Rum Cake from Scratch
This rum cake from scratch is a comforting and elegant dessert with a moist crumb and buttery rum sauce. It’s a celebration in every slice, perfect for holidays or cozy evenings with loved ones.
Equipment
- Bundt Pan
- Pastry Brush
- Mixing Bowls
- Hand or Stand Mixer
- Saucepan
- Whisk
- Cooling Rack
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1.5 cups sugar
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 5 eggs
- 0.5 cup vegetable oil
- 0.5 cup milk
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 0.5 cup dark rum
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 0.25 tsp rum flavoring
- 0.25 cup dry bread crumbs for dusting the pan
Rum Butter Sauce
- 0.5 cup unsalted butter
- 0.25 cup water
- 0.25 cup sugar adjust up to ½ cup to taste
- 0.25 cup dark rum adjust up to ½ cup to taste
- 0.5 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare bundt pan with oil and dry bread crumbs. Shake out excess.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- In another bowl, whisk eggs, oil, milk, lemon juice, dark rum, vanilla, and rum flavoring.
- Pour half the wet mixture into dry. Mix 2 minutes. Add remaining wet, mix 1 more minute.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Smooth top. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes, then reduce to 300°F and bake 20 minutes more, rotating pan halfway through.
- While baking, make sauce: melt butter with water, sugar, rum, and vanilla. Stir until sugar dissolves.
- Let cake cool in pan 5–10 minutes. Poke holes over the surface. Pour half the warm sauce slowly over the cake.
- After 10 minutes, invert cake onto plate. Pour remaining sauce over top. Let rest before serving.
Notes
Use dark rum for depth, coat pan thoroughly, and don’t rush the soaking. Cake improves after resting a day. Poke generously and pour slowly!