This Old Fashioned Rum Cake Recipe comes from my Great Grandmother!
Originally Published 01/28/2021
It is a super simple recipe, but as Grandma Betty wrote on the note card, this rum cake is “heavenly devilish!”
Every bite of this rum cake just melts in your mouth. I love the crunch of the chopped pecans on top! It also doesn’t hurt that the whole cake is literally drenched with a rum butter glaze. Trust me, you’ll need a second slice!
Grandma Betty was talented at so many things. She quilted, cross-stitched, gardened, cooked, baked. But lest you get to thinking she was just a quiet, traditional old lady, let me assure you she was also a spitfire.
As a little kid, I remember being tickled by a piece of framed cross stitch hanging in her hallway. It had a picture of a little girl and flowers, it said: “Mary, Mary quite contrary how does your garden grow?” Then below the picture, it read, “Who the hell cares?!” 😂 Grandma Betty handed down so many good recipes over the years!
She has since passed away, but the recipe card in these pictures is in her handwriting, and the cake is being served on the beautiful blue garland Johann Haviland Bavarian China she left to me ❤️.
(Cool side note about the china dishes in the pictures – apparently this pattern came out around 1974. It was being sold at grocery stores with stamps that you’d get when you bought groceries. Each week the store would feature a different piece to keep shoppers coming back to collect all the pieces!)
Ok, on to this truly easy recipe!
You simply mix the yellow cake mix, vanilla pudding, eggs, water, vegetable oil, and dark rum! That’s it for the cake!
Why pudding? The vanilla pudding helps to keep the rum cake moister, helps it to keep its structure, and gives the cake a fluffier texture because of the gelatin in the pudding.
Before you pour the cake mix in though, make sure you’ve greased the bundt pan thoroughly. Bundt pans are notorious for not letting go of the cake after it’s baked! So spray it down good with oil, sprinkle the nuts in, and then pour the batter on top!
If you don’t have a box of Yellow Cake Mix and don’t want to go to the store,
you can make your cake mix right at home with ingredients you most likely already have! You just need all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Check out Tiffany’s Homemade Yellow Cake mix Recipe on Don’t Waste the Crumbs!
Most people don’t have a mini bundt cake pan.
Traditionally this recipe was made in one regular-size bundt cake tin. I happened to have purchased this super cute mini fluted cake pan from Pampered Chef a few years back. It works great if you don’t overfill it! (cough cough … which I did this time 🤦♀️) All the batter for this recipe will fit perfectly into a regular pan. However, if you make the mini version, you can get at least 8 out of this recipe. Follow the instructions for making the cake just like you would if you were making it regular size. Grease the mini pan well, and sprinkle 1 tbsp of nuts per each mini.
Measure out a half cup of batter for every mini rum cake. You’ll have to bake the whole pan of 6 first and then once they are done, use the extra batter to bake the other 2 separately. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Then glaze according to the recipe instructions.
Now onto the Glaze!
Wait until your rum cake is almost done. You want to put a warm glaze on a warm cake for maximum effect!
In a small saucepan, melt a stick of butter, and then add a 1/4 cup of water, 1 cup of sugar, and a 1/2 cup of rum. Keep this over medium-high heat stirring constantly and set a timer for 5 minutes. The glaze does need to cook for 5 minutes. It’s what makes it turn into the syrupy perfection that goes over the rum cake!
Once the 5 minutes is up, take it off the heat and set it aside on the stove. After your cake is ready to come out of the oven, turn the bundt pan over onto whatever dish you’d like to serve the cake on. As it cools a little, the rum cake will let go of the pan (hopefully) and you’ll be ready to glaze!
Before you apply the glaze,
make sure you take a toothpick or wooden skewer and gently poke holes all over the top and slightly down the sides of the cake. Then you can brush or spoon the amazing rum butter glaze all over the top! The holes will let more of the glaze soak further into the Rum Cake! Just keep going until all the glaze is gone!
Finally, once that’s done, you can try a bite of your masterpiece! This pairs perfectly with a cup of Earl Gray tea! Or milk, or coffee, or anything really because it’s just delicious cake ☺️❤️.
I’m sure my Grandma would have never guessed that her recipes would end up on a blog for others to enjoy! I hope you try it out and love it as much as I do!
Grandma Betty’s Old Fashioned Rum Cake
Equipment
- Kitchenaid Mixer
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Rubber Spatula
- Bundt Cake Tin
- Food Chopper or Knife
- Small Sauce Pan
Ingredients
Rum Cake
- 1 Cup Pecans chopped
- 1 15.25 Package of Yellow Cake Mix
- 1 3.4 oz Box of Vanilla Pudding
- 4 Eggs
- 1/2 Cup Water Cold
- 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
- 1/2 Cup Dark Rum
Rum Butter Glaze
- 1 Stick Butter Salted
- 1/4 Cup Water
- 1 Cup Sugar granulated
- 1/2 Cup Dark Rum
Instructions
To Make the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Chop the pecans until pretty fine. Grease the bundt cake tin really well, make sure to get in all the ridges. Then sprinkle the chopped pecans evenly all over the bottom of the greased bundt cake tin.
- In your Kitchenaid with the paddle attachment, mix together the package of yellow cake mix, box of vanilla pudding, 4 eggs, cold water, oil, and rum until thoroughly combined.
- Once mixed, pour the cake batter into the bundt cake tin covering all the chopped pecans. After all the batter is in, tap the bundt cake tin on the counter to level and knock out some of the bubbles.
- Place the cake in the oven on the center rack and bake for 60 minutes.
Rum Butter Glaze
- When your cake is almost finished it’s time to make the glaze. In a small saucepan, combine butter, sugar, water, and rum. Bring to a boil, constantly stirring, set a timer, and cook for 5 minutes.
Glaze the Cake
- After the cake is done baking, turn it upside down on a serving tray and allow it to cool. The cake will let go of the bundt pan and come out on the tray.
- Using a toothpick, or wood skewer, poke holes all over the top of the cake through the pecan crumble. Use a basting brush to brush the warm glaze over the top and sides of the cake. Continue brushing on the glaze until it is all gone.
- Cut slices and enjoy with a perfectly paired cup of Earl Gray Tea!
Notes
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