Christmas Rum Cake
Ingredients
- Baking spray
- Flour
for dusting pan
- 1 c. chopped pecans
- Brown sugar
optional
- 1 box yellow cake mix
about 18-oz.
- 1 package instant vanilla pudding mix
about 3.5-oz.
- 4 whole eggs
- 1/2 c. cold water
- 1/2 c. canola oil
- 1/2 c. rum
dark or light is fine
- 3/4 c. butter
- 1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
- 3/4 c. rum
Directions
- 1
For the cake: Preheat oven to 325°F.
- 2
Grease and flour a Bundt pan. Sprinkle the pecans over the bottom of the pan. If desired, sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar over the nuts.
- 3
In a large bowl, whisk to combine the yellow cake mix, vanilla pudding mix, eggs, cold water, oil, and rum. Pour the batter into the pan over the pecans. Smooth out the batter until the top is even. Bake for 1 hour, or a little less if the pan is black. Do not over-bake!
- 4
For the glaze: When the cake has 10 minutes to go, make the glaze. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in 1/4 cup water and the sugar. Boil for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Turn off the heat and pour in the rum. Stir to combine and reheat for 30 seconds.
- 5
Remove the cake from the oven. Immediately drizzle one-third of the glaze on the bottom (top) of the cake. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes.
- 6
Invert the cake onto a serving plate. Prick the surface a hundred times with a fork (gently, please). Slowly drizzle the remaining glaze all over the top of the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Cool to room temperature before serving to ensure the glaze has soaked in. Eat. Enjoy. And don’t feel guilty. It’s Christmastime!
Christmas Rum Cake
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About this Recipe
Transport your taste buds straight to a festive holiday celebration with a slice of this classic Christmas Rum Cake. This delightful dessert captures the true spirit of the season, offering a rich, comforting experience that's perfect for sharing with loved ones.
What makes this Christmas Rum Cake so special is its clever combination of pantry staples to create an exceptionally moist and flavorful crumb. By uniting a yellow cake mix with instant vanilla pudding, you ensure a cake that’s tender and infused with vanilla notes, providing the perfect foundation for the star of the show: rum. This dual approach to incorporating rum, both within the cake batter and in a luscious glaze, guarantees a deeply aromatic and wonderfully boozy finish without being overpowering.
Expect a cake that is wonderfully moist and dense, yet incredibly tender, with a crumb that melts in your mouth. Each bite delivers a harmonious blend of sweet vanilla and the distinct warmth of rum, complemented by the delightful crunch of chopped pecans. The glaze, likely a rich concoction of butter, sugar, and more rum, soaks into the cake, creating an irresistible sticky-sweet exterior that sparkles with holiday charm. This is a cake that feels both indulgent and wonderfully nostalgic, an ideal centerpiece for your holiday dessert table.
Feel free to customize this Christmas Rum Cake to suit your preferences. You can choose dark rum for a deeper, more robust molasses flavor, or opt for light rum for a slightly brighter, cleaner taste. For an extra touch of sweetness and depth, consider tossing the pecans with the optional brown sugar before incorporating them. If you're not a fan of nuts, simply omit the pecans entirely for a smooth, unadulterated rum cake experience.
This festive Christmas Rum Cake is designed to be the highlight of any holiday gathering, perfect as a show-stopping dessert after a special meal or alongside a warm cup of coffee during a cozy winter evening.