Yep.. fall is here.  

The sun is shining here in the Cape but the air is crisp and fresh.  

I love the fall.  

I figured this was my opportunity to throw a pumpkin recipe out there.  I don't love pumpkin and would have to say, loathe pumpkin lattes.  But when you toss the threat of rum in there and a maple glaze, you've got something.  

To be honest, this recipe evolved a couple of times, while testing it out in my kitchen..  I started out thinking, "It's fall, I should make something pumpkin".  Then thought, pumpkin is boring..  Why not add maple?  How cliche.  How about some rum?  And then it turned out it wasn't enough rum - is it ever?  So, I added rum to the glaze, which was yummy but still not enough zazz.   The chopped nuts on top were just enough to make it part cake and part sticky bun - nothing boring about sticky buns.  

A couple of tips -- don't skimp on the rum.

Use a nice aged Cruzan or spiced Capt. Morgan…

Something rich in flavor.  

Additionally, if you want to make it gluten free, just use a good gluten free flour blend in place of the flour in this recipe.  I like to use "Cup for Cup", which can be purchased at either Whole Foods or Williams Sonoma.  

I made one recipe making four small bundt cakes and then added chopped nuts and raisins to the remaining batter to make muffins for my children.   

Keep reading and while you’re at it, break out your cinnamon, butter, rum.. and the rest of it and get cookin’! 😋

OK, let's go..

Cake ingredients - 

• 2 1/4 C flour

• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 2 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1 C brown sugar

• 1/4 C butter softened 

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 2 large eggs

• 1 15 oz can pumpkin

• 3/4 C rum

• Glaze ingredients -

• 1/4 C real maple syrup

• 2 tbsp rum

• 1 C powdered sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla 

• chopped nuts of your choice for topping the glaze (about 1 cup)

Time for the play-by-play…

Sticky Bun Instructions:

1. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees

2. Combine your flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a bowl and set aside.

3. In another bowl, blend your butter and brown sugar until fluffy.

4. Add eggs one a time and blend

5. Add vanilla, pumpkin & rum until creamy.

6. Add the wet mixture to the dry and mix until blended - don't overmix

7. Put your batter into prepared baking dish or muffin tins and bake for approximately 25 minutes.  You're done when a knife or toothpick inserted comes out clean.  

8. Allow your cakes to cool before applying the glaze..

9. To make the glaze, simply heat all the ingredients in a sauce pan until there are no clumps from the sugar and the mixture is smooth.  Allow to cool slightly before pouring it onto your cake as it will thicken a bit as it cools.  The hot thin liquid will just run all over the place.

10. After you have poured your glaze on the cakes, top with chopped nuts (I like to use pecans). 

11. To really give them that sticky bun edge, give the cakes and nuts another layer of glaze and nuts - most likely you won't regret it.  

All Done!

Fresh and made with love - right from your very own kitchen.

Good job! 😋