Golden Rum Cake

This was very good and super moist!! The only thing I'll do differently next time is use about half the amount of nuts as the recipe calls for.. my hubby and I both agreed that the nuts were a little too much. Also, there seems to be some confusion with previous reviewers over the sugar used for the glaze. The recipe (and most other rum glaze recipes) calls for GRANULATED, also known as WHITE sugar. I would not recommend using powdered sugar as a reviewer mistakenly posted was the proper sugar to use.

This is the same cake recipe I've been making for years and it always comes out great. To make the cake better and easier to glaze, first spray the bundt pan with nonstick spray, sprinkle in chopped pecans (better than walnuts in my opinion) and then dust the pan with white sugar. After baking, let stand for 10 minutes in the pan and then use a skewer to poke holes all over the cake. Pour on warm glaze and then keep the cake in the pan until completely cool so that the glaze will be absorbed. Then it's a "piece of cake" to unmold it - it will come right out of the pan onto the serving plate!

This recipe is very similar to another rum cake I have made a few times, but this came out the best ever. I use coconut rum, and I don't notice a huge coconut flavor at all, it's just the rum I like to use. (And because I don't like a strong alcohol taste, I put the rum in the glaze for the last minute of cooking). Also, as far as the glaze, here is what I do. After the cake cools in the pan for about ten minutes, I take a spatula and loosen it from the sides and from the center (bundt pan). Then I pour the hot glaze around the edges and it goes right down the sides and soaks into the bottom (which will be the top) and the sides of the cake. I also pour some around the inner ring and then a little along the top (which will be the bottom). I let it sit about 30 minutes then invert it. Perfect that way. Other than that, recipe followed exactly.

This one's a keeper. I did the coconut variation that another reviewer suggested. I used Bacardi CoCo rum, coconut pudding, and instead of 1 cup of nuts I used 1/2 cup coconut and 1/2 cup pecans. The tip on putting the cake back in the pan to soak up the glaze is GENIUS! YUM!!!

Very easy to make. DEFINITELY recommend letting it sit for a couple of days before eating as the flavor significantly improved with age. Use a shish-ka-bob skewer or chopstick to poke holes in cake to let the glaze penetrate the interior of the cake. I used a smaller tool which proved insufficient as glaze remained in top & bottom 1/2-inch of the cake.

I made this exactly as written with one minor substitution. I used coconut rum. Delicious! It was so easy that I made several to sell at a bake sale. They went quickly and the next week, I had all three "buyers" ask me for the recipe. Thank you! UPDATE: I have made this several times since to give as gifts and have tweaked it a bit, based on other reviewer's comments. I used milk instead of the water and I boiled my rum in the glaze mix. And yesterday I tried it with a chocolate cake mix, chocolate pudding, coffee instead of the water in both the cake mix and the glaze, and Kahula, which was AWESOME!!! I might try Irish Cream sometime as well. Thanks again!

The recipe is perfect as are the instructions to prepare it. However, as is typical with a yellow cake mix, not even a cup of good rum could disguise that cake mix taste. I use doctored up cake mix recipes frequently, but only if the result doesn't advertise that I've done so!

Made this for my boss' birthday. Absolutely perfect. We were all a little buzzed by 9am. I think I probably added extra rum. You know how it goes when you bake with liquor... one shot for the recipe, two shots for the baker. Thank you very much for a great recipe. Very (hiccup) enjoyable! :)

Greetings everyone, I love the cake, but like some, I made a few changes. I like a rich cake, so I used a butter cake mix, pecans, whole organic milk for the 1/2 cup of water, butter for the 1/2 cup of oil and Captain Morgan's Parrot Bay Coconut Rum. For the glaze, I used fresh lemon and lime juice for the 1/4 cup of water, brown sugar and the Captain Morgan's Parrot Bay Coconut Rum. I also did the whole poke holes into the top of the cake with a toothpick, pour half the glaze in the pan and re-insert the cake. Poke holes into the bottom of the cake and pour the remaining glaze over it. Let it sit for an hour or two, upside down, and then flip it over onto a plate and let it sit for a few hours to a day before serving. I even left the pan on the plate, as it keeps it moist and detracts people from "picking" at it thing, but it did not work, because every time my Mother would walk pass, she would lift the pan to take a look, so the pan is removed. *If you think the glaze is too runny and too much, try blending it until it reach a thickness or you may reduce the rum to 1/3 or 1/4 cup. You may also substitute 1 3/4 cup packed powdered sugar for the 1 cup of sugar(don't cook, just melt the butter and add the other ingredients). *One more thing, if you can't eat nuts and would like crunch on top of the cake, you can use graham cracker crumbs. ENJOY!

Fantastic! I read many reviews and made the following common changes, and it came out perfect: For the cake: (1) Use milk instead of water in the cake mix. (2) Used pecans instead of walnuts. (3) Baked for 50 minutes instead of 60. (4) Sifted the cake and pudding mix together. For the glaze: (1) Used 1/2 amount of rum to eliminate the "alcohol" taste. (2) Boiled the glaze for a couple of minutes after adding rum to also help eliminate alcohol taste. My family is definitely looking forward to eating this again soon.

