This Bacardi Rum Cake is the original recipe from the 1970’s.
Bacardi Rum Cake
In 1993, Tim Sanders, director of Yahoo’s in-house think tank, wrote a book called,”Love is the Killer App, How to Win Business and Influence Friends”. Tim believes in being a “Love Cat”, and sharing your intangibles with those you meet. What are the “intangibles”? Knowledge, network and compassion.
Sharing your knowledge with others does not take away from your soul. I believe that the more of ourselves we give, the more we get in return. Is that Karma? Push out good and good will come back? So what, you ask, does The Killer App have to do with food?
My first year of teaching, we had a Christmas potluck at work. Someone brought a delicious Bacardi Rum Cake. Meredith, who started teaching with me that same year, raved about it and asked the baker for the recipe. “It’s a secret recipe from my aunt, so I can’t share it,” she said. The silence in the room was deafening. Meredith was embarrassed and I was embarrassed for her. YOU CAN’T SHARE A RECIPE?! What’s with that?
Please tell me you are not one of those people?! A recipe is not part of your soul! And if it is a part of your soul, you won’t lose a part of yourself by sharing. In fact a part of you will be with everyone you share it with!
That Christmas break, I experimented with about 3 different rum cake recipes. Then my mom said she remembered Bacardi publishing a rum cake recipe in the 70’s.
With a little research, we found the Bacardi Rum Cake recipe (this was 20+ years ago and pre-Google).
I returned to school after break with a copy of the recipe and all the ingredients to make the cake, which I gave to Meredith. So, especially as the holidays approach, remember to be a “Love Cat” and share your intangibles, because, “Love is the Killer App”!
This is a really good time for me to thank all my “Love Cats” who have unselfishly helped me, supported me and given me advice throughout the last 6 months! This cake would make a nice hostess gift during the holidays.
For more edible gifts, try Peppermint Bark Cups, or Truffles.
The reason she probably didn’t want to share the recipe, is that it is so easy. That’s because it uses a cake mix! Forgive me. But it’s really a good cake!
Here’s the Bacardi rum cake recipe. Enjoy!
- Cake:
- Vegetable oil for greasing your bundt pan
- flour for dusting the pan
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts I used pecans
- 1 package plain yellow cake mix
- 1 package vanilla instant pudding
- 1/2 cup Bacardi dark rum
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup water
- 4 large eggs
- Glaze:
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup Bacardi dark rum
- Preheat oven to 350*F. Brush or wipe bundt pan with oil making sure to get into all the crevices so that the cake will come out easily. Dust with flour and remove excess.
- Sprinkle nuts in the bottom of the pan and set aside.
- Place the cake mix, pudding mix, rum, oil, water and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down sides. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more. The batter should look thick and smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing out the top with a rubber spatula.
- Bake the cake until it is golden brown and springs back when lightly pressed with your finger, 55 to 60 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Run a long knife along the edges of the cake and invert on a serving plate. Poke holes in the top of the cake with a wooden skewer.
- Prepare glaze: Place butter in a small saucepan and melt it over low heat, 2 to 3 minutes. add the water and sugar, stirring. Increase the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly and let the glaze simmer until thickened, 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the rum. Spoon the glaze over the warm cake, allowing it to seep into the holes and drizzle down the sides and into the center of the cake. Allow cake to cool completely before slicing.
- Store the cake covered in foil or plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Looking for more nutty desserts?
Tarta des très nueces.
Chocolate Chunk Pecan
Pumpkin Spice Pecan Toffee
Hazel says
Could this Rum Cake recipe be modified by using rum flavoring instead of the rum? If so how much to use and what could be used for the liquid? Thank you so much. I would love to try this cake, it looks so yummy but I have young children that would be eating it. Again thank you so much.
Cynthia says
@Hazel, absolutely! I agree it’s pretty rummy! I usually label it in case there are adults who are sensitive to alcohol as well.
Bernita Gibson says
You said it would be okay to substitute Rum Extract for actual Rum, but you did not give the substitution amounts! How much extract should be used instead of 1/4 cup Rum?
Cynthia says
Hi Bernita,
If you are using dark rum, you would use about 1/2 the amount of extract, so 1/8 of a cup for the glaze. This is from the McCormick & Company; “for every tablespoon of dark rum required in a recipe you can substitute 1/2 tablespoons (1 ½ teaspoons) of rum extract.You may have to add a little water to keep the liquid ratio right.” Hope that helps! Thank you, Cynthia
Tami says
No. Trust me.
theresa tulsiak says
Why don’t you just make them something else? They probably wouldn’t like the taste anyway.
