Rum cake from scratch – there’s no pudding or cake mix involved and it’s even more delicious than the cake mix version! Can be made with all-purpose flour or with whole wheat pastry flour for a 100% whole grain version.
The special thing about this rum cake, other than being the most awesome rum cake ever, is that you don’t need a bunch of processed junk to make it. Most rum cakes call for cake mix and pudding mix, neither of which I really want to use.
I remember when I moved to Germany, where we don’t have the same cake and pudding mixes, 6 years ago and spent hours looking for a rum cake recipe from scratch. No luck.
But Alejandra from Always Order Dessert has solved that problem with her rum cake from scratch! Now the whole world can enjoy rum cake. :)
The original recipe calls for 1 cup of homemade pudding mix. The recipe for the pudding mix yields 2 1/2 cups and since I didn’t want any pudding mix left over, I scaled down the pudding recipe to what was needed just for the rum cake and it worked perfectly!
I also wanted to try subbing coconut oil for the vegetable oil in the original but I chickened out and used olive oil. Since coconut oil is solid at room temperature (at least in cold winter kitchens), I was worried that it’d make the cake too firm.
If you taste the batter and can taste the olive oil, don’t panic! The olive taste bakes away, or perhaps it’s just all the rum in the syrup that totally covers it up.
The first time I made this rum cake, I made it for a birthday party that I wasn’t even going to, and it smelled so unbelievably amazing that I had to cut into it. And then I cut into it some more.
And then we just cut the cake into slices, made some whoopsie-I-ate-most-of-the-cake-brownies and Mr. Texanerin brought a few cake pieces to the party.
This cake is so ridiculously boozy. Some folks don’t like a strong alcohol taste in their goodies. Not me. I want my cake to be swimming in booze.
If you love boozy desserts, you also have to try my Irish cream brownies. There’s 3/4 cup of Baileys in there!
And this thing is SO moist. I suppose that’s not too surprising considering the amount of butter that goes into it. In addition to what’s in the cake, you also make a butter rum syrup, poke holes in the cake, and then you pour the syrup all over it.
If a whole bundt cake is too much for you, check out my Irish cream bundt cake. It’s basically this recipe, halved to fit a 6-cup bundt pan, and with Irish cream. Just use rum instead and you’ll have yourself a cute little bundt cake. :)
Totally from Scratch Rum Cake (with a 100% whole grain option)
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Ready in:
- Yield: 12-15 servings
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup (219 grams) all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 cup (55 grams) dry milk powder (whole milk or fat-free work)
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (42 grams) cornstarch
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (112 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 3/4 cups (350 grams) granulated or raw sugar
- 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons (160 milliliters) olive oil (canola oil or another vegetable oil would work, too, but I don't recommend coconut oil)
- 3/4 cup (177 milliliters) milk
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 3/4 cup (177 milliliters) dark rum
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (112 grams) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) water
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated or raw sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) dark rum
Cake:
Rum Syrup:
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (162°C). Spray a 12-cup bundt pan very well with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, dry milk powder, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Set this aside.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar at high speed until light and fluffy. Add the dry flour mix to this. It will resemble fine crumbs.
- In the bowl that just had the flour mix, whisk together the oil, milk, eggs, rum, and vanilla extract. Add this to the crumb mixture and beat until well combined. The batter will be quite thin.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 48-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- When there are about 15 minutes remaining on the timer, start the butter rum syrup. In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat the butter, water, sugar and salt until the sugar has dissolved, stirring occasionally. Take the saucepan off the heat and stir in the rum (it'll bubble).
- Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes and then invert onto a wire rack. Wash and dry the bundt pan and place the cake back into the pan. Poke holes into the cake (I used a meat thermometer to do this) and pour the syrup slowly over the cake. Let soak for 1-2 hours and then invert the cake back onto a serving platter. Cover and store at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
- For German bakers: German flour and American all-purpose are not interchangeable but I've had great luck using 50 grams Type 550 and 169 grams Type 405 in this cake. You could also try whole spelt but I think it'd taste a little whole grainy.
Adapted from Rum Cake from Scratch on Always Order Dessert
This post was originally posted in 2012. Here’s the original picture for kicks and giggles. :D
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274 comments on “Rum Cake from Scratch – The Best Ever!” — Add one!
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This is amazing me and my wife loved it.
I just pulled this cake out of the oven and it rose perfectly. I live in Albuquerque, NM, and we are at a high altitude. Generally I don’t have to change a cake recipe because I use baking nails to bring the heat to the center of the cake as it bakes. I had baked another bundt cake recently, and the first time I made it, there was a wide crack all around the bottom (facing up in the pan) which, after turning out of the pan, made the cake slump on the plate. I tried it again cutting the baking powder in half (a high altitude trick), and it baked up perfectly on my second attempt. I had thought that the bundt pan’s center tube would take care of the heat being distributed well, but it took reducing the leavening to make it work.
