P.E.I. rum cake offers an 'almost illegal taste' of the Island

An Island food company is producinga new P.E.I. rum cake that it says offers an "almost illegal taste"of the Island.

They're produced by J.J. Stewart Foods of Stratford, which already createspreserves, root beer, wild blueberry products and chocolate sauces.

The idea for the rum cakes came from travels to the Caribbean over the last several years by owners Thom and Heather MacMillan. The couple wanted to create rum cakes on P.E.I. using Island products including the rum.

"We decided to experiment and came up with a recipe," Thom MacMillan said.

"We probably made about 10 to 15 different cake batters to see which one we liked. And we took pieces from one of this and that to get the right rum balance. And then after Christmas we got some professional help in order to bring it to a commercial recipe.And we started producing in June."

6 Island ingredients

Six ingredients in the cake are Island products, including the rum.The packaging is a tribute of sorts to P.E.I.'s rum-running history.

It's the rum and the Island air, and the milk, and the Island butter and the Island eggs.- Thom MacMillan

"It has that prohibition feel in terms of the old-looking boardsto make it look like a crate or possibly a square barrel."

MacMillannotedthere's been a lotof positive response from Islanders and tourists, and they've been getting mail orders as well.

"'I'm finding a lot of people didn't know rum was produced on P.E.I., which kind of surprised me a bit," he said.

"So I am educatingthem on that ... where they can get the rum and what type of rum it is. We are using theMyriad Distillery amber rum from Rollo Bay."

'The Island air'

Small cakes sell for $7, and large ones are $24. They havea shelf life of five months when sealed.

When asked what makes it so good, MacMillansaid, "It's the rum and the Island air, and the milk, and the Island butter and the Island eggs and the fact that we pay attention to all the products we produce."

P.E.I. rum cakes canbe seen this summer at local farmers markets and craft stores.

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