Used 3 oz pkg. Cook & Serve vanilla pudding, not instant and didn't add anything else to recipe. For a sharper rum flavor in cake, mix in rum last- after other wet ingredients (water, oil, eggs) already beaten in to dry ingredients. For a weaker rum flavor in cake, mix 1/2 c. rum with the 1/2 c. water before beating in to dry ingredients. Similarly, to decrease the alcohol in the glaze, cook the 1/2 c. of rum on low heat in a separate pan while water, butter, and sugar mixture cook- then add rum as specified. Used Gosling's Black Seal rum for both the cake and glaze and really like the flavor - great dark rum that doesn't leave lingering alcohol or cough syrup like flavors/smells. Also agree with other bakers in letting cake cool in pan for about ten minutes then pouring glaze in to let soak for an hour or so. My mother is a cookbook author so I was quite happy to learn that this is an easy recipe she likes and has baked for our family :) Cake gets better every day it sits!

What could I possibly add that hasn't already been said? Dynamite flavor, moist texture makes this irresistible! The rum can't be discerned in the cake, so it depends entirely on the glaze. If you like the alcohol to shine through, just dump in the rum at the very end. If you like a more subtle alcoholic flavor, simmer for 2 minutes more after adding the rum. Either way, EL YUMMO MUCHO!!!!! BTW, I like to make a chocolate variation as follows: use a chocolate cake mix and chocolate pudding mix in place of the yellow cake and vanilla pudding. For the glaze, melt 1 stick of butter in a small saucepan. Add 1 cup sugar, 1 cup whipping or heavy cream, 1/3 cup cocoa (strained to remove lumps,) 1 Tb rum. Bring to a light boil and keep it at that boil for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 Tb instant coffee granules and 1 tsp vanilla. If you want more alcohol flavor, add 1-2 Tb of extra rum when the sauce is finished. I call this "Hot Buttered Rum Sauce" and it keeps well in the fridge for a couple of weeks (if it lasts that long.) Super over ice cream, too. Update 8/08: Baked in two 9" layer pans, then split to make 4 layers. The layers were done in about 32 minutes, and they were very easy to split accurately with virtually no "crumbing." I did put the layers in the freezer for an hour before splitting.

My husband loves this cake. The only changes I make are to add the nuts into the mix and as another reviewer suggested sprinkle the pan with a cinnamon sugar mixture. This cake is a winner!

This was truly an AWESOME cake...I made it for the first time and someone at work paid me to make another one for his birthday!!! I actually followed the recipe exactly, except for the glaze. Glaze: 1 stick of real butter (softened), 2 cup packed dark brown sugar, 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream, 1tbl of vanilla extract and 1/2 cup of rum....FANTASTIC!!! Add all ingredients for the glaze into a saucepan and cook until sugar is dissolved. Poke holes in bottom of the cake to pour the glaze in. Flip cake and add the rest of the glaze to the bottom of the bunt pan. Insert cake again and let it sit (overnight) Then serve the next day...whoolah, magic!

Awesome!! The first time I made this cake I went to get the rum out and fount out that all my rum was in a jar soaking maraschino cherries for chocolate covered cherries. So I used bourbon for both cake and glaze - it was outstanding! I make it exactly as written but use the bourbon; I've made it several times and everyone loves it. My only addition and it's one I do to every bundt cake I make is this: I use oil to grease the bundt pan, then "flour" it with cinnamon-sugar and then put a layer of finely chopped pecans on bottom of pan (which will end up on top). This makes a crispy sort of crust to any bundt cake I make! Thanks for sharing this recipe which has become my signature cake!! I'm going to try it with chocolate cake mix and pudding and perhaps scotch. The plan is to get mini-bundt pans and make these for Christmas gifts!

This cake exceeded my expectations....I used Meyer's dark rum and this expensive rum was money well spent. I also basted the cake 3 more times with straight rum 48 hrs preceeding before I served it. Did it have a kick to it? You bet it did, but served with whipped cream and coffee, it is the ultimate cold weather dessert, yummy! Thanks for a wonderful holiday recipe.

Delish!!! Resist the urge to eat this until the next day or you will end up with a mouthful of strong rum flavor as my impatient husband did! A couple of tips I followed from someone who has made this cake many times before: 1. mix the nuts with a couple tablespoons of melted butter to help them stick to the cake better. 2. if using a cake mix that has pudding already added, you can use three eggs instead of four. I also followed the technique of applying the glaze by putting the cake back into the pan with glaze on the top and bottom. Cake came out super moist and yummy. Can't wait to make this again!!!

This is my favorite recipe and easy to change. I make it with amaretto, kahlua, creme de cacao, cointreau, which ever flavor of liquor you like for the occasion works well. I also use a 9x13 pan and top it with delicious butter cream frosting which is flavored with the same liquor and sprinkle with nuts. Super delicious and all will ask for the recipe.

So good and I followed instructions to a T and DID NOT think the rum was too strong at all. In fact I wish it had more of a rum taste to the cake - next time i will add more to the cake and use candied pecans in place of walnuts. I used Captian Morgans Tatoo rum for cake and topping. I could see how using a cheap white rum may not be good though. A recipe is only going to be as good as the ingredients you put in! Just follow everyones tips as far as taking the cake out, pouring 1/2 the rum mix in the pan, put cake back in, poke holes, then pour the rest over and let sit for a few hours, flip and keep the cover on until serving. Thank you for making me look like I could cook!!!! Oh-how cool WOULD it be if you could catch a buzz from a cake lol don't worry about cooking off the liquor!! Cheers!!!

This is the classic Bacardi Rum cake, not an original recipe. It makes an excellent cake as written but it will stick to the pan if you don't use a nonstick pan that has been sprayed with Pam or a silicone pan. Pour the glaze over the cake right after it comes out of the oven and it soaks right in and then invert onto cake dish. I made it once when I had run out of regular rum so I used 151 rum in the glaze instead and it had a ton of residual alcohol left. You need to use regular rum which is 80 proof or your guests will be smashed in 2 slices because 151 leaves WAY too much alcohol behind. There's also residual alcohol in the glaze with regular 80 proof rum so this is NOT A CAKE FOR CHILDREN OR UNDER-21 people.

I've been making this same cake for at least 20 years. I've always left it in the pan, poked holes in the cake, and poured the glaze in - it fills the bundt pan but absorbs pretty quickly. My recipe calls for pecans, but it's otherwise the same. I've always made it a few days ahead of serving. Those that complain about the overwhelming rum taste are probably eating it real soon after preparing. This cake is a must for for my annual winter parties for several reasons. First, it tastes incredible and is super moist. Second, I can make it 2 or 3 days ahead without loss of quality. I store it on a plate, covered only by the Bundt pan, and it will stay fresh for 10 days - if it lasts that long.

This is one of the best and easiest desserts I have ever made....almost everyone had seconds! One lady that doesn't drink often, got goosebumps on her arms because of the strong rum taste. I sliced up some ripe peaches and sauteed them w/ a tablespoon of butter and a small handful of brown sugar. Once they started to to get soft, I put them on the bottom of the pan with the cake mix on top to bake. So yummy!!!

OH-MY-GAWD. The rum cake was divine! There is absolutely no way you can foil this recipe. I followed the recommendations of some of the reviewers here: 1/2 the prescribed rum, granulated sugar, cooked the rum into the glaze (vs adding it after cooking), no instant pudding (since pillsbury yellow cake mix has it already), 3 eggs, Tanduay Dark Rhum (only rum we have here in the Philippines). Didn't have nuts on hand though. Simply DIVINE! Bought the Bundt pan just for this, and wasn't disappointed!

This cake is delicious and moist. I substitute banana pudding mix for the vanilla and combined Captain Morgan's spiced rum with Malibu coconut rum and call it Banana Colada cake. I also coat the greased pan with cinnamon and sugar instead of flour, gives it a nice crunch on the outside. A definite keeper.

Very good! I used a butter recipe cake mix with banana pudding and Capt. Morgan's Spiced Rum. Instead of flouring the pan, I used cinnamon sugar. Good Stuff!

Very good, I just tweaked it to my personal taste... I added 1/2 cup shredded coconut to the batter, used coconut rum and coconut cream pudding mix. It was a big hit!!

We made this rum cake several times in a period of one week, trying different variations each time. Adding chocolate chips results in a nicely balanced taste, but the best results were yielded by adding Captain Morgan's Parrot Bay Coconut Rum instead of the dark rum in both the cake and glaze. We omitted the nuts, as most of our family are not big nut lovers. This made a golden coconut rum cake and was very tasty INDEED! It was a hit with the whole family, and seemed to get BETTER as the day went by. Overall it is the moistest cake I have ever seen and tasted. Very Majestic!

This is my ALL TIME favorite cake recipe. If you want to WOW a crowd and have them say "OMG, this is AWESOME," then this is the cake for you. I've made this at least 6 times and each time, everyone says it is the BEST cake they've ever had, and they continue to tell me how good it was even weeks after they've had it. What I like is that it is very moist (thanks to the butter), it has the taste of rum, but it is not soaking in rum. It is also a slightly unique cake and not a standard chocolate or vanilla flavor. I followed other people's recommendations to poke holes on the top and bottom of the cake once it is baked, pour 1/3 of the rum/butter liquid in the bottom of the bundt pan, and re-insert the cake for 15 minutes to soak up the liquid. When you flip the cake out of the bundt pan, I put it on a baking rack that is inside/on top of a large cookie sheet so the cookie sheet captures the liquid run off and doesn't mess up your counter top.

HOW TO AVOID BOX MIX TASTE: Replace the cake mix/eggs/oil/water with the "One - Two - Three - Four Cake II" recipe from this site. (You'll need to halve that recipe.) I still added the box of pudding, at the same time I added the flour. Use cake flour and not A/P! Add the rum just before you fold in the egg whites. Its extra work but worth it. Otherwise followed this as directed, using Malibu Coconut Rum. Yum! I made mini-bundts and am aging one of them. Cant wait to taste in a few days.

This cake was ridiculously awesome!!!! I user Cruzan® Dark Rum, I passed on the nuts, and I used light brown sugar instead of white sugar in the glaze. I poked holes in the bottom of the cake and spooned on the glaze. I also removed the cake, poured glaze in the bundt pan, and reinserted the cake to soak up the goodness.

An outstanding recipe. Mine came out looking just like the photo. What's unusual about this recipe is that the texture of the finished product is so like a pound cake--but its foundation is a humble cake mix! I followed the reviews and let the cake sit overnight before serving. It's light/sweet/rich texture is divine. I changed only one thing: no quality cake is made with oil. I melted a stick of butter (=1/2 cup liquid) and used that instead of oil. This recipe is definitely a keeper, elegant enough to serve to company. Thank you for sharing.

Ick....what is going on here? I used Meyers Dark Rum as others suggested and while the cake did turn out beautiful, the flavor of the rum was so overwhelming that I threw the entire thing away. Gross!!!!!!! I am so confused as to all all of the 5 star ratings. Guess it's just wether or not you enjoy such a overwhelming, eye-watering rum flavor.

I first made this cake according to the recipe and it was great but the taste of rum was overpowering. I made it again and for the glaze I used a bit less rum and one cup of butter instead of half a cup. It was absolutely beautiful.

Excellent recipe! I like how easy this recipe is to make. I substituted pecans for walnuts which I like better. I also accidentally boiled the glaze a little too long, but it didn't really hurt anything.

I made this cake yesterday, as written, with the exception that I used sliced almonds instead of walnuts. It was sooooo good!!! Today I made another one and used coconut pudding instead of vanilla, used pineapple juice instead of water in the cake and glaze and I put pineapples and shredded coconut in bottom of the pan along with the almonds, then poured the batter over it. The first time I ever "ate" a pina colada!! And it was awesome!! Thanks for the recipe. This will be made over and over again with many different variations. Someone else mentioned using chocolate cake and chocolate pudding and using Kahlua for the liquor...I think I'll try that one next!

This is what a cake is to be like moist flavorful I didn't add rum to the glaze I used rum flavoring instead, people in my family can't have alcohol. Stiil a great cake. Great with a cup of tea

This is the exact recipe I've been using for years. The only thing that I do different is when I take the cake out of the oven, I IMMEDIATELY pour the hot glaze mixture over the top of the cake while it is still in the pan. This way it settles the cake and soaks in all of that rum goodness. Wait 30 minutes before inverting onto your serving plate. It's always better the next day!

I omitted the water and doubled the rum in the mix. I also doubled the rum in the glaze! I poked holes in the cooled cake then poured half the glaze in the bundt pan put the cake back in the pan and poured the rest of the glaze over it.

Thank you for this recipe!!! My husband and I went to Grand Caymans Island last summer and purchased rum cakes for almost $15 each. This rum cake tastes just like the ones we had in the Caymans :) (I used Captain Morgan's Parrot Bay Coconut Rum.) One of our favorite rum cakes was a Chocolate/Banana. Next time I am going to use chocolate cake mix, banana pudding mix & banana rum.

Great recipe! I will definitely make it again. Here are the things I would change though. First of all, I would let the cake sit overnight before eating it. This will allow the rum to soak thoroughly and it won't feel like you are "eating" rum. The alcohol flavor is extremely strong if you try the cake shortly after making it. Next, I would cook the rum in the glaze instead of stirring it in after taking the glaze off the heat. That should decrease the alcohol flavor as well. Lastly, I would go with 3 eggs instead of 4 to decrease the amount of cholesterol. We all loved the cake when we tried it the next day! Thanks for the recipe!

You can easily make variations to this cake by using different flavors of cake mix, pudding & yum. Some of my favorites: -spice cake mix, vanilla pudding, spiced rum & add 1 cup diced apples to batter -chocolate cake mix, choc pudding & raspberry or strawberry flavored rum - use choc. chips instead of nuts & garnish with fresh fruit -strawberry cake mix, cheesecake pudding & strawberry rum

I've been using this recipe for years and will continue to for many more. This cake always comes out perfect and is my most requested dessert to bring anywhere. I never use the glaze, too me it is too sweet and takes away the great flavor of the cake, but that's me. Today I decided to make it with pumpkin instant pudding and coconut rum. Fabulous! I'm glad I bought a couple of boxes of the pumpkin instant pudding mix when it was available which is only in Oct. and Nov. Can't wait to try other flavors! :)

Such a simple recipe and delicious! I made two custom versions: Chocolate (just used chocolate cake mix and chocolate pudding mix) and Key Lime (I added 3TSBP keylime juice to batter, and 4 TBSP keylime juice to the glaze along w/ the rum). Key lime version was especially good!

Very tasty! I followed the recipe exactly this first time. The only thing I will change next time I make it is to 3/4 cup rum and 1/4 cup water in the cake part in order to have more rum flavor in the cake itself. Also, I had more than enough glaze. I poked several holes in the cake right out of the oven, and spooned half of the glaze over the cake. I let cool for 30 minutes, inverted to a cake plate and then spooned the rest of the glaze. All this glaze tended to make the bottom of the cake soggy with rum--actually not a bad thing. The next time, I am going to cut all of the ingredients in the glaze in 1/2, except the sugar. I will be using confectioners sugar instead of granulated.

This is really good! I don't care for walnuts so I used pecans (only 1/2c), great flavor and I really like the crunch on top. I took the suggestion of spraying my pan and then sugar coating it instead of using flour - love how that came out. Also subbed 1/2c melted butter for the oil. While cooling the cake for 10 mins, I made the glaze (decreased by 1/4). Turned the cake out and put about 1/3 of the glaze into the pan, then reinserted the cake. Used a table knife to poke holes into the bottom of cake and slowly poured the rest of the glaze all over the bottom. Covered it and left it overnight to absorb. Good stuff indeed!

This is FABULOUS! I have made this recipe several times EVERY YEAR! I recommend experimenting with the jello pudding. I use banana cream, and it's divine! It tastes just like the Tortuga Rum Cakes you pay $15+ for... This recipe is a WINNER in my book!

We've been making this recipe for years and it's always a great hit at gatherings. Like Jackie, many family members request it for their special 'b-day' cake. Note: Serve with a dollop of fresh whipped cream and/or a side of French vanilla ice cream. Option: For those not so keen on the nuts... you can make it without. I've also replaced with a little coconut (w/sprinkle of brown sugar) as the topping. (i.e. bottom of pan. New twist: Just tried a different twist - made individual cupcakes (foil lined cupcake shells) with a little drizzle of the sauce for each (3-tsps each)... wow, what a cupcake!

Excellent....I have made this cake numerous times using a couple of types of rum. I advise using "top shelf" rum. A cheaper rum seems to leave an aftertaste that the premium rum doesn't.

My family has loved this recipe for over 29 years. About 15 years ago I didn't have any rum and didn't really want to spend the money for good rum so I experimented and found you can use 1 teaspoon rum extract and water to equal the liquid measurement called for. i.e. 1/2 cup water plus 1 teaspoon rum extract. No one has ever noticed the difference...plus you save money.

I have used this recipe many times and it's wonderful. What I started doing was trying different liquors. Last one I made was a Butter Pecan cake with Praline Pecan liquor. Absolutely amazing!! This recipe lends itself to experimentation.

Well where do I begin, if you are not a drinker you may think twice before making this cake. I followed the direction exactly. And while the cake was baking it smelled really great and I could not wait to try. Well when the cake was done I began making the glaze I did as other reviewers I poured half the glaze in the pan reinserted my cake then poured remaining over cake, I ate a slice around 9:30pm later after I had gone to bed around 3:30 am I awoke feeling like I had been out drinking all night, While I don't drink now I use to and this was what it felt like when you have had to much to drink, (A HANGOVER). I mean I was really sick to my stomach, and all I could tasted while gettting sick was the rum. Needless to say I will NEVER!!!! MAKE THIS AGAIN, wait let me be fair I would never make this again with out cutting the rum down to maybe a capful for the glaze, that is if I can think about rum cake without feeling sick, because right now I can't. I am so sorry to be so blunt, but this was my true experience. Thanks anyway for the recipe 3/21/07 UPDATE!!!!. I TOOK THIS CAKE TO WORK AND LET ME SAY EVERYONE LOVED IT, ONE GUY OFFERED ME MONEY TO MAKE HIM ONE. I GUESS IT'S A MATTER OF TASTE. THOUGH SOME DID THINK I HAD USED A WHOLE BOTTLE OF RUM, THEY STILL SAID IT WAS GOOD. OH WELL!!!!.

EXCELLENT!! I will not make this cake again because I ate almost half of it. I used pecans instead of walnuts. To me, this is one of the best and easiest cakes to make. I decided to use 1/4 cup of rum instead of a 1/2 cup of rum, it came out perfect. I will make this for holidays. Again, EXCELLENT!!!

This cake was very easy to make and very good taste. The only thing I would do different is cut down on the Rum, when I was making it I was concern about the cup of rum in one cake. I thought it would be strong in taste and smell of rum and it is. I planned to make it many more times but less Rum.

This cakes was very,very,very good.My husband loved this cake and my sister and my two nieces.Please try this cake it is not strong at all it just teases you a little but it is good and cheap.Will make this as long as I live.Thanks Jackie WE LOVE YOU

This has always been a hit at my parties. I made this for my soldier and sent it to him. It stores well.

Wow! I was so proud to serve this! I went "Tropical" by using pineapple cake mix, and using chopped pecans + shredded coconut in lieu of the walnuts. I followed other suggestions of using milk instead of water in the batter, and pouring 1/2 of sauce in bundt pan & putting the cake back in, then the other 1/2 of sauce on the "bottom". Poked the surfaces with a fork first. Also, for the sauce - I added the rum with 3 minutes left to boil, but could still smell the raw alcohol, so let it go an extra minute (I was taking this to a church dinner). The flavor was wonderful & obviously not "boozy". It was a HUGE hit with everyone!! I look forward to trying more variations.

Holy cow! This is insanely good. I used Spice Cake mix and added additional cinnamon, nutmeg and all spice. Definitely followed others advice about letting cake absorb overnight, poking holes in cake. Did I mentioned I added golden raisins to the batter? Love this recipe: make this!

DELICIOUS! First time I made this, I added the rum to the glaze AFTER as the recipe calls for and it tasted too boozy. Second time I made this, I cooked the rum into the glaze and "Wahlah!" I have used this method ever since. When using a bundt pan, I found that brushing it with Crisco (veg shortening) instead of using Pam (cooking spray) and liberally flouring it, made this cake just fall right out of the pan...there's no need to run a spatula along the sides to loosen the cake, just give it a little shake. After removing the cake from the oven, using a skewer to puncture the cake allowed me to puncture it all the way through. While keeping the cake in the pan, I first glazed the sides, then the middle and let it sit for 15 minutes. Then I added the remainder of the glaze and let it sit for another 15 minutes saving just a little for touch-ups when I flipped it over onto a dish. Think of it as basting a turkey. I agree with the other ratings that the longer it sits the better it tastes (overnight is ideal). Substitutes I have used: Butter instead of oil in the mix- Milk instead of water in the mix- Orange juice instead of water in the glaze- Raw sugar instead of white sugar in the glaze- Pecans instead of walnuts- Añejo rum in the mix- Myers rum in the glaze- All substitutions I have formed (mainly because I didn't have the exact ingredients) have only made this one of the most versatile recipes I have ever used. Everyone loves this cake!!!

For those of you fortunate enough to have a Trader Joes' in your area, I used the TJ's Meyer Lemon Cake & Baking Mix because that was all I had on hand. It's a 16 oz. cake mix but worked fine in this recipe. Also, instead of water I used Coconut Milk and I ended up using Appleton Estates Rum for both the glaze and the cake. I think I now know the difference between using granulated sugar and powdered sugar. Use granulated sugar to get a clear, glossy glaze, one poster may have used the powdered sugar which will give you a more thick white glaze. I prefer granulated. This was a HIT. I also poured half the glaze on the bottom of the bundt pan and poked holes all over, top, bottom and sides, like a crazy woman! The cake turned out perfectly infused with a combination of flavors of lemon, rum, and a hint of coconut which ended up being a very nice and light rum cake perfect for Spring.

This cake was very moist just like the rum cakes I've been used too eating. However, I like rum cakes with a richer butter flavor which I think this recipe lacked so I'm thinking that the next time I'm making this, I'll put 1/2 cup melted butter to the batter. I also like the idea of brushing the glaze over the top and sides of the cake instead of pouring and reinserting the cake in the pan because I find that the glaze doesn't spread evenly inside the cake...there are parts that has too much rum taste while other parts are just cake and no rum. Also, when I inverted the cake I noticed that the walnuts could not be seen anymore as they got embedded too much inside the batter. It may be a good idea to reserve some of the nuts to press on top during glazing so they will be visible and more pleasing to look at. Lastly, my cake baked for 45-50 mins instead of the suggested 60 mins at 325 so it's really a good idea to start checking the doneness of the cake around this time.

Very good! I used clear rum. Also the walnuts were the perfect nut! ***UPDATE** (one year later) This is my second time making this cake. This time I used Puerto Rican Bacardi Rum (they were out of dark) and I didn't clearly read the directions and boiled the rum with the rest of the glaze ingredients. I'm glad I did since it seemed to boil out some of the alcohol. It didn't taste as "alcohol-y" as it did last year.

poke a lot of holes! that will make the rum rreallly soak in. also i find that making it a day or 2 days before the serving date makes the cake really good.

This cake is really good, but a bit on the sweet side. I think next time I will use the coconut variation, that sounds delicious!

This cake is very good, but I agree with another reviewer that the yellow cake mix base is very evident (which, as it's made with a mix, makes sense, but it's still good to know that this isn't a magical recipe that makes that go away). I used pecans instead of walnuts and thought it added a very nice, tasty, texture-y crunch to the cake - I definitely would add nuts. I took the advice of others and poked holes in both sides and let the cake sit in the yummy drizzle for a bit before turning it back onto a cake plate. If you're at altitude, I would watch the time - I think I could have taken this out 5-10 minutes sooner and it would have been a bit more moist. The rum taste is only overwhelming at the very beginning - I found that it tasted perfect after about 10 hours.

Very simple recipe to make - very tasty. Didn't realize we were out of rum, so tried it with Goldschlager cinnamon schnapps. Also used brown sugar in the glaze since I wasn't sticking completely to the recipe, and because I didn't have the full amount of schnapps left for the glaze. Still, it came out fine - though I don't think anyone will see the little gold flakes from the schnapps.

This recipe is awesome! I made it for a gathering of friends as well as a family picnic. The cake received rave reviews. I used Bacardi rum because that is all I had and it was fine. For the glaze, once I took the pot off the stove, I let the butter/sugar mixture cool for one minute before I very gradually added the rum. This made for a perfect consistency. Thanks for this great recipe!

Perfect and easy. Loved it!! Also used less (a little more than 1/4 cup) rum and a little more butter in the glaze. Will definitely make again... probably for New Years!

Very moist, very rich flavor. We loved it! I did not have plain vanilla pudding mix, so I used french vanilla pudding mix and it still tasted wonderful. You really can't go wrong with this recipe!

Really good. I've made this about 4 times now over the past few weeks, and that's saying a lot for a non-cake-making person! I think the best one, though, was when I made it in mini muffin tins as I wanted individual bites for a Christmas party. Baking time was shortened to about 10-12 minutes, and best in a light pan (dark pans make the bottoms too dark, tops too light). I made it a few times with regular dark rum, then upped it a bit with Meyers rum. Thought it'd be too much, but it gave it just the right punch and flavor. Also added coconut to the batter...one time toasted, one time not, didn't taste a difference, so don't waste your time toasting it. For the mini cakes, I used the same technique as suggested initially (pour glaze into the cake pan) and brushed the tops. Wow...they got soaked! Made them taste like the Baba au Rhums that I remember as a kid...rum-soaked and delish. You might wanna keep 'em away from the kids, although my 15-year-old thinks they're illicit treasures! Thanks so much for something I'll make often!

This cake was perfect. I made it exactly as the recipe said. I did however use a pilsbury vanilla cake box which already has pudding so I didn't add the extra pudding. I cooked it exactly for 60 minutes and it was perfect. I also did what others suggested and poured the glaze into the bundt pan then reinserted the cake to let it soak for an hour. It was much faster than brushing it on.

Pretty good recipe. Am a Bacardi girl, but I used Appleton Estates Jamaican Rum (never had it before...very smooth tasting), used a stick of Smart Balance Buttery Taste instead of butter, greased and coated the bundt pan with granulated sugar, used 1-1/2 small 2 oz. packs of chopped pecans (still a little much for me, 1 would do), poked holes with a metal skewer, poured 1/2 of the rum liquid in the pan, put the cake back and poured the rest over the top and sides. Baked for 45 minutes at 325 and it came out just right. The only misstep was that I added the ingredients for the rum sauce all at once in the pan to cook on the stove, but it still seemed ok. I will make again, but will probably poke the cake up a little better so it can soak up the rum sauce more evenly. The cake looked very pretty. This was very quick and easy to put together. A great semi-scratch cake.

Moist, delicious, and super strong. This one is definitely for grown-ups only. The "glaze" is not the icing-like hardened sugary layer I had imagined, but more like a syrup that takes the cake to the next level. I used Duncan Hines Butter Yellow mix and plain Bacardi rum I had on hand; skipped the nuts b/c my brother is allergic, though toasted nuts would have complemented the rum flavor and balanced the alcohol. Per reviewer suggestions, I poured half the glaze into the bundt pan, poked a bunch of holes all over the cake using a slim metal chopstick, reinverted, poured the rest of the glaze onto the upside-down cake, and let it sit until it was ready to serve (about 2 hours). Brilliant. I also substituted crushed pineapple (in juice, *not* syrup, which would have been too sweet) for the water.

This was a huge hit over the holidays - especially given the accolades were from Italians who literally grew up on rum cake! The cake was simple to make (I followed the recipe exactly), but I did have trouble with the glaze at first. I over-cooked it thinking it had to get thick like an icing. So I tried again and stopped cooking after 5 minutes and added the rum - it was perfect! I used Myers Dark Rum - everyone loved it!!

Okay guys i tryed a little i will admit i made 2 cupcakes out of the batter just to see what it tasted like.And i must say this was really good i see why the people always want a rum cake every week.The macadamian nuts makes itr so good.But i really think it's the glazed that set this cake off.You can just eat the glazed by itself.So here i am again making two more cakes for someone for friday.So i will add the milk instead of water butter instead of oil a little,and 1 Tsp of vanilla extract or maybe i will add 1 tsp of each almond extract and vanilla extract.

Been making this rum cake for some time now. I use Bacardi Gold Rum, and after baking, invert onto a plate. I let it cool then add the glaze. When adding the glaze I insert a sharp knife, give a little twist and pour in some glaze. Then I procede to do that over the entire top of the cake. Gives it a nice drizzle down the sides and allows the glaze to go into the center of the cake. Very moist. Enjoy.

The cake: Bacardi Select & Betty Crocker's Yellow cake mix w/pudding. The glaze: Appleton Jamaica Rum Special & honey instead of sugar. Final product: This tasted like a rum flavored pancake drizzled w/rum flavored syrup like Mrs. Butterworth's. To all who bake this cake, read everything mentioned about adding rum to the glaze. Use a large saucepan for the glaze. It didn't take long for the honey & butter to overflow from my small saucepan once these 2 ingredients had gotten hot enough, even after lowering the heat. When removing the saucepan from the heat & adding the rum, it started to overflow again like it was back on the stove! The alcohol in the rum has a low heating point for it to do something like this, so be careful with this step! I had more than enough glaze for the cake. I punctured the cake everywhere it was exposed. I removed the cake from the pan, filled the pan with 1/2 of the glaze, replaced the cake & poured the rest of the glaze on top of it. Walnuts, pecans, both are great choices for nuts. Next time, I'll mix the nuts in the batter - the nuts absorbed all the alcohol in the glaze & tasted pretty strong. I'll lessen the honey a tad next time. Great cake w/a glass of milk or coffee! 4/29/2011: Whoever recommended waiting 2 days or more after baking this cake before you eat it was so right! (I waited a day.) I will not change a thing about how I made this cake! The more time passed, I was left w/an absolutely scrumptious cake! It lasted a week!:-)

I can not say enough good praises for this cake. Unfortunately today I ran out of rum, and substitued Baileys Irish Cream. It was even better. You must give this a try. As always a receipe is only a guide and use what you have and like. I am thrilled. Thanks to you for something for me to follow.

My mom used to make this cake all the time too. I'm so happy that I used the suggestion of someone else and substituted coconut milk for the water in the cake. It turned out fantastic. Also, the idea of taking the cake out of the pan, adding half of the glaze to the pan and returning the cake to soak in the glaze is good advice. That way after you pour the other half of the glaze on top of the cake, it gets fully saturated all over. I used Captain Morgan spiced rum.

I decided to make another cake and try a new way with the glaze. What I did was add the rum with the other mixtures. I stirred while it boiled for about 3 mintues and then I took the cake out of the pan and drizzled over the top of the cake. BEAUTIFUL GLAZE! If I had of put this in the pan to soak it wouldn't have been pretty at all, as it would have just stuck the cake to the pan like glue. This way you get a real yummy glaze that you drizzle. Tasty and pretty is hard to beat! I hope this helps others. Also, I think if you want that "soak" instead of a glaze, all you have to do is heat the glaze ingredients together and then soak as described. PS For the second cake I used pineapple mix, banana pudding, and coconut rum. FAB.

Grabe! Now I won't buy those expensive rum cake slices in pattisseries. I now know how to make one that's as pretty and delicious as well. The tip on glazing is really fantastic. Rum is absorbed pretty well doing this technique. Just don't forget to do some pricking on the cake!

Can I give it 6 stars? OMG. Hands down the best cake I've ever made. We just got back from Grand Cayman where they make the rum cakes, and unfortunately my husband is allergic to nuts so he couldn't eat any there. But my goal was to find a fabulous recipe once we got home so he could experience the goodness that is RUM CAKE. I used Meyers dark rum,substituted milk for water and omitted the walnuts. We devoured it in less than 12 hours. THE GLAZE is the bomb, and if you can stand it make a double batch of glaze and soak the cake in a big bowl of it, turning it over a couple times. It's truly an insanely wonderful recipe. It tastes like a giant donut with booze in it ! :) Thank you so much for sharing this, we LOVE LOVE LOVE it :)

This gets better the longer it sits, but it's too hard to wait. Still pretty yummy on days 1 and 2 :)

I did not care for this recipe. That awful chemical aftertaste of the instant pudding, Between the oil ,butter, and pudding it was a soggy mess. There is a very good recipe for rum cake in the book "All Cakes Considered" Do the extra work and make a cake with quality ingredients, not some fast food version of a cake.

