SEMI HOMEMADE CAKES RECIPES

Steps:

• For the cake: Grease a Bundt pan and spread pecans on the bottom of the pan. Beat eggs, oil, water and rum in mixer just until incorporated. Add pudding mix and cake mix and beat on med, about 3 to 5 minutes just until you get a smooth texture. Pour into pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 40 to 45 minutes. The cake should have a light golden brown color, but will darken with the glaze.
• For the glaze: Melt butter in saucepan and add the sugar and water, bring to a boil. Once it starts to boil, take off the heat and add the rum. Pour into a large measuring cup that will hold that amount or more. Set aside. 
• Once cake is ready, take out of oven and leave in pan. Gently prick holes into the cake with a skewer. Slowly pour half of the glaze over the cake making sure to fill in all the holes. Once the cake has soaked up the glaze, turn cake over, removing pan, onto the base that the cake will stay on. Gently prick more holes on other side and slowly pour other half of glaze over cake. Fill the center of the cake with reserved pecans. Let cool and enjoy. The cake is best if left at room temperature. 

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and lin 2 x 12-hole fairy cake tins with paper cases.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar using an electric mixer until the mixture is pale and fluffy.
• Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing until the egg is completely incorporated into the batter before adding the next. Add a tablespoon of flour if the mixture curdles.Mix in the vanilla extract.
• Fold in the flour using a large metal spoon until no traces of flour are visible. Gently fold in the milk to loosen the mixture.
• Spoon the mixture into the prepared tins so that they are ⅔ full. Bake the cakes for 15-20 minutes, or until golden-brown on top and springy to the touch. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack before removing from the tin.
• To make the buttercream, beat the butter in a large bowl until soft. Add half of the icing sugar and beat until smooth.
• Add the remaining icing sugar, cocoa powder and one tablespoon of the milk and beat until creamy. Beat in more milk if necessary to loosen the icing.
• Once the cakes are cool, spread the buttercream icing on top of the cakes. Decorate the cakes with the chocolate buttons.