I love bundt cakes and I'm eager to try the Sour Cream Lemon cake. I make rum cake with a bundt pan. Yesterday, I made a dozen mini-bundt rum cakes for my dentist and his staff. I made one cake without nuts and he thanked me graciously as he thought I knew he had an allergy--I was just being cautious. Nothing new here but it is one of my favorites. Golden Rum Cake An easy way to glaze the cake is to pour half of the glaze into Bundt pan, reinsert cake, then pour the rest of glaze over the bottom of the cake. Let absorb well then invert back onto platter. 1 cup chopped pecans 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix 1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding 4 eggs 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup walnut or vegetable oil 1/2 cup dark rum 1/2 cup butter 1/4 cup water 1 cup white sugar 1/2 cup dark rum (Appleton Estates is a recommended brand) 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan. Sprinkle chopped nuts evenly over the bottom of the pan. 2. In a large bowl, combine cake mix and pudding mix. Mix in the eggs, 1/2 cup water, oil and 1/2 cup rum. Blend well. Pour batter over chopped nuts in the pan. 3. Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let sit for 10 minutes in the pan, and then turn out onto serving plate. Brush glaze over top and sides. Allow cake to absorb glaze and repeat until all glaze is used. 4. To make the glaze: in a saucepan, combine butter, 1/4 cup water and 1 cup sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat and continue to boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup rum. Double the glaze and while the cake was still hot and in the pan, took a skewer and make little holes all over the cake. Poured half of the glaze in the holes while it cooled a bit in the pan. Inverted the cake and pour the rest of the glaze over it.

Woodie, I'm so happy to see you here again, I miss you! Sol, I'll help for Sam's wedding. My cake baking skills are nothing close to yours but I could mix batter or bring the mojitos or SOMETHING... Thank you, everyone. I was pleased with the way everything turned out and doubly pleased that the fondant bow made it there intact. The hearts inside the cupcakes. OK, I hate to admit that it was actually easy, I'd love to fib and tell you it was all difficult and technical. Bake a sheet cake layer of red velvet cake, cut hearts with a small cookie cutter, it has to be small enough to fit down inside the cupcake. Put a spoonful of batter into the cupcake paper or pan, set the heart into it and fill with batter, making sure the heart is covered with batter. Bake again, check for doneness slightly toward the edge. The only trick is that you have to mark the cupcake so you know which direction to cut or you just have a red glob visible from the side view, LOL. This would work with bunnies for Easter, trees or bells for Christmas, Shamrocks for St. Pat's, whatever strikes you and you have a cookie cutter for. It was actually more difficult to get the Snickers bars not to sink into the bottom of the cupcake, we had to eat a couple of batches before I figured out to freeze the candy before plopping it into the middle of the unbaked cupcake. It was a difficult job, but had to be done. (grin) I did have some dedicated volunteers that helped me with that one..... Annie

Here in Texas, it is common to have a groom's cake and I'd bet 9 times out of 10 it is chocolate sheet or sometimes a sculpted cake reflecting a hobby, profession or such while the "bride's cake" is most commonly a traditional tiered white cake, updated tiered, cupcake tower -- sometimes a carrot, spice or fruit cake with white or pastel tinted icing. If white cake is used, it is common to use a lemon, strawberry or raspberry filling between the layers. My first thought would be to do a tiered cake with piped icing designs that reflect Australia, England and, possibly, the US. Might depend on your friend's artistry and willingness to explore and play with some ideas, but it could be as simple as taking the Union Jack and piping the crossing lines and stars in different variations on the different tiers. The shape of the Sydney Opera House, boomerangs, Aboriginal designs, crowns, roses, tea cups -- whatever it was that had them both in Australia might be a theme, but playing with that inspirations in an understated way that creates an updated and personal, but still elegant and traditional cake. You can also use fruits, nuts and flowers that are traditional in the different countries -- Let making things special be fun, not a burden. With a year, your venue is probably the only pressing matter, and even that will depend somewhat on how flexible you are on timing (I've had to book some banquet halls near popular wedding times. Focus on that and everything else will fall in line, I enjoyed planning my wedding with mom. Not being able to do the same with a daughter of my own is one of the things I will miss most in having only sons. Enjoy it.

H B - not 3 layers anytime I've made it. The frosting goes onto a warm not hot cake, while the frosting is warm. I typically begin to make the frosting when the cake comes out of the oven, I don't have it ready while the cake is still baking. Frosting sits on top the cake in a distinct layer per my recipe. I've never put cinnamon in mine either, the addition of cinnamon to chocolate makes me think a Hispanic flair...which would probably be good but I'm not sure why necessary with this cake. The cake is cake-like with the many I've baked. Dense, but distinctly cake.