This Caribbean-inspired rum cake is a moist and buttery cake with a bold rum flavor that balances the sweetness of the cake. Traditionally a Caribbean holiday dessert, this rum soaked cake is the perfect cake anytime of the year!
What is Caribbean rum cake?
If you’ve ever traveled to the Caribbean, you’ve probably come across a slice of rum cake during your trip. Rum cake is traditionally a holiday dessert, inspired by British holiday puddings made with dried fruit soaked in rum and a sweet buttery caramel.
The cake has evolved over time, becoming more of a sponge cake soaked in rum than a rum-soaked fruitcake (you can still find this variety). The light cake gets soaked in a rum-butter syrup, becoming an incredibly moist and sweet cake. Loaded with rum flavor, it’s truly for those who love the sweet and bold notes of rum.
What kind of rum should I use?
With rum being a key ingredient in this rum soaked cake recipe, it’s important to use a rum with amazing flavor. My favorite rum to bake with is Myers’s dark rum (not a sponsored post, just a huge fan) as it has a bold flavor that makes this cake taste like a sweet rum cocktail. Dark rum is my preferred choice – I also use it in my Rum Soaked Banana Brownies – but feel free to use whatever rum you like the taste of.
How to make rum cake
The base of this rum cake recipe is a basic batter made with flour, cornstarch and baking powder for your dry ingredients and both butter, oil and heavy cream (or milk) for your liquids. The use of butter, oil and heavy cream means the cake is light and fluffy with a tender moist crumb from the added oil. It also gets soaked in a butter-rum syrup once it’s out of the oven.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter, oil, and sugar for 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Occasionally scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add heavy cream (or milk), rum, and vanilla, and beat until combined. On low speed, beat in the flour mixture and mix just until combined.
- Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. If the top is browning too fast while baking, cover pan loosely with aluminum foil.
- Make the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine butter, water, and sugar. Cook on medium-low heat until sugar dissolves and syrup forms. Turn off heat and mix in rum. Set aside until the cake is ready.
- When the cake is out of the oven pour about half of the syrup gently and slowly over the cake. Allow cake to cool for 10-15 minutes, then, run a knife gently around the edges of the cake, and remove cake from pan, carefully inverting it onto a plate.
- After inverting the cake, brush top and sides of the cake evenly with the rest of the syrup. Allow cake to cool to room temperature.
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Once slightly cooled, run a knife gently around the edges of the pan and carefully invert the rum soaked cake onto a plate. Brush the remaining glaze along the top and sides of the cake and let it cool to room temperature.
This Caribbean rum cake is the perfect way to bring the tropics to your kitchen! Full of rum and sugar, it’s the baked version of a sweet rum cocktail. The rum soaked cake is best served at room temperature and can be stored for up to 5 days in the fridge. Whip up a Pina Colada and enjoy a slice of this incredibly moist rum cake!
More Bundt cake recipes:
- Best Lemon Bundt Cake
- Orange Almond Cake
- Rich Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Monkey Bread
- Red Wine Chocolate Cake
Rum Cake
This rum cake is moist, buttery, and full of amazing rum flavor. It's easy to make and tastes incredible with a cup of tea or coffee!
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups (245g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (35g) cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 ⅓ cups (260g) granulated sugar (or ⅓ cup brown sugar plus 1 cup granulated sugar)
- ¼ cup (60 ml) canola or vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream (or milk)
- ½ cup (120 ml) dark rum
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Glaze:
- 1 stick (115g) unsalted butter
- ¼ cup (60 ml) water
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) dark rum
Instructions
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Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350°F/180°C. Grease well a 12-cup (10-inch) bundt pan and set aside.
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To make the cake: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
-
In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter, oil, and sugar for 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Occasionally scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add heavy cream (or milk), rum, and vanilla, and beat until combined. On low speed, beat in the flour mixture and mix just until combined.
-
Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. If the top is browning too fast while baking, cover pan loosely with aluminum foil.
-
While the cake is in the oven, make the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine butter, water, and sugar. Cook on medium-low heat until sugar dissolves and syrup forms. Turn off heat and mix in rum. Set aside until the cake is ready.
-
When the cake is out of the oven pour about half of the syrup gently and slowly over the cake. Allow cake to cool for 10-15 minutes, then, run a knife gently around the edges of the cake, and remove cake from pan, carefully inverting it onto a plate. After inverting the cake, brush top and sides of the cake evenly with the rest of the syrup. Allow cake to cool to room temperature.
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The cake is best served at room temperature. Store cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Leftovers can be frozen for up to 2 months.
Sally says
Any other replacement to rum please??
Ashley D Pinder says
Coffee? They also sell rum flavored drops if you want the taste. Or cook off the alcohol.
CLAIRE WOOD says
If you just don’t like rum, make it with bourbon or brandy!
On the other hand, you can use rum extract if you just want to eliminate the alcohol.
