Buttered Rum Cake

This Buttered Rum Cake is the perfect centerpiece for any special occasion. Made from scratch, the buttery cake is studded with pecans and drenched in a rich, sweet butter rum sauce. The result is a show-stopping dessert that’s guaranteed to impress and kick off any celebration in style.

Ingredients to Make the Best Buttered Rum Cake Recipe

Rum cake is believed to have originated in the Caribbean islands, brought there by European settlers. It’s thought that, what we know as rum cake today, was initially a rum soaked fruit cake steamed pudding. When I hear the term “butter rum” I instantly think of chilly weather. Truth is, while it’s a flavor that’s perfectly suitable for fall and winter holidays, I’ve also known rum cake to be served at Easter and as a special summer dessert. Think island life for summer, and a tasty way to warm-up during the cooler months of the year. Due to this, it’s become a year-round cake to bake when I want something special to serve.

Checkout this quick list of ingredients you’ll need to make the best ever Southern Butter Rum Cake: (Scroll down for full printable recipe card.)

• Flour – Three cups all purpose flour forms the base of the cake batter.
• Sugar – Two cups granulated sugar for sweetness.
• Leavening – Baking powder, baking soda and salt give lift to the cake.
• Instant Pudding Mix – One box instant vanilla pudding mix gives the cake a moist and tender crumb.
• Nuts – One cup roughly chopped pecans or walnuts for crunch.
• Butter – One cup unsalted butter gives richness to the batter.
• Rum- Dark rum. Use your favorite brand.
• Flavoring – One teaspoon vanilla extract adds creamy floral notes to the taste.
• Whole Eggs – Large eggs bind the batter and give rise to the cake.
• Milk – Buttermilk or whole milk for moisture.
• Buttered Rum Glaze – Unsalted butter, granulated sugar, dark rum.
• Water – Water combines with the sugar and butter to make the syrup portion of the rum glaze.
• Spice – One teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon. Please Note: Pumpkin pie spice is a combination of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and allspice. It’s delicious in this cake, if you have it on hand. Otherwise, ground cinnamon will work.

Which Rum is Best to Use for Making a Rum Cake?

• Captain Morgan’s – I’ve made this cake and tested it with various bands of rum and I seem to always come back to a dark rum. I made this cake using Captain Morgan’s Original Spiced Rum with it’s subtle notes of caramel and vanilla making it a front runner.
• The key to choosing the right rum is, choose one that has a flavor you personally enjoy, for the best rum cake flavor.
• Non-Alcoholic Rum Cake – You can also make this cake using buttered rum flavoring in place of alcohol. When doing so, use 2 teaspoons in the cake batter. For the glaze, use 1-2 teaspoons in place of rum, then taste and adjust the amount to your taste. 

How to Make the Best Southern Buttered Rum Cake Recipe

The addition of alcohol means this cake can be made up to one week in advance. Truthfully, I’ve kept it longer than that, and the flavor of the rum mellows a bit when it’s made in advance.

• Heat Oven and Prepare Cake Pan – Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a bundt pan. Sprinkle pecans evenly on bottom.
• Creamed Ingredients – Use a mixer to cream together butter, sugar and vanilla on medium-high until creamy.
• Eggs – Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
• Dry Ingredients – Stir together flour, pudding mix, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• Liquid – Whisk together buttermilk and rum.
• Combine – On low speed gradually add flour mixture alternately with wet ingredients beginning and ending with flour.
• Transfer to Pan – Pour cake batter into prepared pan.
• Oven – Bake per the recipe until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes back clean.
• Make Rum Glaze – Make the buttered rum glaze per the recipe.
• Poke Holes in Cake – After baking, use a skewer to poke holes over the bottom of the cake. Slowly pour rum glaze over bottom of cake allowing it to soak in between pours. Let cake sit for 1 hour to cool in the pan.
• Remove from Pan – Invert cake onto a serving plate or cake stand. Use the same skewer to poke holes in the top of the cake. Pour remaining glaze into holes on top of the cake.
• Let Cool – Once cooled, cover and chill.

Kitchen Equipment to Make Southern-Style Butter Rum Cake

• One 12-14 cup Bundt pan.
• Stand mixer or a hand mixer.
• Large bowl, medium bowl and small bowl.
• Small saucepan for making the rum sauce.
• Sharp knife and cutting board or nut chopper.
• Whisk for sifting the dry ingredients.
• Measuring cups and spoons.
• Long skewer for poking holes in the cake. Use a long metal or wooden skewer to poke holes into the cake for the rum glaze. On the top, try to poke holes between the pecans so it still has a pretty presentation.
• Wire rack.

Recipe Variations, Tips and Substitutions

• Nut Substitutions – You can use chopped walnuts in place of pecans for caribbean rum cake. You can also make rum cake without nuts.
• Non-Alcoholic Rum Cake – You can also make this cake using buttered rum flavoring in place of alcohol. When doing so, use 2 teaspoons in the cake batter. For the glaze, use 1-2 teaspoons in place of rum, taste and adjust the amount to your taste. 
• Brush with Glaze – I recommend saving a small amount of rum glaze and brushing it all over the cake after soaking the top and bottom of the bundt cake. It will harden just a tad in the fridge, but softens once it comes back to room temperature. It also gives the cake a pretty shine.
• Grease the Pan for Easy Release – When baking Bundt cakes, use a quality pan either buttered and dusted with flour or sprayed it liberally with baking spray. Some of the coatings on pans don’t take well to cooking spray and can actually cause the cake to stick.
• Drizzle with the Rum Sauce Slowly – The most important thing about making buttered rum cake is patience. It takes some time, as in several minutes, to soak the cake thoroughly with the rum sauce. Be patient, and take it slow to prevent it from pooling all around the bottom of the cake platter. The goal is for the buttered rum to go into the cake.
• Does the Alcohol Cook Out of Rum Cake? This cake will still have a small amount of alcohol content. If you’re averse to using alcohol, you can use buttered rum as a flavoring for the cake and glaze, instead.
• When to Serve Rum Cake – This cake is a stellar option for holiday gatherings, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years Eve, birthday celebrations, Mardis Gras, potluck gatherings and entertaining.

Storage and Leftovers

• Leftovers – Store leftover Buttered Rum Cake covered with plastic wrap and foil or in an airtight container, chilled in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
• Freezer Storage – Wrap rum cake in in plastic wrap and foil and store frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge.

More Southern Cake Recipes to Make

• Turn pantry ingredients into this Million Dollar Pound Cake.
• Coconut Cream Cake is lush and delicious.
• Banana Pudding Cake features three layers of banana pudding goodness.
• Pig Pickin’ Cake is a year-round favorite.
• Classic Hummingbird Cake is a Southern staple created by Mrs. Wiggins from right here in my neck of the woods North Carolina.
• This Elvis Presley Cake is so fun to make!
• Decadent Reese’s Cake is a peanut butter cup delight.
• My recipe for Italian Cream Cake is the only one you’ll ever need.
• Tennessee Jam Cake from Southern Living.

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Helpful Kitchen Items: 

• Bundt Pan
• Stand Mixer
• Mixing Bowls
• Silicone Spatulas