2 sticks unsalted butter (room temperature)
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup sour cream
1 tbsp vanilla
1/2 cup dark rum (I use Meyers)
1 1/4 cups pecans (optional)
Glaze:
1/4 cup (1 stick) butter
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp. fresh squeeze lemon juice
1/4 cup dark rum
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 10-inch tube pan. Coarsely chop nuts and use 1/4 cup to sprinkle on bottom of pan.
In large bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Add sugar and beat about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time and beat until fluffy and light yellow. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add one-third of flour mixture and mix. Add half of sour cream and mix. Continue to add flour and sour cream ending with the last third of flour. Stir in vanilla, rum and 1 cup chopped pecans (optional). Spoon batter in pan and bake 1 hour 20 mins. Let cake cool 15 mins. before removing from pan. Invert onto cooling rack.
For the glaze, stir butter, water, sugar, lemon juice and rum in small saucepan over medium heat until combined. Boil about 1 minute. Gently pierce the cake and pour glaze evenly over cake. Let cool and serve. Enjoy!