Caribbean Bacardi Rum-Soaked Cake

By
Hector Rodriguez
Hector Rodriguez
A Puerto Rico native and former food service professional, Hector Rodriguez develops recipes inspired by the Caribbean and Latin America.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 07/10/21
Tested by
Danielle Centoni
Danielle Centoni
Tested by Danielle Centoni

Danielle is a James Beard Award-winning food writer and editor based in Portland, Oregon.

Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Caribbean Bacardi Rum-Soaked Cake

The Spruce / Sabrina Russo

Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 70 mins
Cool: 60 mins
Total: 2 hrs 40 mins
Servings: 8 to 10 servings
Yield: 1 Bundt cake

This easy Caribbean rum-soaked cake recipe starts with a yellow cake mix and instant pudding. You will make it in a Bundt pan and then poke holes in the cake so that it soaks up the delicious glaze made from Bacardi rum.

While the rum added to the cake batter has the alcohol cooked off, leaving the rum flavor, the rum glaze retains most of the alcohol. Because of this, use caution and alert any guest who wishes to avoid alcohol.

Rum was a driving factor behind the Caribbean’s economy, history, and culture. By the late 17th century, a thriving export trade developed. Rum is produced by fermenting sugarcane juice and byproducts such as molasses, then distilling the alcohol and aging it in oak barrels.

Not only is the alcohol used for cocktails, but it is also used for preserving and cooking, too. Almost every major Caribbean island group produces its distinct style of rum. This recipe calls for Bacardi rum, but you can use your favorite brand of rum.

"My tasters absolutely loved this cake, and it was very quick and easy to put together. The most time-consuming part was spooning on the glaze, bit by bit, as the cake soaked it up. I couldn't find French vanilla instant pudding, but regular vanilla worked great. The cake was boozy, but not overpoweringly so." —Danielle Centoni

Bacardi Rum Soaked Cake Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

For the Cake:

  • 1 (15.25-ounce) box yellow cake mix

  • 1 (3.75-ounce) box French vanilla instant pudding mix

  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature

  • 1/2 cup water

  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil

  • 1/2 cup gold or dark rum

For the Rum Glaze:

  • 4 ounces (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter

  • 1/4 cup water

  • 1 cup pure cane sugar

  • 1/2 cup gold or dark rum

Steps to Make It

Make the Cake

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    cake ingredients

    The Spruce / Sabrina Russo

  2. Pre heat the oven to 325 F. Thoroughly grease and flour a Bundt pan and set aside.

    grease and flour a Bundt pan

    The Spruce / Sabrina Russo

  3. In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water, oil, and 1/2 cup dark rum. Mix by hand or an electric mixer until the batter is smooth.

    combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water, oil, and dark rum

    The Spruce / Sabrina Russo

  4. Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan.

    Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan

    The Spruce / Sabrina Russo

  5. Bake for 1 hour. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 20 minutes. Invert the cake onto a wire rack and let it cool completely.

    cake on a cooling rack

    The Spruce / Sabrina Russo

  6. Transfer the cooled cake to a serving platter. Using a fork or toothpick, prick the top of the cake to form small holes that will absorb the rum glaze.

    Using a toothpick, prick the top of the cake to form small holes

    The Spruce / Sabrina Russo

Make the Rum Glaze

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    rum glaze ingredients

    The Spruce / Sabrina Russo

  2. In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter.

    butter in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Sabrina Russo

  3. Whisk in the water and sugar.

    butter, sugar and water in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Sabrina Russo

  4. Slowly bring the sugar and butter mixture to a light boil and cook for 5 minutes, constantly stirring.

    sugar mixture cooking in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Sabrina Russo

  5. Remove the sugar mixture from the heat and stir in the rum.

    add rum to the sugar mixture in the saucepan

    The Spruce / Sabrina Russo

  6. Allow the glaze to cool slightly before glazing the cake.

    glaze in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Sabrina Russo

  7. Drizzle and smooth some of the glaze over the top and sides of the cake. Allow the cake to absorb the glaze and then repeat until the glaze is gone. Serve the rum cake as is or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of freshly whipped heavy cream.

    Caribbean Bacardi Rum-Soaked Cake

    The Spruce / Sabrina Russo
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
452 Calories
16g Fat
64g Carbs
4g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories 452
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g 20%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Cholesterol 77mg 26%
Sodium 520mg 23%
Total Carbohydrate 64g 23%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 45g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 105mg 8%
Iron 1mg 8%
Potassium 72mg 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.)