This is the easiest Bacardi Rum Cake made with a rum spiked cake mix and instant pudding for the ultimate bundt cake. This treat offers all of the warm and delicious spices of Bacardi Rum, chopped crunchy pecans and a rum butter glaze on top. This is a sweet and delicious brunch or dessert item for any table!
This homemade rum cake recipe may remind you of my chocolate Kahlua cake recipe which is also incredible – it’s ultra moist, made from a cake mix, and has just the right amount of booze mixed in. The rum glaze in this one soaks in all the way around each slice of cake. It is next level.
We don’t shy away from the deliciousness that booze adds to the table – if that’s your thing, you’ll also love these Baileys Chocolate Cheesecake Trifles, Strawberry Lemonade Sangria, and Chocolate Coconut Rum cocktails!
Jump to:
What is a Rum Cake?
Depending on where you are in the world, preparing a rum cake might look a little different. There is one thing that all rum cakes have in common, however, and that is that it’s cake. With rum. Allll the rum.
In the Caribbean, the major difference to the preparation is the fact that it uses dried fruit that has been soaked in rum, sometimes for months. Fruit like currents, raisins, and dates are added which results in a much darker looking, extremely moist cake. It’s for this reason, that this labor of love is usually reserved for holidays and special occasions.
Our recipe is a yellow sponge bundt cake that is baked with rum as a main ingredient, and then glazed with a rum-infused buttery sauce that gets soaked into the cake even further. We’re going to be using a boxed cake mix as well as an instant pudding mix, much like the base of our easy 7-Up Cake. This not only saves time and effort but also gets us that incredibly soft, moist, decadent cake that is signature of a delicious rum cake! This recipe was originally printed on a cake mix label, I believe, and has been a staple in my mom’s kitchen for at least 40 years!
🍰 Ingredients:
FOR THE CAKE
- Chopped pecans – The nuts on top will add crunch and flavor that pairs so well with the rum.
- Yellow cake mix – Choose a yellow cake mix over white because it’s generally a moister cake that will have more weight to it.
- Vanilla instant pudding mix – Will add a nice vanilla flavor as well as added moisture. It’s a great replacement for vanilla extract you’d normally use. We use instant pudding in a quite a few of our cakes, like this Duncan Hines lemon cake.
- Eggs – You’ll need 4 large eggs.
- Cold water – Using cold will help with even baking, especially if the rest of your ingredients are not at the same temperature.
- Vegetable oil – A fat needed especially when butter is absent.
- Bacardi Gold rum – Because, rum cake. You can use whichever type of rum you like. I’ve made this cake with white rum many times and it is to die for. A dark rum like Bacardi black is also a front runner.
FOR THE GLAZE:
- Salted butter – Creates a smooth velvety finish.
- Water – Needed to dissolve the sugars and create a liquid glaze that can seep into the cake.
- Sugar – Dissolved into the butter and water for the sweet butter rum glaze.
- Rum – A rum glaze needs rum!
For a full list of ingredients and their measurements, 📋 please view my printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Equipment Needed:
- Bundt Pan: A Bundt pan is all you really need for this recipe. To be honest, it’s not even an absolute must. It adds to the presentation for sure, and you may need to adjust the bake time if you’re using something different. We tried an angel food cake pan and the timing was the same.
Substitutions and Variations
- Although we prefer to use crunchy pecans, this is also delicious with walnuts!
- You can omit the nuts if you are allergic or don’t care for them. Simply leave them out of the recipe.
- If you only have unsalted butter, use that and also add in ½ teaspoon of salt into the butter glaze mixture.
- White cake mix or “butter yellow” can be used.
🔪 Instructions:
PREP: Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Step 1: Grease a 10″ bundt pan. You can use shortening or butter and flour OR simply use a nonstick baking spray (with or without flour in the spray.)
Step 2: Sprinkle the nuts evenly around the bottom of the prepared pan.
Step 3: With an electric mixer or stand mixer, mix the remaining cake ingredients together in a large bowl: cake mix, instant vanilla pudding mix, eggs, ½ cup water, vegetable oil and ½ cup rum. Beat for 2 minutes on medium speed.
Step 4: Pour batter into the bundt pan over the nuts.
Step 5: Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out with just a few crumbs. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool slightly on a wire rack while making the glaze.
Step 6: Prepare the glaze: melt butter in a saucepan.
Step 7: Stir in the water and sugar, heating over medium high until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Step 8: Remove the glaze from the heat and stir in rum. Note that the alcohol content in the rum will not be cooked off.
Step 9: Pour ½ of the buttery rum glaze over the top of the cake, while cake is warm and still in the pan, and allow it to seep in for about 15 minutes.
Turn the cake out onto a serving platter or a rimmed plate. Use a pastry brush to brush the remaining glaze over the top and sides of the cake until it has all soaked into the cake. It will take multiple applications to use up the whole saucepan of glaze, but it is worth the extra time! Use every drop!