Cynthia says
Yes, that’s probably a good idea! I always made it when my kids were young. I just didn’t serve it to them!
Michele Gerhard says
I understand! This cake always gets such raves that I wish I didn’t have to admit using a cake mix 😉 I’ve been baking it for about 20 years or so… my recipe card says “Megan’s Amazing Rum Cake”! Thanks 🙂
Michele Gerhard says
Cynthia, I was soooo excited about the photo of your rum cake that I forgot to say the most important thing… I totally agree with the Love App philosophy! That’s what it’s all about! La Belle Cuisine is constantly evolving, always a work in progress. It’s therapeutic for me and has been a labor of love since day one. Health issues prevent my emphasizing recipes these days, but either way it’s all about giving with an open heart, about sharing love. Thanks again for a wonderful post! xoxo
Cynthia says
Thanks so much Michele! I just made a gluten free scratch version this weekend!
Barbara says
Michelle, my house is gluten free And I struggle with baking. Would you mind sharing your version?
Cynthia says
Hi Barbara, that was me, Cynthia, that made the #gf version…That was over a year ago, and I’m sorry to say that I didn’t write down the recipe. However, I find that there are sooo many good gluten free flour blends available in the stores today, that you should try to bake with one of them. Also, type “gluten free” in the search bar for LOTS of GF baked goods and dishes. Hope that helps!
Debi at Life Currents says
Lovely story and reminder to be giving. My husband and I try to follow this type of living. We believe that if we take care of others, there will always be others to help us when we need. If you never take care of anyone else, no one will be there for you when you need someone. I spent all day in the kitchen yesterday baking Christmas cookies. Such a lovely time of year! Have a wonderful holiday, and thanks for this post. And the cake looks great! 🙂
Cynthia says
Debi, totally! Thats why we started blogs!
Serena | Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch says
I love to share recipes and I find it so funny how protective people are sometimes over recipes. This cake looks lovely and I want to try it with my yellow cake <3 Yum!
Cynthia says
@Serena, I agree, that’s why we started blogs right?
Christina @ Christina's Cucina says
I love this post! Such great sentiment and so true! And this is a cake I used to make long ago when I used cake mixes and have been wanting to make a scratch recipe version (but I need a working oven first)! 🙁
Kristen @ A Mind Full Mom says
Can’t go wrong with a little bacardi in your cake 🙂
allie @ Through Her Looking Glass says
Dear Cynthia, I love your blog for many reasons. One is that you are “real”. I’ve also been told that someone they would not share a recipe with me. It never occurred to me that someone would not want to share the joy of a wonderful recipe. In fact, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Thank you for sharing all your delicious recipes here at What a Girl Eats. Sharing is what make the world go round…a global spin if you will …. 😉 This cake looks scrumptious and I must make it!
Ramona W says
My husband would probably want to keep this entire cake for himself…. definitely a great idea for his birthday this coming year. 🙂
Tami says
The true origin of this recipe isn’t the Cake Doctor. It first appeared in women’s magazines in the mid-70s, perhaps earlier, in ads run by Bacardi.
Thank you for publishing it online, because I haven’t baked one in more than 20 years! It will be a great addition to the Thanksgiving table.
I understand substitutions, but you REALLY want to use the real thing for this cake. Rum all the way. Go big or go home!
Tami says
The true origin of this recipe isn’t the Cake Doctor. It first appeared in women’s magazines in the mid-70s, perhaps earlier, in ads run by Bacardi.
Thank you for publishing it online, because I haven’t baked one in more than 20 years! It will be a great addition to the Thanksgiving table. Especially with a nice dollop of whipped cream.
I understand substitutions, but you REALLY want to use the real thing for this cake. Rum all the way. Go big or go home!
Cynthia says
You are correct…I think I said that in my story. When I told my mom about it, she said she remembered it from the 70s. It was just a coincidence that I found the cake doctor’s version. We’ve since found the little clipping from the magazine, and you’re right, it’s the same! I need to do a non cake mix version too!
Marcia says
I think oven temp should be 325 not 350…. I had problems with mine at end and then I noticed original recipe said 325…
Cynthia says
Thank you for that! I’ve always baked it at 350, but I think every oven is different. I think mine runs a bit low.