NOTE: This Saturday, YOU, shiny monkey friend, can win your very own Island Treasures rum cake... swing on by!  |
| Thumbs up from this monkey. |
I'm a lucky monkey to know the talented Craig family who created Island Treasures Gourmet (ITG), makers of the most delicious and kid-friendly rum cake I've ever tasted. I first tried a Caribbean rum cake on my visit to Grand Cayman a few years ago, but this one is, sorry Margaritaville gift shop, much more moist and definitely has that homemade taste.
The best baked goods are the ones refined over generations of home cooking, finally put on the market to silence hundreds of friends and families who have been pleading, "So, when are you going to sell this cake? It's fabulous!" Island Treasures is a family business that is just about to make it big with this easy to serve, ship, and share product line... mark my words. When I was a tween, my mom taught me how to make a nice easy bundt cake, and taught me well - these cakes make a great hostess gift for family gatherings and house parties because they are crowd pleasers. ITG's cakes are far better than anything I could make, and will not disappoint. (I still can't get the bundt cakes out of the pan very well.)
Flavor profile: ITG's vanilla rum cake was packaged really well, and still moist when I opened it for review in a resealable container. The cake itself had a slight vanilla flavor and was really moist, almost creamy like a banana bread texture. I'm told the flavor of rum cakes "ripen" over time and gets even better. Olivia (9) first asked "is this inappropriate...?" and then tried it. She couldn't describe the very slight rum/strong vanilla flavor other than, "this is REALLY tasty - tastes like vanilla with a kick." Right on.
Product line: Six flavors of rum cake to choose from, including vanilla, coconut, cinnamon pecan streusel, chocolate, banana, raspberry. In both 32 ounce cakes and mini-sizes. Very affordable prices online; one cake for $24.99 and two for $34.99 on sale now. Eat one now - freeze one for later!
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| 5 bananas = we've got the fever! |
I asked via email Cassandra Craig, owner, the story behind her amazing rum cakes, and she was kind enough to oblige.
Q: How much rum is in a rum cake? Can I give it to my tweens and not feel guilty?
A: According to lab tests, there is less than 1 percent alcohol left in a 2 lb. cake after baking. No guilt and I've never heard of a kid who doesn't like the mild flavor in six years. We even sell them to schools as fundraising items. As far as the rum, we use Whaler's Rum, a Hawaiian rum recipe now made in Kentucky.
Q: Who seems to enjoy rum cakes the most, and why?
A: Rum cakes are a wonderful treat and a great reminder of an island vacation. Only available for order online, we developed over the years a smooth, moist, high-quality cake that is as affordable as it is delicious. Kids, parents, grandparents all get hooked on the flavor. We hope people will love sending these as gifts through the website with a personal note - they travel really well. They've even been sent overseas and abroad to bring a little island vacation for those who can't enjoy one.
Q: What's in your future?A: We want the rum cake to replace the fruitcake for holidays, and be a truly year-round dessert. The cakes can be frozen to extend shelf life and thaw in a few hours (you can even freeze slices separately for quick thawing)... and is a great Easter, Father's/Mothers Day cake.
For more about Island Treasures Gourmet rum cakes, visit their Facebook page or website. I even have a special shiny discount code for you, monkeys: apply code FC10 at checkout and save 10%!.
Think warm thoughts and eat more rum cake, we are on island time... for the moment.
Disclosure: I received two Island Treasures Gourmet cakes, one to review and one for a giveaway, in exchange for my fair and unbiased review. The opinions above are all my own.
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