Caribbean Rum Cake with Pecans is a decadent, boozy bundt cake with lots of rum in the cake batter, and in a sweet syrup that soaks into the cake.
I first tried Rum Cake in the Bahamas many years ago when a woman at a market was handing out samples. It was delicious, and the samples convinced us to buy several mini rum cakes to bring home. The rum cakes we purchased were nowhere near as good as the samples, and in hindsight, I'm certain they added extra rum syrup to the samples.
However, I never forgot how delicious those samples were, and I eventually started making rum cake myself. I consider it one of my favorite cakes now and often make it for my birthday, including my past birthday just a couple of weeks ago.
There are a few variations on rum cake, one of them being whether or not cake mix or pudding mix is included as a shortcut. I don't often use shortcuts in baking, so my version is completely homemade.
There is also the option to include pecans as a rum cake topping. Or you can include another topping (like coconut), or go without. I chose to go with the pecans, but this is an easy option to switch up. Here is my recipe for Caribbean Rum Cake with Pecans, which is just as good as that rum cake sample I had in the Bahamas many years ago.
How to make Caribbean Rum Cake
Making this decadent cake starts with prepping your bundt pan, which can have a tendency to stick. Brushing the pan with a thin layer of oil mixed with flour can prevent the sticking, and a possible cake disaster. I always use this mixture on my bundt cakes, and I haven't had a problem with sticking yet. Once your pan is prepped, sprinkle some chopped pecans in the bottom, if you're using them.
To make the batter, start by stirring the buttermilk and rum together in a measuring cup and set that aside. Then whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl and set that aside.
Cream the butter and sugar together in your stand mixer. Once that's light and fluffy, add the eggs and vanilla and mix again. Add ⅓ of the dry ingredients, then mix until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and then add half of the wet ingredients, then mix and scrape down the bowl. Follow this pattern with the remaining dry ingredients and wet ingredients finishing with the final ⅓ of the dry ingredients.
Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake the cake until it's golden brown and cracked on the top. While you're waiting for the cake to bake, prepare the syrup. This involves adding the ingredients to a small saucepan, bringing the mixture to a boil, then simmering for a few minutes.
When the cake is done baking, poke holes all over the cake with a skewer all the way to the bottom of the cake. Slowly pour all of the syrup all over the top of the cake. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the cake sit in the pan overnight to fully absorb the syrup.
When you're ready to serve the cake, turn the pan over onto a platter or cutting board. If the cake doesn't release, try heating the pan gently in the oven at 250-300°F for about 10 minutes. Slice the cake to serve.
Is Rum Cake safe for kids or pregnant women to eat?
Normally I don't hesitate to let my kids eat a little bit of baking that has small amounts (like a couple of tablespoons) of alcohol in it. But this cake is different as it has a whole cup of rum in it. That's over 5 standard drinks!
Yes, some of that alcohol will be cooked off, but not all of it. Studies show that baking something for an hour leaves approximately 25% of the alcohol remaining, and 40% would remain after 15 minutes of simmering.
That would mean that for this cake, there would be as much alcohol remaining in the cake and glaze as in 2.6 ounces of rum.
And yes, this is a total for the whole cake, and that cake will be cut into 12-16 pieces, but this could still be problematic for small children.
And the cake tastes very boozy, so kids likely won't like it anyway. If you're serving this cake at an event where children, pregnant women, or anyone who doesn't drink alcohol will be present, I recommend planning to provide a secondary dessert.
Caribbean Rum Cake Ingredients
- Canola oil or another neutral-flavored cooking oil or melted butter - this is mixed with an equal amount of all-purpose flour and spread on the bundt pan to prevent the cake from sticking.
- All-purpose flour - flour is used in both the non-stick coating for the bundt pan as well as in the cake batter.
- Coarsely chopped toasted pecans - this is optional. If you don't have any pecans, but still want your cake to have a crunchy, nutty topping, try unsweetened shredded coconut or chopped walnuts. If you don't like nuts, feel free to skip them altogether.
- Buttermilk - or ¼ cup whole milk plus ¼ cup sour cream or plain yogurt. For convenience, consider keeping powdered buttermilk on hand. Follow the instructions on the package to use.
