Chocolate Rum Pudding Cake Recipe

Boil some water in a teakettle, preheat oven to 350°F, and grease a 9-inch springform round cake pan. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, 3/4 cup of the sugar, and 1/4 cup of the cocoa. Add the soy milk, oil, and extracts, and mix into a thick batter. Spread batter into cake pan. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cocoa and sugar. Pour the boiling water into a glass measuring cup, add the maple syrup and rum to the water, and pour this mixture on top of the cake batter. Place cake on a cookie sheet in case of pudding overflow and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool just a bit; while the cake is still warm, place it on a large plate (your plate should have a slight edge to prevent spillage). Throw on a scoop of vanilla soy ice cream if you like, and you’ve got yourself one impressive dessert. Beverage pairing: This dense chocolate dessert calls for an equally rich late-harvest red, with copious amounts of hedonistic fruit. Try the 2005 Dashe Dry Creek Late Harvest Zinfandel.