This easy homemade Rum Cake recipe is made from scratch and topped with a delicious homemade glaze. It is always a crowd pleaser and can also be made alcohol-free.
Want to try more cake recipes? Try this Blueberry Coffee Cake, Tres Leches Cake, or Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.
Why I love this cake:
- Unique – This delicious cake is a little unique and everyone always loves it! It’s basically a homemade yellow cake with a hint of rum flavor, and amazing glaze on top.
- Rum Cake Glaze – We pour a delicious rum glaze over the top of the cake when it’s hot from the oven, which makes it extra moist and yummy inside and adds a delicious glaze layer to the outside.
- Homemade – Made From Scratch and tastes so much better than anything you can buy!
How to Make Rum Cake:
Mix Wet Ingredients: Whisk milk, sour cream, and rum together in a liquid measuring cup and let come to room temperature.
Cream butter and sugar: Whip butter then add granulated sugar. Mix in vanilla then add eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, mixing just until combined.
Combine Dry Ingredients: Stir cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Alternate adding milk and flour mixtures to batter. Add ⅓ of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix just until combined. Add ½ of the milk/sour cream mixture and mix. Repeat until dry ingredients and milk/sour cream mixture are incorporated.
Bake: Grease and flour Bundt pan. I use shortening, and make sure every crevice of the pan is coated! Pour batter evenly into the pan and bake at 350 degrees F for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with few crumbs.
Make Glaze: While cake is baking, make the glaze sauce. Add sauce ingredients to a saucepan over medium heat. Stir well until butter has melted and mixture is smooth. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring, and boil for 2 minutes.
Add Glaze: Cool cake in pan for at least 15 minutes before gently inverting it. (I like to remove the cake first, to make sure it comes out easily). Then wipe the pan clean and put the cake back in it. Poke holes all over the cake and gently pour most of the glaze over the cake, reserving just a little.
Serve: Allow cake to soak up glaze and then invert it onto a plate or serving platter. Spoon remaining glaze on top.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Does Rum Cake Contain Alcohol?
- Though there is rum in both the cake and sauce, a lot of it cooks off during the baking/heating process. That being said, the conventional saying that “all” of the alcohol cooks out during baking isn’t completely true. However, the longer something is cooked and the hotter the temperature, the greater percentage of alcohol that will evaporate.
- To be sure that the greatest percent of alcohol cooks off when making the rum cake sauce, use a pan with a large surface area. The larger the surface area under heat, the greater percentage of alcohol that will cook off. A sauce that is simmering or boiling at about 172 degrees F for 20-30 seconds should evaporate the alcohol.
- Can I make Rum Cake Alcohol Free?
- Yes. If you’re looking to omit the alcohol completely from this recipe, you could add 1 teaspoon of rum extract to the cake batter.
- What kind of rum should I use?
- This is a decision that you alone will ultimately have to make, depending on your preferences and the flavor that you are looking for. I prefer to use Bicardi Gold or dark Myer’s rum
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: This homemade rum cake can be made and kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can reheat a slice in the microwave for 15 seconds, or enjoy cold.
To Freeze: Bake the cake but do not make the glaze sauce. Allow cake to cool completely then wrap in plastic wrap then tinfoil and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw cake completely in refrigerator overnight. When ready to eat, make the sauce, poke holes in the cake and gently pour the glaze on top. Allow it to rest for at least 30 minutes before serving.
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Recipe
Rum Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup milk , room temperature
- 1/3 cup sour cream , room temperature (light or regular)
- 1/3 cup rum (Bicardi Gold or Dark Myer's rum, or your favorite kind)
- 1 cup butter , room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs , room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks , room temperature
- 2 1/4 cups cake flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the Glaze:
- ½ cup butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup rum
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F with oven rack in the center of oven.
- Whisk the milk, sour cream and rum together in a liquid measure and let come to room temperature.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer whip the butter on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the granulated sugar and beat for 4-5 minutes more. Mix in the vanilla.
- Add the eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, mixing just until combined in between additions. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Combine the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Add ⅓ of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix just until combined. Add ½ of the milk/sour cream mixture and mix.
- Add another ⅓ of the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined. Add the last ½ of the milk/sour cream mixture and beat until just combined.
- Add the final ⅓ of the dry ingredients and mix just until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
- Grease and flour bundt pan. I use shortening, and make sure every crevice of the pan is coated! Pour batter evenly into the pan and bake at 350 degrees F for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with few crumbs.
- Make the glaze: Add sauce ingredients to a saucepan over medium heat. Stir well until butter has melted and mixture is smooth. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring, and boil for 2 minutes.
- Allow the cake to cool for in the pan for at least 15 minutes before gently inverting it. (I like to remove the cake first, to make sure to get it out easily). Then wipe the pan clean and put the cake back in it. Poke holes all over the cake and gently pour most of the sauce over the cake, reserving just a little.
- Allow the cake to soak up the glaze and then invert it onto a plate or serving platter. Spoon remaining glaze on top.
- Store rum cake well-covered in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe August 2019. Updated April 2022.
Has anyone tried adding vanilla pudding to the mix? I plan to make this gluten free and I usually use a box mix with pudding. thanks
Has any tried adding vanilla pudding?
My husband says it tastes like I bought it from a bakery!
Thanks for sharing.
Can you please suggest a substitute for the sour cream? 🙏
Greek Yogurt will work!
Lauren your recipe is great. I have 3 modifications for this awesome RUM cake w/alcohol in it.
1) Chop 1 cup NUTS @ 1st LAYER in bundt pan before cake mixture. For example Almonds. Pecans. Walnuts.
2) Let cake sit 24-48 hours in PAN w/RUM sauce @ room temperature. Invert when ready on serving plate. Then store in Tupperware to destination. Travels well. Always eaten until the last crumb. Never froze cake @ suggested because it’s a failsafe hit to eat as soon as possible.
3) When used for POTLUCK l always write on floral tag “If you are a friend of BILL W. BEWARE” (for those on AA Program since I do NOT cook the rum out of the sauce.)
Bon appetite JoAnn