature.

12 medium eggs2 teaspoons salt2 cups oil (not peanut oil)5½ tablespoons baking powder3½ cups sugar3 cups milk or water8 cups flour2 to 3 cups blueberries (frozen)

In a 5 quart mixing bowl place your eggs, salt, oil, using a paddle mix slowly until blended then add sugar and baking powder, and continue mixing on slow speed then add water or milk and add flour slowly, when all flour is added scrape the sides of the bowl and mix until smooth, remove bowl from mixer and place 2 or 3 cups of blueberries in the mixture and blend in by hand (frozen blueberries preferred) dip out into lined muffin pans.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in convection oven and 35 to 40 minutes in regular oven at 350 degree preheated oven. This recipe makes 2 ½ dozen large muffins.

You can bake this ginger cake in one of two ways depending on who it’s for.

You can use either 2 loaf tins greased and lined (or ready made linings as it is much easier) or use 1 18cm round greased and lined deep tin. The amounts are the same for both ways but the baking times will be slightly different. The 2 loaf tins take about 50 minutes and the deep tin takes about 1hr.

1. Preheat your oven to 180c/160c for fan assisted ovens/gas mark 4.

2. Grease and line your chosen tin(s).

3. Make sure the rack in the oven is in the middle of the oven to make sure the ginger cake is evenly baked.

Ingredients

8oz/225g self raising flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tablespoon of ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground mixed spice

4oz/125g butter cut into cubes (plus extra for greasing the tins)

4oz/125g dark muscavado sugar

4oz/125g black treacle

4oz/125g golden syrup

9 fl oz/250ml whole milk

3oz/85g drained stem ginger, grated finely

1 egg

Method

Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and all the dry spices in a large bowl. Do not be tempted not to sift the flour, as the bicarbonate of soda will stay in clumps and not disperse through the cake.

Add the butter and rub it onto the flour mixture with your hands until it resembles breadcrumbs.

Put the muscavado sugar,treacle,syrup and milk into a large saucepan and put it on a low heat, keep stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then turn up the heat and bring the mixture to just below boiling point so it does not burn the sugars or it will be bitter, take off the heat.

Mix in the grated stem ginger into the flour mixture thoroughly coating it well.

Carefully pour in the treacle mix into the flour mixture (it will bubble as there is bicarbonate of soda in the mix) stir as you go and mix with a wooden spoon.

Break in the egg and beat the mixture well.

Pour the ginger cake mixture into the prepared tin(s)

Bake the cake for around 50 minutes and check it by pushing a clean skewer into the middle of the cake until it comes out clean.

When cooked leave it in the tin(s)until cool then turn out.

Keep the cake(s) in the paper that you have baked them in but put a clean one on as well for presentation, the cake(s) will keep for about 2 weeks if put in an airtight container or if you prefer you can freeze them by wrapping in greaseproof paper then cling-film or large food bag, it will keep well for around a month.

Once you and your family and friends have tried this delightful ginger cake recipe, the chances are it won’t last that long and you will find yourself making another one very soon!

Top tips

When you place the ginger cake in the oven, cover the top with greaseproof paper for 30 minutes to prevent the top of the cake going too dark. Remove the greaseproof paper from the top of the cake during the last 20 minutes of cooking time.

If you like it more gingery put in more stem ginger not too much or it will be heavy.

Ginger cake is best served with custard, single white cream, or enjoyed on its own with a fine cup of tea.

You can bake this ginger cake in one of two ways depending on who it’s for.

You can use either 2 loaf tins greased and lined (or ready made linings as it is much easier) or use 1 18cm round greased and lined deep tin. The amounts are the same for both ways but the baking times will be slightly different. The 2 loaf tins take about 50 minutes and the deep tin takes about 1hr.

1. Preheat your oven to 180c/160c for fan assisted ovens/gas mark 4.

2. Grease and line your chosen tin(s).

3. Make sure the rack in the oven is in the middle of the oven to make sure the ginger cake is evenly baked.

Ingredients

8oz/225g self raising flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tablespoon of ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground mixed spice

4oz/125g butter cut into cubes (plus extra for greasing the tins)

4oz/125g dark muscavado sugar

4oz/125g black treacle

4oz/125g golden syrup

9 fl oz/250ml whole milk

3oz/85g drained stem ginger, grated finely

1 egg

Method

Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and all the dry spices in a large bowl. Do not be tempted not to sift the flour, as the bicarbonate of soda will stay in clumps and not disperse through the cake.

Add the butter and rub it onto the flour mixture with your hands until it resembles breadcrumbs.

Put the muscavado sugar,treacle,syrup and milk into a large saucepan and put it on a low heat, keep stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then turn up the heat and bring the mixture to just below boiling point so it does not burn the sugars or it will be bitter, take off the heat.

Mix in the grated stem ginger into the flour mixture thoroughly coating it well.

Carefully pour in the treacle mix into the flour mixture (it will bubble as there is bicarbonate of soda in the mix) stir as you go and mix with a wooden spoon.

Break in the egg and beat the mixture well.

Pour the ginger cake mixture into the prepared tin(s)

Bake the cake for around 50 minutes and check it by pushing a clean skewer into the middle of the cake until it comes out clean.

When cooked leave it in the tin(s)until cool then turn out.

Keep the cake(s) in the paper that you have baked them in but put a clean one on as well for presentation, the cake(s) will keep for about 2 weeks if put in an airtight container or if you prefer you can freeze them by wrapping in greaseproof paper then cling-film or large food bag, it will keep well for around a month.

Once you and your family and friends have tried this delightful ginger cake recipe, the chances are it won’t last that long and you will find yourself making another one very soon!

Top tips

When you place the ginger cake in the oven, cover the top with greaseproof paper for 30 minutes to prevent the top of the cake going too dark. Remove the greaseproof paper from the top of the cake during the last 20 minutes of cooking time.

If you like it more gingery put in more stem ginger not too much or it will be heavy.

Ginger cake is best served with custard, single white cream, or enjoyed on its own with a fine cup of tea.

It uses ingredients you mostly likely have on hand. My family really enjoys this cake recipe because its different and tastes awesome. If you have a large enough rectangular cake pan, you can indeed make it in one pan instead of the 2 rounds called for in the recipe. I like to top mine with either vanilla or cream cheese frosting.

Graham Cracker Cake

3 c. graham cracker crumbs 1 tbsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. salt 3 eggs, separated 1 1/2 c. milk 3/4 c. shortening 1 1/2 c. sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9″ around cake pans. Break 8 graham crackers into blender container, cover and process to grind. Empty contents into mixing bowl and repeat with remaining graham crackers, add baking powder and salt. Put egg yolks, milk, shortening, sugar and vanilla into blender container, cover and process until smooth. Add to cracker crumbs and mix well. Beat egg whites with mixer until stiff. Fold into cracker mixture. Pour into prepared pans and bake 30-35 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then finish cooling on a wire rack.

After it has been cooled, you can icing it with your favorite icing. To dress up your cake, you can use a icing tool to make swirls or a patterned design in the icing. You can also top the cake with some fresh sliced fruits.