GARNISH/SLICE/SERVE: Serve this Bacardi original rum cake recipe just after the glaze is drizzled on top! Serve a slice with a cup of tea or a glass of milk. A scoop of vanilla ice cream also goes well. Eat it, enjoy it, and let me know what you think!
Recipe Tips for Bacardi Rum Cake Recipe:
After baking up the cake in a bundt pan, add half the glaze to soak into the cake while it is still in the pan. The cake can be warm. The glaze will be soaking into what will be the bottom of the cake. Then, once you flip the cake out onto a platter, you can apply the rest of the glaze to seep into the top and sides. The cake is all about the glaze, so don’t skimp! The full glaze recipe is meant to be absorbed by the cake even though it seems like a large amount.
You can set the cake on a drying rack over a baking sheet to catch excess drips.
The instant pudding mix is a great way to infuse moisture into the cake. We use this trick with some of our other recipes like our Cookie Monster Cookies, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, and our crack cake (which also has a butter glaze!)
Recipe FAQs
Although they add a nice crunch, you can definitely leave the pecans out.
In order to keep the moisture in, it’s important to keep the cake covered. Store on the counter for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil or use a cake dome.
If you’re going to freeze it, it freezes very well without the glaze. Once it’s cooled completely, freeze it for up to 3 months and thaw it at room temperature before adding the glaze.
The best part of this cake is biting into a moist piece of rum soaked cake! This can only be achieved by using all of it.
If you tried this original Bacardi Rum Cake Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the 📝 comments below.
Bacardi Rum Cake
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients:
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 pkg. yellow cake mix
- 3.4 oz. vanilla instant pudding mix
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup cold water
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup Bacardi gold rum dark or white rum will work
Glaze Ingredients:
- 8 tablespoons salted butter
- ¼ cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup Bacardi gold rum
Instructions
Cake Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Grease a 10" bundt pan. You can use shortening or butter and flour OR simply use a nonstick baking spray (with or without flour in the spray.)
- Sprinkle the nuts evenly around the bottom of the bundt pan.
- Mix the remaining cake ingredients together: cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, ½ cup water, vegetable oil and ½ cup rum.
- Pour batter into the bundt pan over the nuts.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out with just a few crumbs.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool slightly while making the glaze.
Glaze Instructions:
- Prepare the glaze by melting the butter in a saucepan.
- Stir in the water and sugar, heating over medium high until mixture comes to a boil.
- Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Remove the glaze from the heat and stir in rum.
- Pour ½ of the glaze over the warm cake, still in the pan, and allow it to seep in for about 15 minutes.
- Turn the cake out onto a serving platter or a rimmed plate. Use a pastry brush to brush the remaining glaze over the top and sides of the cake until it has all soaked into the cake. It will take multiple applications to use up the whole saucepan of glaze, but it is worth the extra time! Use every drop!
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Comments & Reviews
Mishelle Neverson says
I love this rum cake I make it once a month for work.
Marsha says
Excellent recipe. My neighbor made it with a port wine in the cake. Delicious. The glaze had rum. It was sooo good.
Jeannie says
Hi! Can a cake mix with pudding in it be used? I’m planning on making it with butter pecan cake mix and butterscotch pudding instead of vanilla.
Thank you!
Stefanie says
Hi Jeannie – this cake turns out best if you use a cake mix “with pudding in the mix” plus the instant pudding mix – makes it super moist and delicious. I’ve never tried it with butter pecan/butterscotch – let me know how you like it!
Annie says
Hi,
I have some questions please.
I don’t have salted butter today. How much salt do I add to the glaze?
Is it okay to toast the pecans before baking ?
Is it necessary to poke holes in the cake for the glaze to soak into the cake?
Thanks for your time,
Annie
girlinspired says
Hi Annie! You can use unsalted butter, it won’t make a huge difference in the glaze – I’d add just a pinch of salt – 1/8 teaspoon or even less to the glaze – you can also taste the glaze when it’s cooled a bit and adjust salt if you like. I would not toast the pecans before baking because they will toast as the cake bakes – I think they may end of burnt if you pre-toasted them. I do think the holes help the glaze to saturate the cake. It is a lot of glaze to get soaked into the cake, but it’s sooooo good once it’s added. Just use a toothpick and prick it all over real quick.
Carmen says
This is the best rum cake recipe I have ever seen and had the pleasure to make and enjoy! Made it for my Christmas Eve dinner yesterday, a first for me, and it turned out delicious, looked beautiful and tasted wonderful! Two little things, the syrup was runny (don’t know why?) and I roasted my pecans, which I loved! It was a success, I’ll be making it often not just for special occasions! Sorry, don’t know how to include a pic!
V. Johnson says
Just made it yesterday, and I must say that there’s two slices left and I need to beat those that are in the house to one of them or I’m out of luck. I’ll make another one later today………… it’s that good.
Thank you
Tara says
This recipe was amazing!!!! I made two of these at one time. They didn’t last in my household. My husband enjoyed it too much. Thank goodness my sister and brother in law were here to eat up this awesome cake!