Pecan Butter Rum Cake Recipe (2024)

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This pecan butter rum cake is probably the best cake I have ever tasted. I know it has a cake mix. I know it has a pudding mix. And yes, we then pour rum into it.

Trust me when I say that sometimes cake mix recipes are GLORIOUS.

Pecan Butter Rum Cake Recipe (1)

****Time Warning: This should be made the day before you want to serve it*****

This pecan butter rum cake recipe is one of those recipes that you are just going to get over your preconceived notions about cake mixes. Hey, we all have those notions. Homemade is best, for sure, but sometimes…..sometimes my friends, a cake mix makes life and baking fun, interesting and basically downright delicious. This butter rum cake bakes up so light, yet saturated with butter rum bliss ( you let it sit for 12+ hours before eating it) that I don’t think homemade would work as well. The magic here is that by using a cake mix you get this light-as-air concoction.

Pecan Butter Rum Cake Recipe (2)

This recipe came from Rory, a lovely lady that used to work with my husband and word on the street is that she is famousfor her rum cake at work. Famous as in if people know she brought it in, they kick, shove, bite and punch their way to the lunchroom to grab a slice. And that’s just when my husband gets wind of it. One would think I never made him anything to eat.

I completely screwed up the amount of butter on the glaze the first time that I made this , I used half a pound instead of the 1/4! And it tasted great anyways. But yup, that’s me. Mike and I got so busy trying to figure out what 1/4 lb of butter was, that we confused ourselves and cut a half a pound. I can’t believe I poured half a pound of butter over the cake.

Pecan Butter Rum Cake Recipe (3)

When the cake is done, cool it for a minimum of 10 minutes, then invert it onto a plate. Poke holes in it all over. Slowly spoon the now-cooled glaze over the top of the cake, letting it soak in, scooping it up and re-soaking the cake if needed. The point is it let it get all soft and moist inside too.

Pecan Butter Rum Cake Recipe (4)

Then it looks like this! Now this cake has to sit before serving, and I would say at least a day. The rum flavor isn’t as strong, and the cake gets so moist, that 24 hours after I made it, it was perfect to eat. Sooooo yummy.

Which Rum is Best for Cake?

The best rum to use for a rum cake is a golden or amber rum that has lots of vanilla and caramel notes to it. Don’t use white as there is little flavour and a really dark rum could overpower this cake.

Does the Rum in Rum Cake Bake Off?

Nope! There will be still be alcohol in the cake and THEN you are pouring pure rum and butter on top. There is a lot of alcohol!

Can You Get Drunk From Rum Cake?

If you ate enough rum cake then I am sure that you could get drunk from it!

Pecan Butter Rum Cake Recipe (5)

To serve, I also make an extra rum glaze BUT you can skip this step if you want. I find that the cake is delightful either way, but sometimes I want that little extra icing on the top!

Trust me, this is one amazing cake recipe! Happy Baking!

Karlynn

Pecan Butter Rum Cake Recipe (6)

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Pecan Butter Rum Cake Recipe (7)

Pecan Butter Rum Cake Recipe

Deliciously easy and decadent pecan butter rum cake recipe! This is my most requested cake recipe ever, you can just barely taste the rum!

5 from 24 votes

Pecan Butter Rum Cake Recipe (8)

Review

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Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Total Time
50 minutes
Course
Dessert
Cuisine
American
Servings
12
Calories
407
Author
Karlynn Johnston

Ingredients

  • one package of yellow cake mix OR butter pecan which is what I prefer
  • one package of vanilla pudding
  • 1 cup of chopped pecans
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup cold water
  • 1/2 cup of oil
  • 1/2 cup of Bacardi amber rum or 1873

Cake Glaze Ingredients

  • 1/4 pound of butter
  • 1/4 cup of water
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 1/2 cup of Bacardi amber rum

Extra Rum Icing Glaze for Serving:

  • 2 tablespoons salted butter melted
  • 1 cup of icing sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon rum flavouring
  • 3-4 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk
  • Top with toasted pecans if you like!

Instructions

  • Grease and flour a bundt pan and set aside. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F.

  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the ingredients (excepting pecans) and beat until smooth, around two minutes.

  • Pour into the prepared bundt pan. Stir in the cup of pecans until they are mid-way through the batter. ( I do this to prevent them from being on top. Most recipes have them on the top, but then your buttered rum doesn't soak in properly!!)

  • Bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes, until a cake tester or toothpick inserted comes out clean.

  • Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then invert onto the plate you want to serve it on.

  • Poke holes in the top.

  • For the Rum Glaze, combine the first three ingredients in a pan. Bring it to a boil, boil for 5 minutes. Add in the rum at the very end and mix in.

  • Pour over the still warm cake, spooning up any extra over and over again, until you get most of it soaked into the cake. Yes, this can be a pain but THIS is what makes the cake so darn good!

  • Let the cake sit from 12-24 hours before eating.

  • When you go to serve, you can mix up the icing ingredients and drizzle over the cake. This is optional! Try it with and without, you can't go wrong either way!