Raven Kirkland says
Can you please share with us what bundt pan you used? Thank you!
Jazmin says
Very nice cake. Very strong rum flavour so my 5 year old didn’t like it! The cake has enough rum flavour without the syrup. The syrup was far too strong with the uncooked rum so I cooked the rum out by simmering on the stove for at least 10 minutes. It was still too strong.
CLAIRE WOOD says
The syrup adds a lot to the cake. You can use a light or white rum, or just use a lower ratio of rum to water. You just need a total of 1/2 cup liquid.
I would definitely try the soaking method for the syrup: When cake is fresh out of the oven poke holes in it with a skewer and spoon the syrup over it so it soaks down into those holes. Then let it cool down as instructed and then glaze with the rest of the liquid.
Federica says
Easily one of the best recipes we ever tried! Our guests loved it too. 5 stars from us. Greetings from Scotland
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Hi Federica, Thank you for your kind words. So glad this cake was amazing for you and your guests!
Virginia Valente says
This recipe is great! The only change I made was to separate the egg whites and yolks and beat the whites until stiff and then folded them into the batter.
The cake was light and flavorful! We loved it!
CLAIRE WOOD says
Adding this to my Pinterest file for boozy cakes! I have another rum cake recipe which calls for separating the eggs and folding in the whipped whites. It is awesome! (a number of non pound cakes used this method – German Chocolate, Italian Cream, classic white cake)
Tarina Thompson says
this is a great idea!
Leona says
I love this recipe! Was looking for a rum cake recipe without pudding mix and this was perfect. My family ate half the cake within an hour 🙂 Thank you! Xx
kavya says
this is the best ever rum cake recipe. thank you.
Tee says
Can you make this cake without the corn starch?
Shiran says
You can replace it with flour, but the cake would be less tender.
Susan says
I love this recipe! So simple, so moist! And I love how boozy it is. So so yummy!
Nancy says
Best Christmas dessert EVER! I just made this for Christmas and it is amazing! Thank you for your recipe that isn’t from a mix and artificial ingredients. The syrup just perfect!
Rachana Patel says
What can I put if I want to replace eggs
Amber says
This cake was delicious! Light and full of flavor. Any tips for not sticking to the Bundt pan? I sprayed it well I thought with canola oil but it came out in pieces.
Shiran says
Hi Amber 🙂 Google ‘how to butter and flour cake pans’. This can help!
Lois Harrison says
I used what is called “pan coat”. It is three ingredients, one part each: flour, shortening, vegetable oil. Mix this until very smooth and use a pastry brush to put it on the pan, get into all of the little crevices. Keep the remainder in the fridge. You will never use a spray can again!
Hanna says
Does it have to be a dark rum?
Saskea O says
This looks and sounds delicious. Can I use cake flour as a substitute and eliminate the corn starch?
Shiran says
Yes, you can use 280g cake flour instead of the flour and the cornstarch.
Bre says
Can this be made ahead and frozen?
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet. says
Hi Bre, absolutely. This cake freezes very well, just be sure to double wrap it to prevent freezer burn 🙂
Ivonne says
Hi,
Can I use brandy instead of rum.
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet. says
Hi Ivonne, you are welcome to try using brandy instead of rum, but it will give a slightly different flavor to the cake.
SB says
Honestly this cake is a showstopper. Made it twice for a big group of friends who were all shocked at how good it was, asking for the recipe etc. Making it now for a BBQ. Shiran, my family/friends love all your recipes, have made sooo many of your cakes by now. Keep up the good work!
SB says
I’m still making this cake months later for Christmas, BBQ and bdays but just a note that I don’t make the glaze and leave it out. The cake is moist enough and delicious enough without this (people have also complimented the moistness too)
Jeff says
Excellent rum cake! And, I’m so glad to find a recipe that doesn’t use pudding mix.
I did make a couple of small changes:
(1) I couldn’t find my Bundt pan, so I made individual cakes in jumbo muffin tins. (It made exactly 12 and they took 20 minutes to bake, if anyone is interested.).
(2) I only had white rum, so that’s what I used in the cake and syrup, and it was delicious. They tasted just like, or even better than the Tortuga rum cakes I’ve had.
(3) I added 1 tsp. Lorann Rum baking emulsion for a stronger rum flavor.
This will be my go-to recipe for rum cake!
aaleyna says
i’ve never made a rum cake before and this was amazing!!
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Thank you!
Michelle L. says
I’m not a baker and this recipe made me a rock star at a party! It works with the lighter rum too. This will be my “go to” recipe when I bring something to share. Thank you!
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Thanks, Michelle! Glad this was a hit for you!
Jennifer says
I love your recipe. I just make it and just added a couple of slices of pineapple and came out to perfection. Thank you for sharing your recipe with us. I definitely now have the confidence to make it again.
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Yum! That sounds perfect! So glad you loved this Rum Cake, Jennifer!