For your rum cake recipe I also cut the baking powder in half. I am wondering, for the person who said that the cake didn’t rise properly, that perhaps she might be at a higher altitude as well. I can’t wait to soak it with the syrup and then pull it out of the pan later. It smells divine!
I’m sorry for just now seeing your comment! (my son and I have been sick for weeks) That’s really interesting about your changes. I don’t know anything about high-altitude baking and had never heard of baking nails before. Thanks for sharing that tip with me! And now if someone says something didn’t rise in the future, I know to ask if they’re at high-altitude. I hope that the cake came out well with your changes and that you enjoyed it. :) Thanks for your feedback and sorry again for my slow reply!
Hello,
I followed the recipe exactly but was very concerned about the mixing method. When I noticed the crumbs after adding the flour I wondered how that would incorporate smoothly with the egg milk mixture without overbearing which I had to do in order to get it incorporated. I have now placed it in the oven and hoping that it won’t be over mixed, rise too high and then deflate…. keeping my fingers crossed.
I’m so sorry for just now seeing your comment! I hope that it worked out well. The mixing process can seem a little strange but always seems to work.
I followed the recipe exactly. It turned out fantastic! I’m so excited to make it for our next gathering. Delicious, moist and yummy. Thanks for sharing you fabulous recipe ; )
I’m so sorry for just now seeing your comment! A bunch of comments landed up in spam over the holidays for some reason. Thanks for your feedback! I’m so glad that it worked out well. :)
Looks like I’ve been searching for this cake forever. I’m making this delectable cake for Thanksgiving. The only rum have on hand right now is Cruzan Black Strap Rum. It is a dark rum so I’m hoping it will not affect the taste of your recipe. Let me know if I should pick up something else. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
I’d never heard of it so I googled it and I’m really not sure. Does it taste of molasses? If so, I’d pick up a different bottle! It’s an expensive cake to make and isn’t the quickest cake, either. I wouldn’t want you to ruin it! If you try it anyway, I’d love to hear how it comes out.
I just popped mine into oven. I also had no powdered milk, but i DID have powdered BUTTERMILK. I used that. Will let you know how it turns out when it’s cut tomorrow.
Fingers crossed
I hope it worked out! That’s a good idea.
I just made this and the result was awesome. I folled everything to a T. Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed the cake. :) Thanks for your comment!
Just made this cake and it is soaking in the rum. It realesed perfectly and a bit got left on the wire rack. Yummy!! Rum cake is my father-in-law’s favorite. I’m sure he will love this one!
I’m so glad it released well! I hope that your father-in-law enjoyed it. :) (and sorry for just now seeing your comment! I just got back from vacation)
Hi. I do not have powdered milk. What can i use instead? And if so what is the amounts?
Can i omit the powdered milk all together?
Hello! I’m sorry but there’s no good sub for the powdered milk. I’ve looked into it many times and haven’t found anything. :(
Ok np. So the powdered milk acts like the recipies with pudding mix?
It does! I guess my next step should be to make a recipe that doesn’t use the powdered milk / cornstarch. That would definitely be easier!
i tried this recipe yesterday and found it way too sweet. I might redo it with 1/2 the sugar in the cake and 1/2 the sugar in the glaze, also reducing the amount of the glaze. It filled my mould beautifully and I had not problem getting it out of the tin
I’m glad that it came out of your tin well! I love the sweetness but would like hearing how it comes out with half the sugar. :) Thanks for your comment!
This cake is very boozy and unbelievably moist, and even though the crumb is dense, it’s tender and delicate, which surprised me. When I cut into it I was expecting it to be heavy. I didn’t have any problem getting it to release from the pan. It doesn’t make a deep cake and I think I’d make 1.5 times the recipe the next time. I only used 1/4 cup water in the rum syrup but that was the only change I made to the recipe. There’s a lot of syrup and it took several hours for it all to be absorbed. When I turned the cold cake out of the pan there was still a bit of syrup that had pooled in the bottom of the pan so I brushed that over the outside of the cake. The cake slices cleanly as pictured. Delicious!!
I’m so glad that it came out well for you! What size bundt did you use? Mine was pretty full! If you 1.5x the recipe, I’d love to hear how it works out (and the baking time :)) Thanks for your feedback!
I used the Nordic Anniversary pan, which holds a lot of batter. Most of the pound and bundt cakes I make have considerably more flour and eggs in the batter and the Anniversary pan is perfect for them. I should have used a smaller bundt for this cake.
Oh, interesting! So did I (just in the pictures – something else was used in the video). Thanks for your reply!
Hi ! So happy to have found my way to your blog and this rum cake recipe ! I’m all set to try it tom. May I just ask about how to lessen the boozy taste of the cake ? How much should I reduce the rum baked in the cake if I just want a light rum taste in the cake ? As for the syrup, I think it’s easier to pour or not, according to taste.
I look forward to your reply.
Thank you for sharing this recipe.
All the best to you !
I’m so very sorry for just now seeing your question! I don’t know how I missed it. :( I don’t think the cake itself is actually that boozy. It’s the sauce that really makes it boozy! And for the sauce, I’d just maybe half. Sorry again for my super slow reply!
