Golden Rum Cake with Pecans and Buttery Rum Glaze

Golden rum cake is a masterpiece of flavors and textures. At its core, it's a moist and dense cake infused with the essence of rum, boasting a golden hue that hints at the decadence within. The magic lies in the balance of ingredients, where the sweetness of the cake meets the subtle warmth of rum, creating a symphony of flavors that dance on your palate.

Prep Time30

Cook Time1

Total Time1 30

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cake recipe, christmas recipe, food gifts, holiday dessert, Holiday recipe

Servings: servings, 1 Bundt cake

Calories: 420kcal

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Kitchen Essentials

Bundt Pan

Heritage bundt

Ingredients

1 Cup Pecans chopped or walnuts
15.25 Ounces Yellow Cake Mix 1 package
3.4 Ounces Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix 1 package
4 Large Eggs
1 Cup Dark Rum divided
¾ Cup Water
½ Cup Vegetable Oil
1 Cup White Sugar
½ Cup Butter

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Prepare 10-inch Bundt pan. Grease with lard or softened butter and flour to prevent the cake from sticking.
Sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts evenly over the bottom of the pan.
1 Cup Pecans
In a large bowl, whisk together the yellow cake mix and instant pudding mix.
15.25 Ounces Yellow Cake Mix, 3.4 Ounces Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
Add the eggs, 1/2 cup rum, 1/2 cup water, and the oil. Mix until well-blended. Don't overmix the batter once everything is combined.
4 Large Eggs, 1 Cup Dark Rum, ¾ Cup Water, ½ Cup Vegetable Oil
Pour cake batter over chopped nuts in the prepared pan.
Bake for 1 hour until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and let the cake sit in the pan about 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate.
While the cake is resting, make the glaze.
In a saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, and remaining 1/4 cup water. Using medium heat, bring to a boil. Stirring constantly, cook for about 5 minutes. Until it thickens and begins to darken slightly.
1 Cup White Sugar, ½ Cup Butter
Remove the glaze from the heat and stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of dark rum.
Using a pastry brush, brush glaze generously over the top of the cake and sides of the cake. Allow the cake to soak up the glaze, then repeat until every bit of glaze is used. (Pour the glaze over the cake while it's still warm so it soaks into every bite).

Your Own Private Notes

Click here to add your own private notes.

Notes

Tips to Take Your Rum Cake up a Notch

Toast your pecans. In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the pecans until they are fragrant. This normally takes 5 to 10 minutes.

The original recipe calls for walnuts, we like pecans better with this recipe.

Make sure the rum soaks into the cake. An easier to glaze your cake is to pour half of the glaze into the Bundt pan, reinsert the cake, then pour the rest of the glaze over the bottom of the cake. Let the glaze soak in thoroughly, then invert back onto the platter.

Another way to get more rum soaking into the cake is to use a wooden skewer to poke 30 to 40 holes in the top and all sides of the cake before brushing on the rum glaze.

For additional flavor, add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the batter before baking.

If you want less alcohol flavor, cook the rum syrup in a skillet over medium heat a few minutes to cook off some of the alcohol but leave the delicious flavor to the glaze.

To reduce some of the alcohol flavor, I let the rum cook for a few minutes in the glaze.

Nutrition