- Rum - you will be putting rum directly into the cake batter as well as the syrup that gets poured on the cake after baking. You will need a full cup of it in total. You don't need a premium rum here, just something you would enjoy in cocktails. Either white or dark rum will work.
- Cornstarch - adding cornstarch to the batter along with flour lowers the protein (gluten) content of the batter and replicates using cake flour instead of all-purpose flour.
- Baking powder
- Baking soda - adding some baking soda, which reacts with the buttermilk, adds extra leavening power.
- Salt
- Softened unsalted butter - you will be using unsalted butter in both the cake batter and the syrup that gets poured on the cake after baking. Only the butter in the batter needs to be softened.
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar - using a little brown sugar adds a little molasses flavor as well as some moisture.
- Large eggs at room temperature
- Vanilla extract - this will be used both in the cake batter and the syrup that is poured on the cake after baking.
- Water - use whatever water you normally drink. Cold tap water is fine.
Want more cake recipes?
Caribbean Rum Cake Nutrition Notes
You can make this cake dairy-free by replacing the butter in the cake and the syrup with your favorite dairy-free butter alternative, and the buttermilk in the cake with your favorite dairy-free milk alternative mixed with 1 ½ teaspoons of lemon juice or vinegar.
The nutrition information in the recipe below is for a bundt cake that is cut into 16 pieces. If you cut your pieces larger (or smaller) than this, the nutrition information will vary accordingly.
Caribbean Pecan Rum Cake with Pecans (No Cake Mix)
Equipment
Ingredients
Bundt Pan Grease
- 1 Tablespoon canola oil or other neutral-flavored cooking oil or melted butter
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
Rum Cake
- ½ cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans optional (feel free to skip or use unsweetened shredded coconut or chopped walnuts instead)
- ½ cup buttermilk (or ¼ cup whole milk plus ¼ cup sour cream or plain yogurt or use powdered buttermilk) use your favorite dairy-free milk with 1 ½ teaspoons of lemon juice or vinegar to make this cake dairy-free
- ½ cup rum
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup softened unsalted butter use a dairy-free butter alternative to make this cake dairy-free
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Rum Syrup
- ½ cup unsalted butter use a dairy-free butter alternative to make this cake dairy-free
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup rum
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350.
- Stir together 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) canola oil and 1 Tablespoon (7.5 g) all-purpose flour in a small bowl. Brush this mixture lightly and evenly all over the inside of your bundt pan (avoid letting it pool in the bottom of the pan). Sprinkle ½ cup (50 g) coarsely chopped toasted pecans over the bottom of the cake pan.
- Stir together ½ cup (118 ml) buttermilk (or ¼ cup milk and ¼ cup sour cream) and ½ cup (118 ml) rum in a measuring cup or small bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour, ¼ cup (32 g) cornstarch, 1 ½ teaspoons (6 g) baking powder, ½ teaspoon (2 g) baking soda, and ½ teaspoon (3 g) salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Cream together the softened butter, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, and ¾ cup (165 g) brown sugar in the stand mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add 4 large eggs, one at a time, continuing to beat at medium-high speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl before each egg is added. Add 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract and beat again until it's completely incorporated.
- Add ⅓ of the dry ingredients, turn the mixer on to low speed, and slowly increase speed to medium until all of the flour has been incorporated. Add half of the rum mixture, turn the mixer on to low speed, and slowly increase speed to medium until all of the liquid has been incorporated. Repeat this process with the remaining ⅔ of the flour mixture and half of the rum mixture, finishing with the final ⅓ of the dry ingredients.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 55-70 minutes, until the top of the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for a few minutes.
Rum Syrup
- While the cake is cooking, stir together ½ cup (114 g) unsalted butter, ¼ cup (60 ml) water, ½ cup (118 ml) rum, ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar, ½ cup (110 g) brown sugar, and ¼ teaspoon (1.5 g) salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat (keep a close eye on it, it can boil over quickly). Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) vanilla extract.
- Poke holes all over the cake with a skewer while it's still warm, and pour the syrup evenly over the cake. Cover the cake completely with plastic wrap and let it sit in the pan overnight.
- When you're ready to serve the cake, place a platter or cutting board on top of the pan, then quickly and carefully turn the pan upside down so the board is on the bottom. If the cake doesn't release, try heating it gently in the oven at 250-300°F for about 10 minutes. Cut into slices to serve.
Nutrition
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