Jamaican Rum Cake
Go on an island vacation in your own home with this Jamaican rum cake! It may look like a pound cake, but it’s super light and airy. It’s soaked in a buttery rum syrup that gives it an epic rum taste!
This cake actually gets better as it ages! I liked it the best three days after I made it.
Ingredients
This recipe uses mostly pantry staples.
Corn starch is a notable ingredient in this recipe. It helps give the cake a crumbly and tender texture.
Be sure to use full-fat coconut milk that comes in a can, not the thin coconut milk sold as a dairy alternative drink.
Your choice of rum is very important; it’s used in both the cake and syrup that’s absorbed by the cake after baking. Pick a high-quality spiced rum, as its flavor will come through in every bite!
How It’s Made
I love how easy it is to make this cake. It’s all done in one bowl! First, mix together all the dry ingredients.
Then, add the butter, oil, and coconut milk. The batter will have a fairly lumpy texture at this point.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing between adding each one until just combined.
Then comes the most important ingredient – the rum!
Bake in a 12 cup Bundt pan [paid link] for 55 minutes at 325 F. If a toothpick inserted into the batter comes out moist, bake for an additional five minutes before testing again.
Tip: To prepare your Bundt pan for this recipe, spray it liberally with a nonstick baking spray and then sift flour into it. This will create a surface that will help the cake release easily.
Cool the cake in the Bundt pan while you prepare the syrup.
Tip: If it seems like the cake is sticking to the Bundt pan, turn it out after five minutes and then return it to the pan.
Syrup
The syrup is what makes this cake extra special, and it’s simple to make. Start by adding butter, sugar, water, and rum to a medium saucepan placed over medium heat.
Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes before removing from heat.
Poke holes deep into the cake all over (your cake should still be in the Bundt pan).
Slowly and evenly pour all but 1/4 cup of the syrup onto the cake.
Cover your cake with foil or plastic wrap and wait a minimum of two hours for the cake to cool and absorb the syrup.
Tip: The cake tastes better one or two days after you make it, so it’s fine to let it sit overnight or longer.
When you’re ready to serve Jamaican rum cake, turn it out onto a plate or cake pedestal. Then, stir the remaining rum syrup (it may have separated a little bit) and drizzle it all over the top of the cake.
Expert Tips and FAQs
Pick a dark, spiced, high quality rum for this cake. I really like the flavor of Lemon Hart & Son Blackpool spiced rum (recommended to me by my friends at Parker’s Table), but your favorite will work perfectly.
Sure! Try the glaze recipe from my mini Bundt cakes. It is beautiful and tastes great.
For extra protection, I always suggest both greasing and flouring Bundt pans. This cake should not stick at all with that combination.
It gets better with age. Store covered at room temperature for up to one week.
Related Recipes
- Chocolate whiskey cake
- Genuine tiramisu cupcakes
- Pumpkin Bundt cake
- Piña colada cupcakes
- Pineapple upside-down cupcakes
- Homemade Kahlua
Jamaican Rum Cake
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup corn starch
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk from a can
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup spiced rum
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Syrup Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup spiced rum
Instructions
Cake Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 F.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, corn starch, baking powder, salt, and sugar, and mix on low speed until ingredients are distributed evenly.
- Add butter and mix until completely combined.
- Add oil and coconut milk and mix until completely combined.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing between each addition until just combined.
- Add rum and mix until just combined.
- Pour into a 12 cup greased and floured Bundt pan and bake for 55 minutes. If a toothpick inserted into the batter comes out moist, bake for an additional five minutes and test again.
- Let cake cool in the Bundt pan while you prepare the syrup. (It shouldn't stick to the pan if you greased it well, but if it seems stuck, wait five minutes, turn it out, and then return it to the Bundt pan before proceeding with adding the syrup to the cake.)
Syrup Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Once the mixture is boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes before removing from heat.
- Poke holes deep into the cake all over (the cake should still be in the Bundt pan) and slowly and evenly pour all but 1/4 cup of the syrup onto the cake.
- Cover cake with foil or plastic wrap and wait a minimum of two hours for the cake to cool and absorb the syrup. The cake tastes better one or two days after you make it, so it's fine to let it sit overnight or longer.
- Turn out onto a plate or cake pedestal.
- Stir the remaining rum syrup as it may have separated a little bit. Drizzle all over the top of the cake and serve.
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