Years ago when I worked in hotel/restaurant management, I took a job at a fancy little bed & breakfast. If you can imagine this, there was a daily tea time and guests loved it. It was a time to socialize with guests, assist them with dinner plans and serve them tea and sweets. Not sure of your vacation plans the following day? Come to tea and we'll talk about some great options. In the regular rotation of desserts was the really great rum cake recipe I'm sharing here today.
There was an older man named Joe who helped the owners with breakfast and he was also the official rum cake maker. In fact, the recipe was his. It was always a guest favorite and every chance I got I would cut a sliver for myself because it was so addicting. But these were times when there was only a certain amount of cake and it was for the guests. I didn't care. I thought, they won't notice a little sliver missing. Just one more bite. One. more. bite.
Joe's Really Great Rum Cake is Easy to Make, Moist and Delicious
The recipe for Joe's rum cake first seemed to be shrouded in mystery. I felt like the owners of the inn (who were a bit stiff and strict) didn't want anyone to see the recipe. I was so respectful of authority figures back then so I figured okay, I'll never get my hands on that recipe and I accepted it. Then one time Joe and I were at the inn and no one was around. I told him how much I loved that cake and it was the most delicious dessert I ever had. He smiled and said, "Oh, you want a copy of the recipe?" Such a sweet, man and of course I jumped at the chance to get that recipe.
comes out of the oven
I was very surprised that this gourmet rum cake was actually made by elevating a boxed mix. Just add instant pudding mix, eggs, water, veg oil and rum. The kicker for this recipe is the amazing glaze you pour over the cake right when it comes out of the oven. It makes the outside of the cake super moist and the rum, butter and sugar give it the kick it needs without being overwhelming.
You should really give this one a try - it will not disappoint! And if you're looking for something else that is sweet you can also try my Apple Pie w/Butter Crust or my take on Marian Burro's famous New York Times plum torte cake which is this tasty Strawberry Torte Cake. I don't actually make too many sweet things for my website because I enjoy savory cooking more. So when I do post a dessert recipe, I choose very carefully.
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Really Great Rum Cake
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 12-16 slices 1x
Description
This soft, moist rum cake - finished by pouring a butter, sugar, rum glaze over the top - is the perfect dessert for a crowd. It's incredible!
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 package yellow cake mix, 15.25 ounces (labeled as moist or with pudding)
- 1 package instant vanilla pudding, 3.4 ounces
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup white rum (I used Bacardi)
- Raspberries, blueberries & mint leaves, optional garnish
- nonstick cooking spray
For the Glaze:
- 1 stick of butter, melted
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup rum
Optional fruit garnish:
- raspberries
- blueberries
- mint leaves
NEEDED: A 12-cup Bundt pan or angel food pan
Instructions
- Using a fork or whisk, mix together the cake mix and pudding mix in a bowl.
- Add eggs, water, rum and oil to the cake and pudding mix.
- Using a hand mixer, blend on medium speed for 2 minutes until the batter is smooth. If you don’t have an electric hand mixer, just mix thoroughly with a spoon or spatula.
- Spray a Bundt pan or angel food pan, generously, with non-stick cooking spray.
- Pour the batter into your pan and cook in a preheated oven at 325 degrees for about 40 minutes until lightly browned and tester comes out clean (I used a toothpick).
- Right before the cake is ready, you should make the glaze which only takes a few minutes. Melt the butter in a small pan on low-to-medium heat. Once it’s melted, add the sugar and mix well. Turn heat to medium and add the rum. Mix well again. Heat a few minutes until the glaze looks foamy. When it foams it is done. My video shows this well.
- Pour the glaze on the cake when it comes out of the oven. Distribute it evenly all across the top and sides. It will start to bubble up a little so you need to let the glaze absorb in the cake, then continue pouring. You may need to stop a couple of time so the glaze doesn’t spill over the sides of the pan.
- Let the cake sit for 20 minutes before flipping it onto a plate. Set your timer. When it’s time, the cake pan will still be warm so be careful here. Place the plate on top of the cake and flip it over. Let it sit for a moment and let gravity assist with the cake settling onto the plate. Gently lift the Bundt pan and you’re done!
- Serve this cake garnished with raspberries, blueberries and mint leaves if you like. Enjoy!
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