How to Make a Rum Cake

My family enjoys going on cruises for vacations. In many of the Caribbean Islands they sell rum cake. We were suppose to go on a cruise for a Spring Break, but it was canceled. However, we decided to make our own rum cake. This recipe you can use a yellow or chocolate cake mix. We made a chocolate one this time, but use the same steps for a yellow cake.

For the Cake:

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1/2 cup of chopped pecans

1 box cake mix (chocolate or yellow)

1/2 Plain or Vanilla Greek yogurt (we used vanilla)

1/2 cup of canola oil

1/2 cup of rum

If you are making a chocolate cake

1 tsp of instant coffee mixed dissolved in a 1 tsp of hot water

4 eggs

For the Glaze

1 stick of butter

1 cup of sugar

1/2 cup of rum

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees

Spray your pan with cooking spray. Make sure you cover it really well

Sprinkle a 1/2 cup of brown sugar and a 1/2 cup of the chopped pecans in bottom of the pan. This will become your topping because once you finish cooking the cake you will flip it over and the bottom becomes the top.

Add your cake mix to the mixing bowl. If you are making a chocolate cake, then add your teaspoon of dissolved instant coffee.

Add a 1/2 a cup of Greek Yogurt. (Don't tell my little brother we added this because he does not think he likes it)

Add 1/2 a cup of canola oil

Add 1/2 a cup of rum

Add 4 eggs. Crack your eggs in a separate bowl because it is easier to get a piece of shell out. Add the eggs one at a time so they get mixed in better.

Mix everything at the lowest speed until it is combined. Do not turn the mixer on a higher speed or cake mix will fly out everywhere. Don't ask me why I know this.

Pour the cake mix into the pan over the brown sugar mixture. Bake at 325 for about 50 minutes. It will be ready with the cake comes away from the pan and a tooth pick or wooden skewer comes out of the cake with no cake batter sticking to it.

About 5 minutes before the cake is done you want to make the glaze. In a small pot, heat a stick of butter, a cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of rum. Cook it on medium high heat. Once the butter melts you have to stir it a lot. It will bubble up and you have to watch it so it does not bubble up over the pan. Just let it boil for a couple of minutes which will cook the alcohol out of the rum.

Once the cake is done poke it with a long wooden skewer, which is like a giant toothpick. Poke little wholes all around the cake and then pour the glaze over the cake. My mom recommends putting the cake on a small sheet pan with foil on it when you do this. If you are using a tube pan instead of a bundt pan you definitely want to have a pan underneath because the glaze can run over the side or out the bottom of a tube pan and make a huge mess. My mom says not to ask her how she knows this.

Let the cake cool for about 15 minutes and then it time for the flip. The glaze should sink into the cake. Use a plastic knife because it is bendable and should not scratch the pan and push it in around the edges of the pan. Sometimes the topping sticks to the pan so make sure to use the plastic knife to make sure all the edges are loose. Place the cake plate on the top of the pan and then flip it over. You should be able to lift the cake pan off. If it does not come off easily flip it back over and use the plastic knife a little bit more before you flip it again.

Here it is. The finished rum cake.