Makes 2 cakes in 2 cake tins measuring 25 x 20 cm – Prep: 2h + 1 day of resting
Grease two 25 x 20cm cake tin and line the bases with baking paper.
In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla extract. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat between additions. Add the rum and beat again.
In a separate bowl, mix the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the flour mix to the wet ingredients, beating between additions.
Preheat the oven grill to high (250°C).
Spread a thin, even layer of batter onto the base of one cake tin and grill just below the oven grill for about 3 minutes until the top has browned.
Meanwhile, spread a layer of batter into the second cake tin.
Put the sugar, water and rum (for the layers) into a small saucepan and heat until all the sugar has dissolved. In a second saucepan, heat up the apricot jam so it becomes runny.
Take the cake tin out of the oven, and put the second tin in – grilling the cake for about 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, brush the surface of the baked cake layer with some apricot jam, then add another thin, even layer of batter.
After 3 minutes, alternate the cake tins again, brushing apricot jam onto the freshly baked cake layer and topping it with another layer of batter.
Once the second layer is baked, brush some of the rum syrup over the cake.
Spread another layer of batter on top of the cake, pop under the grill for 3 minutes, then brush the grilled surface with apricot jam.
Repeat this process until all the dough is used up – alternating between apricot jam and rum syrup (you will get about 10 layers for each cake).
Once you get to the last layer, turn off the grill and heat the oven to 180°C fan. Bake the two cakes at the same time for 10 minutes – this ensures all the layers are fully baked.
Leave the cakes to cool in their tins for 15 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
Once the cakes are cool, prepare the icing by mixing all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Spread over the top of the cake and leave to set for a few hours.
Once the icing has set, wrap the cakes in foil and set aside for at least 1 day before cutting. The flavours will develop and the cake will become more moist.
STORAGE: The Bamkuch keeps wrapped in foil for 4 days. I usually freeze big chunks of Bamkuch once the icing has set. I then defrost the cake at room temperature on the day I want to serve it. It’s quite incredible, but I found that the defrosted Bamkuch tastes even better – somehow the freezing process renders the cake even more moist and succulent!
TIP: Depending on your oven grill, it might burn the surface without baking the cake enough, or not grill the cake surface enough. When either of these situations happen, I turn on the oven in fan-mode at the same time as the grill, usually at around 180°C fan. Like that, the cake is grilled and baked at the same time.
