Vanilla-Bean Cakes

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 2 7½-by-3½-by-2½-inch loaf pans (or equivalently sized pans) and set aside. Prepare an insulating layer for the cakes by stacking one baking sheet on top of another, or use an insulated baking sheet.

2. Step 2

   Sift the flour and baking powder together and reserve. Place the vanilla seeds and sugar in a bowl and rub them together until the sugar is aromatic. Add the eggs and, using a whisk, beat until foamy and pale. Add the crème fraîche, then the rum, then the salt and whisk until each is incorporated. Using the whisk or a rubber spatula, stir the flour mixture into the batter in 4 additions to produce a smooth, thick batter. Finally, fold in the butter in 2 to 3 additions.

3. Step 3

   Immediately pour the batter into the loaf pans, place them on the baking sheet(s) and slip them into the oven. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the cakes are crowned, split down the center and golden. A knife inserted into the center of each cake should come out dry. (Check the cakes at the 40-minute mark. If they are browning too quickly, cover them with foil tents for the remainder of the baking.) Remove the cakes from the oven and turn them out of the pans onto a cooling rack; invert them so that they're right side up. Allow the cakes to cool to room temperature before serving.

4. Step 4

   Wrapped in plastic, the cakes will keep at room temperature for about a week.