Go Back
+ servings
a delicious freshly baked rum cake on a cake plater with a few slices cut out.
Print Recipe Add to Collection
4.37 from 25 votes

Rum Cake

This Rum Cake is the ultimate when it comes to boozy cakes and it does not come from a box mix. This homemade rum cake is definitely boozy, sweet and citrusy and it's glazed with a delicious butter and dark rum caramel sauce.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Cake, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bermuda rum cake, rum cake
Servings: 12
Calories: 405kcal

Ingredients

Bermuda Rum Cake

  • cups all-purpose flour
  • 4.5 ounces instant vanilla pudding mix 6 servings, I used Jell-o
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • ½ cup dark rum
  • ½ cup orange juice
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest

For Rum Caramel Sauce

  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 ounces butter unsalted, (½ cup or 1 stick)
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup dark rum

Optional Toppings

  • sweetened coconut shredded, toasted
  • pecans chopped

Instructions

Rum Cake

  • Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Spray a 10 inch bundt cake pan with cooking spray and set aside.
  • Add all the cake ingredients to the bowl of your mixer, in no particular order, and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes until the batter is smooth. Pour the batter in the prepared bundt pan.
    process shots showing how to make rum cake.
  • Transfer the bundt pan to the oven and bake for 1 hour or until golden brown. You can do the toothpick test to make sure it's baked. Let it cool slightly for a couple minutes then turn the cake over onto a cake platter or plate.
    process shots showing how to make rum cake.

Rum Caramel Sauce

  • Add the sugar and water to a medium size saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Stir or whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Turn the heat to high and boil until the syrup turns brown around the edge of the pan then swirl the pan occasionally for a couple more minutes until the syrup turns a deep amber.
    process shots showing how to make rum cake.
  • Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the butter until mixed it. Stir in the heavy cream, the sauce will bubble, so stir until the bubbling stops. Add the rum and stir it in.
    process shots showing how to make rum cake.
  • Pour the caramel sauce over the cake, you can also poke some holes into it so that caramel sauce seeps into the cake. Top with toasted coconut if preferred or pecans.
    process shots showing how to make rum cake.

Notes

  1. Don’t add eggs. There are purposely no eggs in this recipe. The instant vanilla pudding mix is used as the binder and the baking powder is the leavening agent. If you add eggs it will only make the cake dense.
  2. Grease the pan well. Spray your bundt pan well with cooking spray to prevent your beautiful perfectly baked rum cake from sticking. Using a nonstick pan is not enough.
  3. Watch the sauce. You must remove the caramel sauce from the heat the moment that it turns deep amber in color. Not doing so can easily lead to burnt caramel and having to start the sauce over.
  4. The best way to store your new rum cake is right on the counter top. Storing it in the fridge may dry out your dessert prematurely. Place it on a plate and cover with plastic wrap and it will last for 3 days before it begins to get dry.
  5. If you’d prefer to store in the freezer, cut the cake in slices, then wrap each cake slice tightly in aluminum foil before placing in a large ziploc bag. Be sure to press out as much of the air in the bag as possible before sealing. This method will keep your cake fresh for up to 4 months. To thaw you’ll want to keep it wrapped in foil as it thaws on your counter for up to 3 hours.
  6. If you find you have some extra caramel sauce, you can store it right in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 405kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 174mg | Potassium: 175mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 342IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 1mg