How To Make Rum Cake (from SCRATCH)

There are few desserts as tasty as Caribbean rum cake, and my simple recipe will leave you satisfied every time you make it. 

This recipe is easy to make, but it always impresses. Once you’ve mastered the art of the tube or Bundt pan, you’ll be finding excuses to make Caribbean rum cake again and again. 

The rum butter glaze gives the cake a strong flavor as it soaks into the cake. If you’ve had rum cakes before and wonder if rum was actually in the cake – you will NOT have that problem with this cake. The rum butter glaze is more of a syrup than a glaze, but it’s amazing nonetheless.

Special Equipment Required To Make Rum Cake

• Cake pan – You’ll use either a Bundt pan or a tube pan for this recipe.
• Stand mixer – I like to use a stand mixer, but you could also use a bowl and a hand mixer. You don’t need to use a mixer at all, but it makes the process a lot easier and quicker, and you won’t have sore arms the next day. 

Ingredients Required To Make Rum Cake Recipe

• Cake flour
• Sugar
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Vanilla extract
• Butter
• Chopped walnuts
• Eggs
• Milk
• Dark rum
• Canola oil

How to Make Rum Cake Recipe

Start by making the cake: 

1. Preheat your oven to 325°F.
2. Add butter and sugar to the bowl attached to your stand mixer and beat on medium until fluffy, about two minutes. You should notice the color change, too.
3. Add oil and mix until combined.
4. Add eggs one at a time and mix until combined.
5. Add vanilla extract.
6. Next, make sure your mixer is on low and add your flour and your milk in an alternating pattern. Add about a third of the flour. Once combined, add about half of the milk. Continue following this pattern until all the flour and milk have been added, ending the pattern with flour. Mix everything until it is thoroughly incorporated.
7. Add baking powder and salt and mix until combined.
8. In a separate bowl, add walnuts and a tablespoon of flour. Mix until the walnuts are completely coated in flour. This will keep them from sinking to the bottom of the pan.
9. Add the coated walnuts to the cake mixture and mix until combined.
10. Coat your cake pan with something (butter, flour, nonstick spray) to give it a nonstick surface, then add your cake mixture.
11. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 55 minutes.
12. Let your cake cool while making the rum glaze.

Now make the rum glaze: 

1. Add butter, sugar, and water to a saucepan and turn the stovetop to medium heat.
2. Cook until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture begins to thicken and bubble, about 5 to 10 minutes. 
3. Remove from heat and add rum and vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
4. Pour the glaze over the cake and allow it to soak completely.
5. Serve and enjoy!

Top Tip

For a super rum-forward flavor, wait a day to eat a slice. This will allow for the glaze to fully soak into the cake, making it moist and totally tasty.

Caribbean Rum Cake Serving Tips

• Ice cream – Serve your Caribbean rum cake with a scoop or two of vanilla bean ice cream. It’ll add some texture to the dessert, and it’s perfect for parties. 
• Icing – To decorate the cake a bit, feel free to add powdered sugar icing to the top of the cake. 

Bundt pan tips

For this recipe, you can use a Bundt pan or a tube pan, and if you are brand new to baking, I suggest using a tube pan. Bundt pans can be a little tricky. However, if you are ready to use a Bundt pan, here are some tips to make it a little easier:

Use a simply shaped pan 

There are dozens of different types of Bundt cake pans. Some of them have beautiful designs, and although these look great when they are out of the oven, they pose some challenges when baking. 

If you’re an experienced baker, it can be fun to experiment with these pans, but if you’re new to baking or you’re new to using Bundt pans, I suggest using a more traditional Bundt pan to start. Those nooks and crannies can be troublesome. 

Coat the pan before baking 

All of the divots in the Bundt pan make for more surface area for the cake to stick. Because of this, you want to make sure your cake pan is thoroughly coated in something that will keep it from sticking. This could be butter, flour, or a nonstick coating from a spray bottle. I prefer using cake spray.

Wait to remove the cake

Removing a Bundt cake from its pan is half timing and half skill. If you can master flipping the Bundt pan, all you have to do is master the timing. 

Typically, you don’t want to flip the pan too soon because the cake will fall apart, but you don’t want to wait too long because then the cake can stick to the pan. Wait at least 10 minutes so that the cake has set, but don’t wait much longer than 20 minutes so that it doesn’t stick to the pan.

In this case, you will want to let the cake cool in the pan while the rum butter glaze soaks into the cake.

Run a knife along the edge

One way to keep the cake from sticking to the pan is by running a knife along the edge of the pan. This can be a little trickier with Bundt pans than a tube pan, but it’s still worth giving a try to keep your cake intact before removing it.

FAQs For Rum Cake Recipe

Can I freeze this cake?

Yes, you can freeze this rum cake, but I suggest doing so before adding the rum glaze. Store it in an airtight container. It could last up to a year after baking. 

How should I store this cake?

Store this cake in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. It should stay good for up to five days after baking.

Other Recipes You’ll Love

• If you love tropical desserts, make my Easy Pineapple Upside-Down Cake. It’s got a sweet and fruity flavor that is to die for. 
• For a fun twist on the classic campfire dessert, try my S’mores Cupcakes. These are perfect for anyone in the mood for a chocolatey-marshmallowy treat without the sticky mess. 
• I love this Easy Double Crust Southern Peach Cobbler recipe, and I know you will, too. It’s the ultimate summer dessert that’ll have everyone who tastes it asking for the recipe. 

Let me know in the comments what you think of my Caribbean rum cake!

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