Thank you Erin !
Was thrilled to receive your reply and so off to the kitchen I found myself trying out the recipe. Now it’s baking in thw oven. I’ll let you know how it goes in a few minutes :)
Oh, gosh. Now I’m nervous! I hope it came out well. :)
HI, I do not have dry powder milk available to me nor cornstarch, what can I substitute? I also want to add pudding in the mix? What are your suggestions? I was thinking that I would put the pudding mix to replace the dry milk and corn starch?
Hi! I can’t really say without doing quite a bit of testing so I would recommend finding a rum cake recipe that already uses pudding mix. Almost every single other one does. :) I’d hate for you to waste time and ingredients by experimenting!
Hello from India. I just tried this recipe for Christmas 2018 and I super loved it. Since I didn’t have a bundt pan handy, I used the disposable baking moulds instead. I made 4 lovely cakes with the recipe given. Thank you so much for spreading cheer with rum (lol) this holiday season.
Hello from Germany! I’m so happy that you enjoyed it. :) I’m happy to have spread the rummy holiday cheer with you. Thanks for your comment and happy holidays! :)
Hi,
Would like to make coconut rum cake. Could you advise how to change recipie to do this?
Many thanks
I’m so sorry for just now seeing your comment! I didn’t realize I wouldn’t have internet at my in-laws over the holidays. :/ I have a coconut rum cake that’s really delicious that you can try. :)
Many thanks for your reply, look forward to baking this 😀
You’re welcome! Hope you’ll enjoy it. :)
I love your recipe. I just need a guide of how to cut down the rum a bit
You can replace some of it with water. :)
Thank you. I rate your recipe #1!
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Thanks so much! :)
Hi. I’ve made the cake twice and can’t get it to release. I tried cooking spray the first time – disaster! Greased with shortening and floured the second time. A little better, but still lost a little on the bottom. Maybe I need to let the cake get to room temp. Not sure. The taste and texture is great. Just can’t get it out. Any ideas?
Hi there! Is your pan scratched up? I used to have that same problem with all bundt cake recipes. They all stuck and as soon as I got a new pan, they all came out well! The other reviewers haven’t mentioned an issue with sticking so I’m thinking that may be the problem. Here’s a helpful article that has some good tips!
I used to use PAM spray, but the formula changed and it’s not very good for baking anymore. I switched to Baker’s Joy spray and it’s working like a charm- even for my most decorative bundt pans that were always leaving bits of the sugar crust in the pan crevices.
Thanks so much for the tip! I actually haven’t used baking spray in years so I didn’t know that about PAM. How strange that they’d change something that had worked so well! Thanks again. :)
Hi there! I have been on the search for a rum cake and I came across this page’s link through FB. I really would love to try this recipe. Will the rum’s taste be overpowering in the cake?
Hello! It’s a very rummy cake :) If you don’t like rum, I definitely wouldn’t recommend it.
I made this recipe today! The cake tasted awesome. I had this cake in the Bahamas this summer and was looking for a recipe to make it. This tastes just like the one I had there.
Thank you! Awesome! and so easy to follow
I’m so very sorry for just now seeing your comment. It landed in spam for some weird reason! I’m very happy to hear that you enjoyed the cake. :) Thanks for your comment and sorry again!
Wow! Erin, this sounds like the rum cake I used to eat back in the 90’s.
That said, I want to make this cake in a large square pan so that I can cut it into individual slices and then apply frosting on top. So I am curious, how can I keep the cake from rising, but not ruin the consistency? Do I simply remove the Baking Powder? Reduce it?
Hi again Erin,
What I am asking in my post below, is how to get an even, flat top, so that each individual slice is the same size and shape.
Hi Vitas! Very sorry for not responding yet. I haven’t had a chance to get on my computer the last few days. You shouldn’t remove the baking powder as the cake will be much too dense without it and as for reducing it, I honestly have no clue. I’ve never made a bundt cake in a square pan but if I did, I wouldn’t reduce the baking powder. And since I’ve never made this cake in a square pan, I really can’t say how well it would do. Here’s a good pan conversion chart that might help you figure out what size pan to use. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
Thank you very much, Erin.
You’re welcome! Hope it turned out well. :)
I made this several days ago for my bridge group and it was a hit. I made a couple minor changes; replaced milk w/ whole milk organic yogurt and used Captain Morgan Spiced Rum because I didn’t have dark rum on hand. I also sifted my dry ingredients just because. I love pecans, so I chopped some (1/2 cup chopped) and sprinkled in bottom of bundt pan. I felt it was boozier than I like, so next time I’d cut the rum down to 1/4 cup in the syrup, increase water to 3/4 cup & add 1 tsp. rum flavoring. I’ll be sharing this recipe/blog with several bridge partners. Thank you!!
I’m so happy that it worked out well, especially with our changes! So instead of 3/4 cup milk, you used 3/4 cup yogurt? I’m interested in trying that, too. Thanks for your comment and for sharing the recipe / blog with your friends!