Rum Cake Treat: How to Make This Festive Cake for Christmas

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Some would say the best part about the Christmas holidays is the special foods. They are the foods that only come around once a year and take some preparation to create. One of the holiday traditions in my family was having a rum cake as one of the desserts.

Growing up, I would watch my mom and grandma both make their own. My grandma would make hers from scratch while my mom opted for a quicker method. Both were good that you had to go back for seconds

Of course, this cake was off-limits to all the children in the home. Once I turned of age, I had my 1^st piece and I remember it tasting so soft and moist. And the rum was just enough of an amount for you not to get drunk from a few slices.

In 2018, I made my 1^st rum cake. I managed to make a really good rum cake. Yet, nothing beats mom and grandma’s touch. They’re so much experience between them and I have a ways to go.

Festive rum cake for a festive season

What makes rum cake so special is that it comes dressed for the party with festive colors. With its dark coating, rich butter rum glaze, and pecan topping, it has always screamed Christmas. I’ve seen different variations of the rum cake.

One of the things about it is that you can make it as festive as you like. I’ve always been used to cherries and green grapes lining the outside of it. And for an added effect, filling the center of the cake with it as well.

To me, it was always the best dressed at the dining room table. If you’re not a fan of cherries or grapes, the butter rum glazed can be just all you need. Or maybe you’re a powdered sugar person.

Whatever your choice of topping may be, it will be an added bonus to a great tasting cake.

How to make a festive rum cake

This cake was pretty simple to make. So let’s get started.

Ingredients:

• 1 package of yellow cake mix
• 3 eggs
• ½ cup of vegetable oil
• 1 cup of water
• ½ cup of dark rum (Bacardi rum recommended or your favorite dark rum)
• 1 (1 ounce) small box of instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 cup of chopped pecans or if preferred walnuts
• Bundt cake pan
• A jar of maraschino cherries (optional)
• Small bag of green and red grapes (optional)

Glaze ingredients:

• 1 cup of white sugar
• ½ cup of melted butter (1 stick)
• ½ cup of dark rum
• ¼ cup of water

Directions for rum cake

Step #1:

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease and flour the Bundt pan. Next, sprinkle the cup of chopped nuts evenly in the pan and set aside. (For less mess, coat the pan with Pam baking spray or store brand baking spray)

Step #2:

Combine the cake mix, water, oil, eggs in a large bowl, and stir well. Next mix in the pudding mix followed by ½ cup of dark rum. Stir until blended well. Pour batter over the chopped nuts evenly in the pan.

Step #3:

Bake in the oven for 38-43 minutes, or until done. (Use a toothpick or fork to test if done. If there’s no raw cake mix on the fork or toothpick then your cake is ready)

Step #4:

While your cake is baking, take a small saucepan and meltdown your butter. Once melted, add 1 cup of sugar and ¼ cup of water, bring to a boil. When it starts to boil then take it off the heat and pour ½ cup of dark rum and stir together. Pour into a measuring cup or small bowl and set aside.

(Side note: if you feel it’s not enough rum add a little more)

Step #5:

Take the cake out of the oven once done. While still in the pan, gently poke a few holes using a toothpick or thin skewer around the cake. Next, take your glaze and begin to slowly pour half of it over the bottom of the cake, making sure to fill the holes created. Once the cake soaks up all the glaze then you can remove it from the pan and place it on a plate.

Step #6:

Finally, gently poke a few more holes around the cake. Take the rest of your glaze and drizzle over the top of the cake. With your grapes and cherries in hand, you have the option of placing them around the outside, alternating between grapes and cherries or just grapes.

For the center of the rum cake, I usually fill it with both grapes and cherries. You can also fill it with whole pecans or walnuts. And if you’re not a fan of either, something I’ve seen others do was place sliced red and green apples around the outside.

And there it is, the festive rum cake that’s been a staple in my home around Christmas. If you’d like to try your hand at making your cake batter from scratch, here’s a simple recipe I found in my research: yellow cake batter from scratch. (Adjustments may be required)

Conclusion

This cake just reminds me of Christmas. And a good addition to your table this year. Planning on making your own? Feel free to share in the comments below. And don’t forget to pin, like, and share this post for others to enjoy as well. I’m excited to hear how some have turned out.

Until next time, this is Tammy saying stay strong, stay positive. And NOTHING’s impossible!!! Happy Holidays Everyone!!!