Easy Bacardi Rum Cake

Bacardi Rum Cake on a cake stand with a bottle of Bacardi next to it. A bowl of pecans and a slice of cake are in the foreground.

5 from 1 vote

Bacardi Rum Cake will elevate any dessert course. The cake comes together quickly and easily with the use of boxed cake mix and instant vanilla pudding. This cake can even be made a day ahead. There is a reason this was the must-have cake at every dinner party in the 1980's! A quick note about cake mix sizes:This recipe is based on the original Bacardi rum cake, which was written when cake mixes were slightly larger. Today’s boxes are smaller, but I’ve tested this with modern cake mixes and pudding; it still works beautifully without any adjustments.

Prep Time25

Cook Time1

Course: Dessert

Servings: people

Calories: 645kcal

Author: Heather Hupfer, The Seasoned Cabin

Equipment

1 12-cup Bundt Pan or 10-inch tube cake pan

Ingredients

Cake

1 cup Chopped Pecans or Walnuts
1 18.5 oz Package Yellow Cake Mix 15.25 oz mix works just fine
1 3 ¾ oz Package Instant Vanilla Pudding mix 3.4 oz box works, too
4 Eggs
1/2 cup Cold Water
1/2 cup vegetable oil I used olive oil
1/2 cup Bacardi Dark Rum

Glaze

1/4 pound butter 1 stick
1/4 cup Water
1 cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 cup Bacardi Dark Rum

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325℉. Grease 10-inch tube or 12-cup Bundt pan.
Sprinkle nuts over bottom of pan.
In large bowl, mix the remaining Cake ingredients together, yellow cake mix through rum.
Pour the batter mixture over the nuts in the tube/Bundt pan.
Bake one hour, or until toothpick comes out clean.
While cake is baking make the glaze.

Glaze

Melt butter in saucepan.
Stir in water and sugar.
Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Stir in rum.
Set aside

Finish Cake

When cake is finished baking, set pan with cake on rack.
Prick the cake with a toothpick several times and pour half the glaze over the cake while still hot in pan.
Let cake cool for at least 10 minutes while glaze is absorbed.
Invert cake onto serving plate.
Prick the top of the cake all over. Drizzle and brush the remaining glaze over the top and sides of the cake.

Optional

Reserve a small amount of the Rum Glaze to drizzle over individual slices.
Garnish the cake with whipped cream, grapes, cherries, or pineapple. It's perfect as is!

Notes

A quick note about cake mix sizes:
This recipe is based on the original Bacardi rum cake, which was written when cake mixes were slightly larger. Today’s boxes are smaller, but I’ve tested this with modern cake mixes and pudding, and it still works beautifully without any adjustments.

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