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Rum-soaked cake, made in a fluted bundt pan
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Rum-Soaked Cake

This classic rum cake is made from scratch and soaked in a delicious rum butter sauce. It's tender, flavorful and the perfect homemade version of the famous Bacardi rum cake!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword rum bundt cake, rum cake, rum-soaked cake
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings 12 pieces
Calories 570kcal

Equipment

  • 12-cup bundt pan - mine is 10.5 inches in diameter and 4 inches deep

Ingredients

Rum Cake

  • ¾ cup chopped pecans optional
  • 2 ½ cup cake flour (300 grams) see notes for substitute
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 3 large egg whites
  • ½ cup unsalted butter (112 grams) softened to room temperature
  • 1 ¾ cup granulated sugar (350 grams) divided into 1 ½ cups and ¼ cup
  • ½ cup vegetable oil (120 ml) or canola oil
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ cup buttermilk (120 ml) room temperature
  • ½ cup rum (120 ml) I used dark

Butter Rum Sauce

  • cup unsalted butter (75 grams)
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar (150 grams)
  • 3 tablespoons water (45 ml)
  • cup rum (80 ml)

Instructions

Rum Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).
  • Add the chopped pecans to a cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until golden and you can smell the aroma. Do not let the nuts burn. Remove from the oven and turn the oven down to 325F (160C).
  • Grease a bundt pan generously and dust with flour. Be sure to coat every crevice, especially around the center. Alternatively, brush with pan release (AKA cake goop).
  • Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whip the 3 egg whites using the whisk attachment of your mixer. Once frothy (about 2 minutes) add in ¼ cup sugar and continue whipping until stiff peaks form (about 1 more minute). Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, beat together the butter and the remaining 1 ½ cups sugar until fluffy. Mix in the oil and vanilla extract. Then mix in the 5 egg yolks.
  • Sift in about ⅓ of the flour mixture. With the mixer on a low speed or using a wire whisk, carefully mix in the flour mixture.
  • Whisk in the the milk. Stop mixing as soon as it's combined.
  • Sift in about ⅓ more of the flour. Then carefully whisk it into the batter. Whisk in the rum.
  • Sift in the last of the flour and whisk until the batter is smooth. Stop mixing as soon as everything is combined. Overmixing will lead to a dry cake.
  • Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the batter. Continue to fold them into the batter until you no longer see streaks of egg white.
  • Sprinkle the toasted, chopped pecans into the bottom of the prepared bundt pan (if you're using pecans). Then pour the cake batter over top.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for about 60-75 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and you see the edges starting to pull away from the pan. The bake time will vary depending on the size of your bundt pan and your oven.
  • Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for at least 15 minutes. Then carefully invert the pan to release the cake. If it appears to be stuck, gently tap on the sides of the pan to help release the cake.

Butter Rum Sauce

  • As the cake is cooling, make the sauce.
  • Add the butter, sugar and water to a medium saucepan over low heat. Melt everything together while gently stirring.
  • Bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes while whisking. Then remove from the heat and carefully whisk in the rum. It can boil up as you add in the rum, so be careful.
  • Poke the top and sides of the cake with a toothpick or fork to create small holes.
  • Pour/brush the rum sauce over the cake. Do a little at a time, so that you have multiple layers. I typically do about ⅓ to ½ of the sauce to soak the cake
  • Slice the cake using a sharp, thin knife. Serve with the remaining sauce, allowing each person to pour more sauce over their slice of cake, if the choose. More sauce will lead to a stronger rum flavor.

Notes

  1. Pecans: Nuts are optional - feel free to leave them out if you prefer. 
  2. Cake Flour Substitute: If you do not have cake flour, measure out 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour. Remove 5 tablespoons of flour and add in 5 tablespoons of cornstarch (AKA corflour). Sift the mixture together 3 times. 
  3. Eggs: You will need 5 eggs in total for this recipe. You'll use 5 egg yolks, but only 3 egg whites. Discard the egg whites from the the last 2 eggs, or save for a different recipe. 
  4. Buttermilk Substitute: To make your own, add 1 teaspoon vinegar or 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice to ½ cup cow's milk (1% or 2% is best). Stir, then let sit on the counter for 5 minutes to sour. 
  5. Storage: Cake is best if enjoyed the same day it's made. Store leftovers in an airtight container or wrapped tightly at room temperature for up to 3 days. Store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the fridge. Warm up the sauce before serving. 
  6. Nutrition: Details provided are an estimate only and assume that the cake is sliced into 12 equal pieces, and all the rum sauce is used and divided equally between each piece. 

Nutrition

Calories: 570kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 112mg | Sodium: 80mg | Potassium: 137mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 517IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 1mg