A dark & stormy is a classic sailor’s drink. Long and thirst quenching it is perfect after a long day on the water.
Years ago I took part in Ramsgate week – we both sailed and partied hard. Each crew were given a sheet of drinks tickets – valid for one free drink each, every day in the bar. Of course those less honest; or to put it more charitably, more enterprising than I, photocopied the drinks tokens ensuring that the drinks flowed literally freely all night.
I am sure that I would not be able to keep up with it now, but still do enjoy the occasional (sole) dark and stormy.
I’ve used the classic pairing of ginger and rum to make these dark and stormy cakes – the batter is based on my bung it all in whizz and go Easy Peasy Ginger Cake – made entirely from store cupboard ingredients it remains the most popular recipe on the site and is well overdue a new airing and photography.
I would like to learn more about rum – I know that they are at least as complex and as varied as whisky, and are a drink to be savoured in their own right rather than mixed in cocktails. I have tried a few good rums over the years and have enjoyed them. The latest bottle was Ron Zacapa 23 from Alexander & James retailing at just under £50. Made from sugar cane in south-western Guatemala the rum is then matured in the romantically named, high altitude House in the Clouds. Once mature the rum is blended, the Ron Zacapa 23 is a blend of rums between 6 and 23 years old and then the rum is returned to casks that once held whisky, sherry and wine.
The resulting rum is magnificent, and in all honesty probably far too good to bake with (but they do say never cook with wine that you would not drink, and surely the same applies to rum?) It is the colour of fresh conkers, a deep reddish brown and intensely flavoured with caramel, raisins and dark chocolate. Delicious! A perfect seemingly seamless hand woven palm band surrounds each bottle. It would make a lovely present for a rum lover and comes packed in an attractive burgundy box.
I baked in my mini muffin pan, or you could bake cupcakes and pipe a swirl of cream on top of each – but you will need double the amount of whipped cream.
- 175 g Plain Flour
- 110 g Sugar I use soft light brown for colour and flavour but any would work
- 50 g Cooking oil Sunflower or rape/canola
- 1½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- Pinch salt
- 30 g golden syrup
- 30 ml dark rum
- 80 ml water
- 150 g double cream
- 25 ml dark rum
- 25 g icing sugar
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Preheat the oven to GM4/180C
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Place all the ingredients for the cake into a mixing bowl and beat until you have a smooth batter – you can do this by hand but I use a hand held mixer.
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Dollop into a greased mini muffin pan (or into fairy cake cases in a baking pan) and bake at 180C / GM4 for 15 – 20 (depending on the size of your cakes) minutes until risen and springy.
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Remove from the oven, allow to rest for a few minutes, then remove from the baking pan and leave to cool on a wire rack.
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To make the rum cream place the cream, rum and icing sugar into a bowl and whisk until it holds a peak.
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Slice the mini cakes in half horizontally and sandwich them together with a teaspoon of the rum cream (if you have made cupcakes then simply put a dollop of cream on top).
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Keep in a cool place and serve the same day.
This is a commissioned recipe for Alexander and James.
You also might like these rum or ginger recipes
- Michelle’s Ginger Beer & Gin Cocktail
- Jeanne’s Nectarine & ginger tarte tatin
- Nazima’s Orange, Ginger & Caramom Loaf Cake
- Katie’s Rum & Raisin Marmalade
- Filipa’s Ginger & Custard Ice Lollies
Oh I like the sound of this drink! Must seek it out as I’d never heard of it til now. Love the cakes too!
It was splendid Urvashi. I was tempted to drink the entire contents of the shot glass!
Gosh these sound superb, and the Ramsgate week sounds fantastic too! I don’t know if I’d be able to keep up with such partying at my old age now, but wow, what memories you must have! Fantastic photography as always too. Yum!
Thank you Elizabeth. Ramsgate week was a blast. The sea air is marvellous for hangovers, but I would not be able to do this now.
What amazing grown up little bakes…. I would love to try making these Helen. Matthew adores dark rum so this will be right up his alley. Thanks for linking to my marmalade recipe :-)
It was the most delicious rum too!
Lovely – loving the background in the photo, too :-)) Missing my rum!! Your cakes look very sweet, love the cocktail straws, too.
The background is amazing, thank you so much for it! On another post my mother thought that I had taken the photos outside against an old painted fence.
They look great Helen, standing there all proud. Fab photo! I went back for a second look.
Thank you Jac. I could not resist the cocktail umbrellas!
Love your recipe Helen and the cocktail umbrellas are a great idea!
Indeed. Cocktail umbrellas are not just for cocktails!
Dark & Stormy sounds like my kind of cocktail and I adore the sound of your cupcakes. I’ve bookmarked your recipe to my “must make” list. Thanks so much for the recipe!