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

  • If you don't let this cake sit, you won't like this recipe. The beauty of this cake is that it gets moister and more delicious the day after you put it together.
  • The icing is optional, but I love it! Depends on your mood!
  • You can top the cake with pecans, just put then in the bundt pan and THEN pour the batter in. I find though that the cake glaze WON'T sink in and it misses the mark and beauty of this cake. You can try mixing them into the batter straight, but I like mine towards the bottom of the cake.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 407kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 85mg, Sodium: 107mg, Potassium: 54mg, Sugar: 26g, Vitamin A: 435IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 19mg, Iron: 0.5mg

All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

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Karlynn Johnston

I’m a busy mom of two, wife & cookbook author who loves creating fast, fresh meals for my little family on the Canadian prairies. Karlynn Facts: I'm allergic to broccoli. I've never met a co*cktail that I didn't like. I would rather burn down my house than clean it. Most of all, I love helping YOU get dinner ready because there's nothing more important than connecting with our loved ones around the dinner table!

Learn more about me

Site Index Bundt cakes Cake Pecans Rum Vintage cake recipe

Reader Interactions

Comments & Recipe Tips Share a tip or comment!

  1. Kristi Johnson says

    Reply

    Could i use butter pecan moonshine in place of the rum?!

  2. Debra Danley says

    Reply

    Can you sub in milk for water and butter for oil?

  3. Darin Istorico says

    Reply

    Had fun viewing your site. Thank you for writing this. You’ve have a new fan.

  4. Judith Barbiaux says

    Reply

    What size Vanilla Pudding Mix?

  5. Kelly A Emmons says

    Reply

    This recipe is There best by far. The extra butter adds extra flavor yumm!Pecan Butter Rum Cake Recipe (14)

  6. Jeff says

    Reply

    Love this cake. The first time I made it Im sure I used to much Rum. I let it sit over night like the recipe said and my wife and I enjoyed it so much the next morning we we were drunk by 8 am. thank god we were both off that day. Cant wait to do it again. MmmmmmmmmmmmPecan Butter Rum Cake Recipe (15)

  7. Pat says

    Reply

    This cake is AMAZING!!! I toasted the pecans before putting them in the cake, and it added even more depth of flavor to the cake. It was good for dessert, we had it as a snack with coffee and we had company and they had it with their breakfast and they raved about it, and couldn’t stop eating it. Wonderful, easy recipe.Pecan Butter Rum Cake Recipe (16)

  8. Margaret McCabe says

    Reply

    Can you make your own cake as we don’t have packets of cake here in Ireland. Would love to make that rum cake. Thank you

    • Kelly emmons says

      Reply

      I substituted teas half a cup of brown sugar and 1/2 a cup of white sugar. It turned out amazing awesomePecan Butter Rum Cake Recipe (17)

  9. EmmiJade says

    Reply

    This looks DIVINE. There is absolutely nothing wrong with mix cakes – some of my favorite quick bakes come from dressing up cake mixes. I HAVE to try this one, though, holy moly it looks good! Pecans are my weakness and butter rum sauce makes literally any dessert better. Bookmarking!Pecan Butter Rum Cake Recipe (18)

  10. Linda Long says

    Reply

    Could you possibly use Rum Chata. It is a light beige colored rum? It is a Caribbean Rum with real dairy cream. Just trying to use up what I have.

    • Laura L Chandler says

      Reply

      where are the answers to these questions?

  11. Candice says

    Reply

    This will be a stupid question but is this safe for children to eat due to the alcohol content? I am thinking the actual alcohol would evaporate both in the cake and the cake glaze. My friend would make rum cakes for Christmas gifts but when her son got older, he would consume the rum before she could get her cakes made! She always but quality rum and she would be quite upset. She finally gave up and stopped buying the rum. Just a little humor to share with ya. Thank you.

  12. Lisa Langston says

    Reply

    This looks devine!!!!! I love baking bundt cakes but I need a new bundt pan that is guaranteed NOT to stick!!!! Can you recommend which one to buy!!!! I have you cookbook and love it! I love vintage also. Thank you so much!

  13. Victoria S. Lloyd says

    Reply

    Hello Karlynn, I stumbled upon this site and believe Me I’m Very Glad I did. After reading Your Bio. and about Your Husband designing the Web-Site. I discovered the video of Pecan Butter Rum Cake and watched it through. I don’t normally make My Own Birthday Cake but this one is a definite possibility. Sounds Delicious.
    I will certainly return for more of Your Delectable Recipes.
    Thank You, Victoria.Pecan Butter Rum Cake Recipe (19)

    • Lynn Sharpe says

      Reply

      Thank u for sharing this recipe with all of us but if u don’t want to add in a half a cup of rum can u use less??

  14. Elaine says

    Reply

    That palette of colors is absolutely fabulous! Thank you for posting this recipe – I’ve got something to plan now 🙂 Hope you are enjoying your day!

  15. Geri Lehr says

    Reply

    Hi Karlynn, I’m excited to try the rum cake and I’m hoping it is similar to the Burney Bros Rum Cake that I used to get 40 years ago in the Chicago Jewel grocery store. Should the cake be covered during the waiting period before eating?

  16. Lori says

    Reply

    Do you use instant or regular pudding?

