How to Make a Rum Cake

Looking for a delicious dessert that features the rich flavor of rum? You’ll often see rum cake served at Christmas or New Year’s, but it’s a decadent treat you can make at any time of year. Rum is a spirit made from sugarcane that’s been fermented, distilled, and barrel-aged. Featured in popular cocktails like the dark and stormy and the piña colada, rum is also great for baking – its rich and boozy flavor pairs well with vanilla. Here, Joe Canal’s shares our mouthwatering recipe for rum cake.

What Is Rum Cake?

This moist, flavorful cake is usually baked in a Bundt pan. The origins of rum cake can be traced back to the Caribbean, where the traditional Christmas pudding recipes of the British colonists were adapted with local ingredients, including rum from the sugar plantations. Today, rum cake is enjoyed throughout the Caribbean and beyond, especially during the holiday season.

An Easy Rum Cake Recipe

While you can certainly find rum cake recipes where the cake is baked from scratch, enthusiasts know that this simple recipe using a boxed cake mix yields a delectable result.

Ingredients:

To make this rum cake, you’ll need:

• One box of yellow cake mix
• One package of vanilla-flavored instant pudding mix
• Four eggs
• Half a cup of your favorite rum
• Half a cup of cooking oil
• Half a cup of cold water
• One cup of chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

For the glaze, you’ll need:

• Half a cup of dark rum
• One cup of sugar
• Half a cup of butter
• A quarter cup of water

To Make the Cake:

• Preheat the oven to 325° F.
• Coat a Bundt pan with cooking spray.
• If using nuts in your cake, sprinkle them over the bottom of the pan.
• Beat the rum, eggs, oil, and water with a hand mixer until incorporated.
• Add the cake mix and pudding mix and beat at medium speed for about four minutes until there are no more lumps.
• Pour the mix into your prepared Bundt pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes until the cake is golden brown. Test for doneness using a toothpick.

To Make the Glaze:

• Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
• Add sugar and water and bring it to a boil.
• Once the liquid begins to boil, take the saucepan off the burner and add the rum.
• Decant into a glass measuring cup and set aside.

Once the cake has cooled, gently poke it full of holes with a skewer or toothpick. Slowly pour the glaze all over so that it absorbs fully into the cake. Rum cakes are best if you let them sit for a few hours before serving. Carefully tip the cake out of the Bundt pan and onto a plate. Cut it into slices to serve.

Which Type of Rum Should You Use?

When you visit your local liquor store, you’ll probably notice several kinds of rum:

• White rum
• Gold rum
• Dark rum
• Spiced rum

Any kind will be delicious in a rum cake, so it all depends on your personal preference. White rum has a milder flavor, while dark rum will hold its flavor better after baking. Note that most of the rum is cooked off during the baking process, so the cake will retain the boozy flavor but contains very little alcohol. If you're concerned about alcohol content, however, you can designate your rum cake as an adult-only treat.

Learn More from Joe Canal's

Need a local liquor store to help you create the rum cake of your dreams? Look no further than Joe Canal’s in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. We have an extensive selection of beer, wine, and spirits. Joe Canal’s is proud to carry leading rum brands like Bacardi, Captain Morgan, and Cruzan. Plus, we offer local shipping for wine and spirits to customers in NJ. For more information about our inventory and to get expert advice for your next rum cake recipe, contact us today.