Textual Chef Textual Chef

Rum Cake

A moist, buttery Caribbean rum cake soaked with a warm rum-butter glaze that seeps into every bite. This celebratory dessert is rich with vanilla and warm spices and is popular across the Caribbean for holidays and special occasions.

80 minMediumServes 12480 cal/serving

CaribbeanDessertOvenVegetarianLow-SodiumPork-FreeNightshade-Free

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 eggs large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup dark rum (such as Myers's or Appleton)
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 box instant vanilla pudding mix (3.4 oz box)
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (for glaze)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar (for glaze)
  • 1/3 cup dark rum (for glaze)
  • 1/4 cup water

Instructions

  1. 1

    Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan thoroughly.

  2. 2

    In a large bowl, beat 1 cup softened unsalted butter with 1 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in 4 eggs room temperature large eggs one at a time, then mix in 2 tsp pure vanilla extract.

  3. 3

    In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 box instant vanilla pudding mix (3.4 oz box), 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, and 1/2 tsp salt.

  4. 4

    Alternate adding the flour mixture and 1/2 cup sour cream to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Stir in 1/2 cup dark rum (such as Myers's or Appleton) until just combined.

  5. 5

    Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

  6. 6

    While the cake bakes, make the glaze: melt 1/2 cup unsalted butter (for glaze) in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar (for glaze) and 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and stir in 1/3 cup dark rum (for glaze).

  7. 7

    While the cake is still hot in the pan, poke holes all over the top with a skewer. Pour about half of the glaze over the cake and let it soak in for 10 minutes.

  8. 8

    Invert the cake onto a serving platter. Poke holes in the top and sides and pour the remaining glaze over the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Cool completely before slicing.

Questions

Can I make Rum Cake dairy-free?

Yes. The dairy in this entry is 1 cup unsalted butter, softened, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup unsalted butter (for glaze). Swap the butter for olive oil where it melts, or a plant-based block butter where it is creamed; the sour cream for thick coconut yogurt with a squeeze of lemon. The richness shifts slightly, but the method does not change.

Can I make Rum Cake gluten-free?

Yes. The gluten in this entry is 2 cups all-purpose flour. Swap the flour for a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking blend (where it only thickens a sauce, half as much cornstarch also works). Everything else proceeds as written.

Can I make Rum Cake ahead?

Yes, it takes well to being made ahead. Store it airtight: two to three days at room temperature or up to a week refrigerated. It freezes for up to two months; thaw at room temperature.

Can I halve or double Rum Cake?

Yes. As written it serves 12. Every ingredient in this entry carries precomputed half and double quantities, and the app's batch dial rewrites them inside each step. Doubled, split it across two pans and rotate them halfway; one crowded pan bakes unevenly.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,504 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.

More Caribbean entries

All Caribbean recipes · All Dessert recipes · All Flour recipes