Name: Rum Cake Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 1 15 oz Boxed Yellow Cake Mix; 1 3 3/4 oz box French Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix; 4 Eggs; 1/2 cup Water; 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil; 1/2 cup Spiced Dark Rum; 1/2 cup Butter; 1/4 cup Water; 1 cup Sugar; 1/2 cup Spiced Dark Rum; 1/2 cup Unsweetened Coconut Flakes (optional)

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This Rum Cake Recipe is a moist, flavorful and delicious dessert from The Bahamas! The cake is cooked in a bundt pan, then drizzled with a Sugar-Rum Syrup.

Overhead view of Rum Cake with flowers in the background

Hello Reader! I try my hardest to research recipes as best as I can before posting to ensure I am representing each culture correctly. If this recipe is from your country and I have made a mistake or you have suggestions for how to make it more authentic, I would love to hear! Please leave a comment below letting me know what should be different, and I will rework the recipe. It is always my intention to pay homage and respect to each cultural dish that I cook. Thanks for reading!

About a year ago, I took a trip to the Bahamas. I had won a trip through my job (holla to all you sales reps out there) and took an all-expense paid trip to Nassau, The Bahamas.

I had recently cooked The Bahamas for the blog, and knew that there were so many delicious recipes that the country offered, including Johnny Cake, Pigeon Peas and Rice, Plantain Chips and the Infamous Bahama Mama.

However, one of the most common recipes that I continued to see was Rum Cake. Rum is very, very popular in the Bahamas and has a really interesting history in the country! I wrote all about it in my Bahama Mama article.

It’s taken me about a year, but I have FINALLY take the time to recreate the Rum Cake Recipe from my trip. And my oh my, it is delicious.

I don’t know why I waited so long!! This cake is so delicious, and we devoured it so quickly in my house. I think I might continue using the base of this cake for many other cakes to come. It’s sooo good!

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What is Rum Cake?

This recipe for Rum Cake features a vanilla bundt cake. It has rum mixed into the base, making it moist with just a little kick,

This recipe then has a Rum-sugar glaze drizzled over the top of it, meaning that the cake is coated in syrupy rum goodness.

I really don’t like the flavor of rum that much, but this recipe was still perfect for me! It has enough other delicious flavors that the rum in the recipe doesn’t assault your taste buds. Instead, it just complements the rest of the flavors in the cake. Bundt cakes are delicious in general, so if you want to keep on with this theme, be sure to make a Peach Cobbler Pound Cake – the caramelized peaches on top are divine!

Rum Cake Recipe from the Bahamas with orange and green flowers

Which Rum is Best for Rum Cake?

I chose to use dark, spiced rum for my Rum Cake Recipe. You can use whatever brand you’d like, but I most commonly hear that Bacardi is a great option. If you don’t have Bacardi, you can also use Captain Morgan or any other Dark Spiced Rum.

I had Captain Morgan in my pantry so that’s what I used. And the cake turned out delicious!

What Ingredients are in this Rum Cake Recipe?

Cake Ingredients

Boxed Yellow Cake
French Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix
Eggs
Water
Vegetable Oil
Spiced Dark Rum

Topping Ingredients

Butter
Water
Sugar
Spiced Dark Rum
Unsweetened Coconut Flakes (optional)

slice of rum cake recipe with rum-sugar topping and toasted coconut

How to Make this Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Grease and flour a bundt pan.

In a mixing bowl, combine all cake ingredients and mix with an electric mixer until all the lumps are gone.

Pour into the prepared pan and place in the oven. Cook for about 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter on the stove. Whisk in the water and sugar, and bring to a light boil. Stirring constantly, cook it for about 5 minutes. When the 5 minutes is up, remove the pot from the stove and pour in the rum.

Allow the mixture to cook a bit. Turn the bundt cake out onto a plate or cookie sheet. When the topping mixture is cooled, use a spoon to drizzle the mixture over the top of the cake, making sure to get all of the cake.

(Optional) Add the unsweetened coconut flakes to a small, dry frying pan over medium heat. Stir for a few minutes until the coconut is toasted and has turned brown. Sprinkle over rum cake.

Serve and enjoy!

Does Rum Cake Make you Drunk?

No, this Rum Cake Recipe will definitely not make you drunk!

When you use rum for the inside of the cake, the alcoholic properties cook out of the rum. You’re left with the taste of rum but without the ability to get drunk.

The alcohol, however, does not cook out of the topping. There is far too little alcohol in the topping recipe to get anyone drunk, however if you’re worried about it you can certainly omit it!

Should this Rum Cake Recipe be Refrigerated?

You can keep your rum cake out on the counter if you’d like! There is no dairy or fruit in the recipe, so it should be fine to rest on the counter without causing any issues.

I, however, always prefer for my cake to be cold when I eat it. If you feel similarly, you can also store your cake in the fridge and it will still taste delicious.

Where is Rum Cake From?

This Rum Cake Recipe came from my trip to the Bahamas. However, Rum Cake is popular across the Caribbean and is also eaten in many other countries (like Jamaica!).

Did you like this Rum Cake Recipe from The Bahamas? Take a photo of your creation and share it on Instagram or Facebook and tag @TheForeignFork and hashtag #TheForeignfork.

If you liked this recipe, don’t forget to also check out these other recipes I chose just for you!: