Jamaican Rum Cake. The best recipe in 30 years of baking! (2024)

Jamaican Rum Cake. The best recipe I’ve tried! A dense yet moist cake infused with a rum & butter syrup that just takes the deliciousness to a whole other level. Utterly irresistible!!

Jamaican Rum Cake. The best recipe in 30 years of baking! (1)

Jamaican Rum Cake.

I’m going to start from the top with a confession. Spouse and I ate this entire cake over the course of several days.

You may think, so what, but that is quite an unusual occurrence in this house. Yes, we make plenty of delicious baked goodies as the hundreds of recipes here can attest.

Jamaican Rum Cake. The best recipe in 30 years of baking! (2)

This cake requires no frosting or glaze. It is perfect as is.

However, we almost never have more than one serving each of anything. We normally freeze the rest or more often, give them to friends and family.

That did not happen with this Jamaican Rum Cake. We found it utterly irresistible! Sliver by sliver, we whittled that cake down to the last deliciously moist crumb.

Jamaican Rum Cake. The best recipe in 30 years of baking! (3)

Jamaican Rum Cake photo of a single slice with title text added for Pinterest.

Rum as an ingredient.

Both Spouse and I have a pretty well established love of anything rum flavoured, although neither of us are actually rum drinkers. From our gorgeous homemade to our Rum Spice Glazed Pork Tenderloin, amongst many others, it truly is one of our favourite ingredients.

A number of years ago, we took the kids on a Western Caribbean cruise and one of the stops was Jamaica. It seemed every little shop we entered, was selling Jamaican Rum Cake.

Samples were often on hand and I partook in plenty of them. My favourite though was a sort of dense, moist bundt/pound cake that seemed to have the perfect amount of rum soaked in.

On returning home, I naturally tried to replicate that recipe with somewhat limited success. The attempts were all pretty good but not quite all that I wanted in a rum cake.

My attempts at Jamaican Rum Cake.

They were all delicious but lacked that perfect texture I enjoyed so much. Just a couple of weeks ago, I took up the torch again and decided to have another crack at it.

I did my research, looked at 100 different photos on Pinterest and read more than a dozen recipes. Many had a lot in common but several of them had one other thing in common, a rum & butter syrup to soak into the cake when baked.

Now, I had been using straight rum to soak my attempts before which sometimes left the cake too soggy. I’d used a syrup previously as well, but the flavour I remembered wasn’t quite right.

The thing that made the difference in end turned out to be the inclusion of butter in the syrup. It added that missing flavour that I remembered so well. No doubt it helped keep the cake moist as well.

Many of the recipes I read were copies of the King Arthur Flour version, and some were slight variations. Most included a package of instant vanilla pudding mix in the batter.

Since those packages are mostly cornstarch and sugar, and since I don’t like using packaged mixes in my baking, I decided to use corn starch instead and up the amount of vanilla extract. It worked perfectly and gave that dense but soft texture I remembered.

Jamaican Rum Cake. The best recipe in 30 years of baking! (5)

The first stage of mixing should appear sandy in consistency.

Jamaican Rum Cake. The best recipe in 30 years of baking! (6)

Add in the milk

Jamaican Rum Cake. The best recipe in 30 years of baking! (7)

Mix until smooth.

Jamaican Rum Cake. The best recipe in 30 years of baking! (8)

Batter will be very smooth after adding the eggs and rum.

Jamaican Rum Cake. The best recipe in 30 years of baking! (9)

Pour batter into a greased and floured bundt pan.

The result

After baking and cooling, I had the patience to wait until the next day to cut into it. Many recipes I read gave that same advice and it turned out to be good advice indeed.

From the first bite, both Spouse and I fell instantly in love. It was so buttery, soft, moist and delicious! Perfection.

I don’t say it lightly, but this was one of the best cakes I ever baked in over three decades of baking. It really is that good!

Jamaican Rum Cake. The best recipe in 30 years of baking! (10)

Syrup for Jamaican Rum Cake beginning to boil.

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Syrup for Jamaican Rum Cake after boiling for 7-8 minutes

Jamaican Rum Cake. The best recipe in 30 years of baking! (12)

Poke holes in cake with a skewer.

Jamaican Rum Cake. The best recipe in 30 years of baking! (13)

Spoon on the rum and butter syrup

Jamaican Rum Cake. The best recipe in 30 years of baking! (14)

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Jamaican Rum Cake. The best recipe in 30 years of baking! (18)

Yield: 16 servings

Jamaican Rum Cake

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Jamaican Rum Cake. The best recipe I've tried! A dense yet moist cake infused with a rum & butter syrup that just takes the deliciousness to a whole other level. Utterly irresistible!!

Ingredients

For the cake

  • 2 1/4 cups flour
  • 1/4 cup corn starch
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup soft butter
  • 1/4 cup canola oil (or other vegetable oil)
  • 1/2 cup evaporated milk (undiluted; straight from the can)
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup rum ( I used amber rum)

For the rum & butter syrup

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup rum ( I used amber rum)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

To prepare the cake

  1. Begin by preheating the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a bundt pan or funnel pan.
  2. To the bowl of an electric mixer, add the flour, corn starch, baking powder, salt, sugar, butter and oil.
  3. Mix on low speed for just a couple of minutes until the butter and oil are well incorporated and the mixture is crumbly and sandy looking.
  4. Mix in the milk and then mix in the eggs one at a time. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl well after each egg is added.
  5. Finally, mix in the rum and vanilla extract until the batter is smooth.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 55-65 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
  7. Completely cool the cake on a wire rack.

To prepare the rum and butter syrup

  1. Add the butter, water and sugar to you smallest saucepan.
  2. Bring to a slow boil and simmer for 7 or 8 minutes.
  3. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely before adding in the rum and vanilla extract.
  4. The amount of rum you add to the syrup is completely up to you. I like it with the full 3/4 cup but you can use less if you want a less rummy cake.

To add the syrup to the cake.

  1. Place the cooled cake back in the bundt pan. This traps in any syrup that drips over the edges and then absorbs it into the cake.
  2. With a long skewer, poke holes all over the top of the cake, straight through to the bottom of the pan.
  3. Slowly spoon all of the rum and butter syrup, evenly over the surface of the cake.
  4. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and leave for several hours or overnight.
  5. This cake needs no frosting or glaze. It is perfect as it is. I think a frosting might make it a little too sweet.
  6. Store in an airtight plastic cake container at room temperature.
  7. This cake remains moist for days. The cake was just as good on day four as it was on day one. It didn't see a day five.

Nutrition Information

Yield

16

Serving Size

1

Amount Per ServingCalories 315Total Fat 14gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 72mgSodium 260mgCarbohydrates 38gFiber 0gSugar 23gProtein 4g

The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.

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Jamaican Rum Cake. The best recipe in 30 years of baking! (2024)

FAQs

How long can Jamaican rum cake last? ›

Storing the Jamaican Black Cake

Store the wrapped cake in an airtight container. The cake should keep for (at least) a month or even up to a year with this amount of booze going on in an air tight container.

What is the best dark rum to use for rum cake? ›

Vanilla Pudding Mix: You can use your own DIY vanilla pudding mix or a 3.4-ounce package of instant pudding mix. Milk: Whole milk is preferred, but 2% will work, too. Rum: You can use whatever rum you like for this cake (light or dark); I typically use Myers dark rum.

What is the history of Jamaican rum cake? ›

Caribbean rum cake is thought to have originated with British colonists, who began settling on the islands during the 18th century, bringing with them recipes for steamed fruit puddings. Local chefs soon adapted these recipes incorporating local ingredients and liquors.

How long can rum cake sit out? ›

After I open my rum cake how long will it last? Once the seal on the vacuum-sealed bag is broken the cake is considered open for consumption. At this point treat it as you would any normal cake. Sitting on the counter optimal freshness would be 3 – 4 days, or you could keep it for up to a week in the fridge.

Which cakes have the longest shelf life? ›

Fruit cakes, due to their high sugar content and often alcohol presence, have an incredibly long shelf life, ranging from several weeks to even months if properly stored in a cool, dry place.

How much alcohol is left in a cake after baking? ›

No Worries, the Alcohol Burns Off During Cooking—But, Does It Really?
Time Cooked at Boiling point of alcoholApproximate Amount of Alcohol Remaining
30 minutes35 percent
One hour25 percent
Two hours10 percent
Two and one-half hours5 percent
1 more row
Dec 2, 2019

Can you get drunk from rum cake? ›

An average rum cake has around 1/2 cup rum to bake the cake and eating two to three pieces of dry rum cake is too less to get you drunk. However, if you soak the cake in rum after baking and serve it after refrigeration, then eating too much cake can get you a little intoxicated.

What type of rum is best for baking? ›

If you're making a caramel flavored cake, use a gold rum to complement the sweeter flavors. A black or spiced rum would be delicious in any recipe with warm spices like cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg.

Is Bacardi black rum good for baking cakes? ›

We all know BACARDÍ rum is the perfect mixer for all you flavour enthusiasts, but is rum good for baking? Well it turns out you can have your cake and eat it. We're taking deliciousness to a whole new level with our BACARDÍ rum cake and rum butter glaze – and we're going to give you a slice of the action too.

What does black cake mean in Jamaica? ›

“It's believed that Black Cake is evolved from British colonizer's plum pudding – we added dried fruit, spices, and of course rum, and created something special and unique to us.” Despite its problematic history, Black Cake has been embraced as a symbol of the creativity and resourcefulness of Caribbean people.

What is a fun fact about rum cake? ›

The rum cake dessert tradition originates in the festive season of the Caribbean, but its story begins long before. Initially, a similar cake existed in Britain, but it transformed into the beloved treat we know today when British settlers brought it to the Caribbean.

Why is rum cake called Baba? ›

The origins of Baba au Rhum come from the babka - a yeast cake that can still be found in Poland and Ukraine. In fact, Baba means "grandmother", while babka means something more affectionate roughly translating to "little grandmother."' So how did a Polish cake make it to France?

What is a rum soaked cake called? ›

A rum baba or baba au rhum is a small yeast cake saturated in syrup made with hard liquor, usually rum, and sometimes filled with whipped cream or pastry cream.

Why add rum to cake? ›

Rum cake is a dessert that can be served cold or at room temperature with whipped cream and fresh fruit or by itself. Because of the rum in the cake, it can act as a preservative and can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature, not in direct light.

What is a substitute for rum extract in baking? ›

Almond extract: Almond extract is a type of flavoring that is made from the almond oil. It has a sweet, nutty flavor that is similar to rum. When using almond extract as a substitute for rum, you can use a little less than the recipe calls for, as almond extract is very strong in flavor.

How long do rum cakes last? ›

Because of the rum in the cake, it can act as a preservative and can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature, not in direct light. As a result of proper care and in excellent conditions, a rum cake can last up to 10 days. If you freeze it and store it correctly, the cake can last a couple of months.

Does Jamaican rum go bad? ›

If kept out of direct sunlight and in a cool setting, unopened rum can be stored almost indefinitely. It is considered a stable liquor with a high ABV to preserve its integrity while in storage. Once opened, a bottle of rum should be used within 6 months to 2 years, depending on the additional flavors in the liquor.

How long does cake with alcohol last? ›

Fruitcake with alcohol can last years, and in some rare cases, it can last decades. For those looking to prepare fruitcakes with alcohol for storage, you'll want to make sure to brush the fruitcake with alcohol fairly consistently across its time in storage.

How long does a cake last before it goes bad? ›

“You'll want to store a cake in the fridge with plastic wrap against the cut part (of the cake) to prevent the cake from drying out,” says Edwards, adding that store-bought cakes may last longer in the fridge, but homemade cakes should typically be consumed in five to seven days.

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