Bacardi Rum Cake: The Only Cake That Gets Better With Age

By
Carroll Pellegrinelli
Carroll Pellegrinelli
Expert baker and published author, Carroll Pellegrinelli shares her knowledge of bread baking and desserts.
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Updated on 07/21/22
Tested by
Tracy Wilk
Photo of Tracy Wilk
Tested by Tracy Wilk
Tracy Wilk is a professional pastry chef, recipe developer and chef instructor, and, most importantly, a firm believer in sprinkles.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Bacardi rum Bundt cake

The Spruce Eats

Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 60 mins
Cool: 30 mins
Total: 115 mins
Servings: 12 to 16 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
403 Calories
20g Fat
46g Carbs
4g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12 to 16
Amount per serving
Calories 403
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g 25%
Saturated Fat 6g 28%
Cholesterol 62mg 21%
Sodium 393mg 17%
Total Carbohydrate 46g 17%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 33g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 92mg 7%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 73mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

You don't have to be a Bacardi Rum drinker to enjoy this tasty rum cake. This tried-and-true recipe makes the moistest cake you'll ever eat. In fact, it's the one cake that gets better with age. Although, most of the time it doesn't last very long in your refrigerator due to the temptation to have more than one bite. Simply put, a Barcardi Rum Bundt Cake is the perfect dessert choice for almost any occasion.

"Growing up in Miami, there was not one holiday party that did not include a rum cake. This reminded me of home, but I think the walnuts and pretty Bundt pan really made this a unique cake. Plus, the ease of cake mix and instant pudding made it very user friendly." —Tracy Wilk

Bacardi rum Bundt cake on a white plate
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

For the Cake:

  • 1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped and toasted

  • 1 (15.25-ounce) box yellow cake mix

  • 1 (3.4-ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix

  • 4 large eggs

  • 1/2 cup cold milk

  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil

  • 1/2 cup Bacardi dark rum

For the Glaze:

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

  • 1/4 cup water

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 1/2 cup Bacardi dark rum

Steps to Make It

For the Cake

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for Bacardi rum cake recipe gathered

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  2. To make the cake, preheat an oven to 325 F. Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan.

    Greased and floured 12-cup Bundt pan

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  3. Sprinkle nuts on the bottom of the pan.

    Nuts in the bottom of the Bundt pan

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  4. Combine all cake ingredients—yellow cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, cold milk, oil, and rum—in a large bowl. Beat for 2 minutes on high with an electric mixer.

    Rum Bundt cake ingredients combined together in a bowl

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  5. Pour into the prepared pan.

    Bacardi rum cake batter poured into pan

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  6. Bake for 1 hour.

    Baked Bacardi rum cake in Bundt pan

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  7. Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes, and then invert onto a serving plate.

    Bacardi rum cake cooled and inverted on plate

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  8. Prick top with a fork.

    Top of rum cake pricked with fork

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To Make the Glaze

  1. Melt the butter in a saucepan.

    Butter melted in a saucepan for Bacardi rum cake glaze

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  2. Stir in the water and sugar.

    Water and sugar added to butter for Bacardi rum cake glaze

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  3. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

    Ingredients in saucepan boiling for rum cake glaze

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  4. Remove from heat and stir in the rum. Note: Adding the rum will create a lot of steam. Be careful not to burn yourself.

    Glaze removed from heat and rum added to saucepan

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  5. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the Bacardi rum cake. Use a brush or spoon to re-glaze the cake with any drippings on the bottom of the plate.

    Glaze drizzling over top of Bacardi rum cake

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Tips

  • The longer this cake sits, the better the taste.
  • Enjoy it plain, or top it with vanilla ice cream. And for an extra special treat for adults, drizzle some more rum over the ice cream.
  • It's also the perfect cake to send as a gift through the mail because the rum acts as a preservative. Many of these cakes have been shipped to soldiers overseas. Some folks have even baked them in canning jars and then shipped them overseas.

How to Store and Freeze

  • This rum cake can be covered or wrapped tightly with the option to leave out at room temperature for up to four days or refrigerate for up to seven days. 
  • Rum cake freezes beautifully. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then place in a plastic freezer bag or airtight plastic container for 3 to 4 months. Make sure to thaw overnight in the refrigerator when ready to eat.

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