Very good. Used light rum instead of dark (what I had on-hand). Husband made French Toast with the remaining cake this morning - delicious!

Great recipe. I have never tried the Tortuga rum cake, but I guess this is as good as it gets. I used the butter yellow cake mix with the included pudding and Myers's Dark Rum for the cake and Malibu Coconut Rum for the glaze. I also caramelized my walnuts and added raisins that have been soaked for at least 3 hours in the rum (folded into the batter). The cake needs to be refrigerated overnight for the glaze to harden. Otherwise, the cake'd be too mushy. The time also allows the rum to mellowed out a little. But the end result's just awesome. All the rum cake recipes here are pretty similar. Modify if need to, to your taste. I think adding the rum soaked raisins and caramelized the walnuts with white or yellow sugar adds a lot of dimension to an already great recipe. Thank you for sharing------ 1) Use dark rum like Myers' or Tortuga Gold. 2) Half cup of rum for the cake is just right. But use flavored rum like Malibu Coconut rum for glaze if you find the regular rum is too strong for your taste. 3) Make the glaze per recipe. Don't cook it too long or use corn syrup to thicken it. The cake will absorb everything and the glaze will harden to the right consistency after refrigerated overnight. This step is very important. 4) Use all the glaze. It won't be too much. 5) Take the cake out. Pour 1/3 of the glaze into the pan. Put the cake back in and brush the rest of the glaze onto the cake. Just let it drips down the cake. 6) Caramelized the nuts. You will like it!

Made this for Mothers Day, and it was a hit! I baked this for about 50 minutes, let it cool for 10 minutes before flipping it out on a cookie sheet. I then prepared the glaze. I poured the rum in after cooking, but let it sit for about 5 minutes. During that time I poked holes all over the cake. I then poured half the mixture into the bunt pan and then added the cake back and poured the rest of the glaze on the bottom of the cake. I let the cake sit in the fridge for about 36 hours before I took it out and let it get to room temp before serving. It was a huge hit needless to say. I used Capt. Morgans Spiced Rum.

Love this cake! But I usually let the cake sit for a couple of days before serving it so the strong alcohol taste can dissipate. The only thing I don't like about this cake is the calories! Gotta be very careful about the serving size. ;)

I made this when my boyfriends parents came in to town. I used the Meyers dark rum and followed the recipe as written. i loved the cake, but my boyfriend and his parents all htought the rum was too strong (I guess I'm a lush!) I'll admit it was strong in the glaze since you add the rum AFTER you've cooked it, so the alcohol doesnt really evaporate. The next time I make it I might add the rum and let the glaze cook a little bit longer after that. I was definitely a help to take the cake out, pour half the glaze in the pan, and then put the cake back in. Nice and moist!

I've been using this recipe for years and LOVE it!

My husband & aunt totally loved this cake! I baked the cake the day before we served it and it was still pretty strong. Still loved it though! I used coconut milk in place of water in both the cake and the glaze. I used Myers rum for the cake and vanilla rum for the glaze. I also tried the glazing technique that everybody comments on and that worked really well. Actually, after I reinserted the cake and poured the last 1/2 of glaze on, I let it cool for a couple of hours and then wrapped the whole pan in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge. Took it out an hour or two before we served it the next day. Aunt and husband have requested for their b-days! Many thanks for the fab recipe!!!

Will not make again....

Five stars. Best cake ever. It is requested for all work pot luck events and family get-togethers as well. The only thing I change is that I cook ot 53 minutes and I use butter in the batter and 1/4 cup of rum instead of 1/2 cup. I put the butter in the batter by mistake one time and I loved how much more moist it made the cake so I use every time now.

This was terrible - ok, not terrible, but basically just a yellow box mix cake. Nothing special or memorable at all about this cake.

Oh my gosh!!! This is the best cake ever! I made it for Thanksgiving at my in-laws and it was gone before any other dessert. Everyone loved it - even my husband who doesn't like most cakes. The only thing I will do differently in the future is mix the nuts into the cake. Otherwise, no changes needed.

To the reviewer who prefers a "wet cake". Remove cake from pan, pour some of the glaze into pan, reinsert cake, poke a few holes in cake, pour on remaining glaze. Let the cake sit and absorb glaze, flip it onto a plate. This is a great cake regardless of how you choose to prepare it.

Delicious! Moist, buttery and rummy. This was exactly what I was looking for! I did not use the nuts and it is yummy even without them.

This is DELISH for box cake :) Will make again, simple and good, how can you go wrong.

I have been making this cake for about 2 years now. I get rave reviews everytime and its so easy! It tastes like a Tortuga cake to me:) MAKE SURE: 1. you use the baking PAM or Bakers spray (with flour) to coat your pan 2. let it cool completely before turning it out of the pan. (I only say this because I have had awful mishaps when i first started with the above two!) Quick tips: -save some of the glaze to put on top -poke holes to ensure it gets in the cake -use different flavors of pudding. Pistachio and banana are very nice (think of totuga rum cakes!) -works well in mini bundt too -keep airtight -makes a great gift!

Loved the cake. I've made it several times over the year. Some variations I've tried that came out great. I used coconut cake mix, with coconut pudding mix and Malibu coconut rum in cake and glaze. Came out great. I used orange cake mix, with vanilla pudding mix and tropical Malibu rum. Came out great. I tried substituting malibu coconut rum in cake and glaze with no other changes. Came out great. Never tried using the regular recipe as of yet. Will try one day I suppose. Overall, this is a wonderful recipe that you can do amazing things with. Love it!