Jamocha Rum 'N Butter Cake

Jamocha rum butter cake takes a humble box of devil’s food and transforms it into a boozy, deeply flavored coffee-and-rum-soaked layer cake. The trick is the syrup poured over the still-hot cake. Water, sugar, butter, and a half cup of rum heat together, then get spooned across the surface where they soak straight into the warm crumb. The cake doesn’t just taste like rum; it tastes like rum from the inside out.

Instant coffee goes into both the cake batter and the frosting. That double-shot of coffee is what makes this Jamocha (the term for coffee-mocha-rum cocktails and ice creams) instead of just chocolate. Whipped cream gets folded into the frosting mix for a lighter, billowy chocolate topping that contrasts with the dense soaked cake below.

A shower of shaved chocolate finishes it. Make this a day ahead so the syrup has time to redistribute.

Pro Tips

• Spoon the syrup over the cake while both are still hot. The hot crumb absorbs the syrup; cold cake just lets it pool on top.
• Poke the cake with a skewer first if it’s particularly dense. The holes give the syrup channels to soak through.
• Chill the frosting mix and cream for 15 minutes before whipping. Cold ingredients whip taller and hold their structure longer.
• Use a vegetable peeler down the side of a chocolate bar to make wide, ribbon-like shavings for the garnish.

Variations

• Swap rum for bourbon or dark spiced rum for a different boozy profile.
• Add 2 tablespoons of Kahlua or coffee liqueur to the frosting for an even stronger coffee finish.
• Serve with a scoop of coffee ice cream for an over-the-top dessert.