    • Karlynn Johnston says

      Reply

      Instant! I will edit that in.Pecan Butter Rum Cake Recipe (20)

      • Marci Craig says

        Reply

        For the instant pudding how many grams or ounces for one package.? There were a few sizes to pick from. Thanks!

  17. Crystal Carlson says

    Reply

    This is the best cake ever! Even better than chocolate cake with caramel icing and that is pd good

  18. Reeja says

    Reply

    this sounds delicious! but i didn’t see where you put the rum in the cake batter part? do you just add to batter?

  19. Patent says

    Reply

    Sorry, just a quick one to say thank you so much for the time warning BEFORE the recipe, it’s such a nice touch and literally did just now save me going out to buy the ingredients and starting this to cook for a dinner party tonight.

    Pecan Butter Rum Cake Recipe (21)

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Pecan Butter Rum Cake Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Should homemade rum cake be refrigerated? ›

Your cake will stay fresh for seven days without refrigeration. I recommend keeping it in an airtight container to keep it moist. It will last even longer if you keep it in the fridge or freeze it. Just let it come to room temperature before eating for the best flavor.

Can you get tipsy 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.

Is black cake the same as rum cake? ›

A rum cake or black cake is a type of dessert cake which contains rum. In most of the Caribbean, rum cakes are a traditional holiday season dessert, descended from the holiday puddings (such as figgy pudding).

Which rum for cakes? ›

I recommend using a good-quality white or dark rum. I've used Wray & Nephew (a popular Jamaican white rum) and Myers's Dark (another Jamaican rum that is dark). While a white rum is okay to use, I do *highly recommend* using a dark/aged rum.

Can you leave rum cake out overnight? ›

Storing: Best kept at room temperature, you will want to wrap this cake tightly in plastic wrap to maintain the moisture. It keeps for up to 5 days at room temperature. Freezing: You can freeze rum cake! Wrap it twice in plastic wrap then aluminum foil, and place in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.

Can I use a 9x13 pan instead of a Bundt pan? ›

Can you bake a Bundt cake in a 13×9 pan? Yes—but don't overfill the pan. Be sure to leave about 1/2″ to 1/4″ of space at the top to give the cake room to grow. You'll also need to adjust your baking time.

Is rum cake OK for kids? ›

Can kids eat a rum cake? Yes. 99.5% of the rum in our cakes is cooked off in the baking and boiling process. Although not all kids love the rum flavour in the cake, they can certainly share a piece for dessert with the family.

Will rum cake show up on a drug test? ›

Flavoring extracts, such as vanilla or almond extract, and liquid herbal extracts could result in a positive drug test for alcohol. Foods cooked with wine should be avoided, such as cherries jubilee, baked Alaska, rum cake, burgundy chicken, and flambé dishes.

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.

What is Elvis Presley cake? ›

An Elvis Presley cake is a single-layer classic yellow cake that's topped with a pineapple glaze. Much like a poke cake, the syrup and juices of the pineapple will seep into the cake through fork holes, resulting in a decadent, ultra-moist cake.

Why is it called Devil cake? ›

There are a few theories as to how it got its name. One, it's the decadent counterpart to angel food cake. Two, it's sinfully delicious. Finally, devil's food cake came about during a time when food that was spicy, rich, or dark was described as deviled, like deviled ham and deviled eggs.

Can you substitute whiskey for rum in a rum cake? ›

Sure. You can add any alcohol you enjoy. But the flavor will be different, and you need to decide if whiskey will work with the rest of the cake. Rum tends to be found in cakes with tropical flavors, like pineapple, coconut, mango and the like.

What brand of rum is good for baking? ›

I can recommend Bacardi Oakheart for use in fruit cake, rum cake, etc. it has many fine flavors that will enhance the baked items. You should probably avoid clear, white rums for this purpose. Rums that have richer flavor profiles generally add more depth to baking recipes.

What do you eat with rum cake? ›

The bright, tropical flavors of fresh fruit are a brilliant match for a slice of rum cake. Serve skewers of fresh pineapple or mango alongside your drink. Or top the rum cake with a dollop of whipped cream and a few slices of pineapple or strawberry.

How long is rum cake good for? ›

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.

How long can a 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.

Is it better to refrigerate cake or leave it out? ›

In brief, refrigerating a cake causes this process to occur significantly faster than at room temperature. So, don't refrigerate your cakes. This is also true of breads and any other baked goods—they all go stale faster in the fridge.

How do you store Christmas rum cake? ›

To store a Christmas cake, start by marinating a cheesecloth in some brandy, rum, wine, or fruit juice. Then, wrap your Christmas cake in the marinated cheesecloth. Next, wrap some aluminum foil around your cheesecloth-wrapped cake and place it into an airtight container. Finally, store your cake in a cool, dry place.

Should I leave cake out overnight or in fridge? ›

How long can cake sit out unrefrigerated? If your cake is frosted with buttercream, it will last covered at room temperature for up to four days. However, it is best to refrigerate cakes with other frostings such as cream cheese or ganache. A fully covered unfrosted cake will last for up to 2 days at room temperature.

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