Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 °F

Step 2

Cream together the sugar and butter until fluffy and most of the sugar crystals have dissolved

Step 3

Add eggs one as a time and mix into the creamed sugar and butter

Step 4

Then add baking powder to the flour and sift together

Step 5

Next add sifted flour, 1/2 cup at a time to the creamed butter, sugar and egg mixture and slowly mix together forming a smooth batter.

Step 6

Add vanilla essence, orange zest and rum (if using)

Step 7

Pour mixture into a greased bundt cake pan or two 8 inch round pans

Step 8

Place on the middle rack in the oven and bake for 45 minutes to an hour or until a wooden skewer or tooth pick comes out clean (free of batter) when inserted into the cake

Step 9

Remove from the oven and let cool completely before removing from the baking pan