With notes of vanilla and cinnamon, this easy Rum Bundt Cake recipe is moist and delicious!
With a boxed cake mix and some spiced rum, this cake works perfectly as a dessert or a brunch cake. It’s fantastic at the holidays, but we eat this all year long!
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Don Q rum. All opinions are 100% mine.
This post was originally published on November 13, 2017 and has now been updated with more details.
I love a good bundt cake, don’t you? No icing is required and they still look pretty great.
It’s similar to the wine cake that I make but I wanted to switch around the flavors and use rum instead.
I’m always looking for different cake ideas for the holidays. But with all the other chaos and stress, it has to be simple.
Why This Recipe Works
This Rum Bundt Cake is super easy to make and so tasty. It’s a great cake for breakfast or holiday parties or a snack or a hostess gift. Really!
I love to start with a boxed cake mix when baking. I always look for time savers and that really does help cut out some measuring, etc. They’ve also done the work for you so you know what to expect each time.
Boxed cake mixes are also a great base that can be easily modified to become something extraordinary. (Also see my Nutmeg Cake and my Bourbon Cake!).
I’ve used them to create a bunch of quick and easy desserts with cake mix.
This easy Cinnamon Rum Bundt Cake Recipe is perfect. Plus, when you’re done baking, the rum is perfect for sipping!
What type of rum should I use
You can use any rum for this, but with its notes of molasses, and dark caramel plus hints of vanilla, cinnamon and honey, I knew the Don Q Gran Añejo would be perfect in a holiday cake.
It’s a spiced rum that is full of flavor! You can use white rum, but it will have a little bit of a different flavor.
And if you don’t want to use real rum, you can use rum extract. For this recipe, you would substitute the spiced rum with about 4 TBSP of rum extract.
I skipped the traditional rum glaze you usually find on a cake in favor of a cinnamon crumb. A crumb is a perfect way to add more flavor and texture to a cake and is the perfect thing to push this Cinnamon Rum Cake over the top.
Ingredients
Scroll down to the end of the post for a printable recipe card with full measurements and more detailed instructions.
I love to gather all the ingredients before I start to keep things quick.
- Yellow cake mix
- Vanilla pudding powder
- Eggs
- Water
- Vegetable oil
- Spiced Rum
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Ginger, powdered
- Brown sugar
- White sugar
How to make Spiced Rum Cake
To make your holiday rum cake, use a stand mixer and add the oil, eggs, and water.
Add the spiced rum then beat until combined.
Add the pudding (unmade, just the powder straight out of the box) and the boxed cake mix and beat for approximately 5 minutes on a medium speed.
The depth of flavors from this aged rum is so perfect for holiday baking.
To make the cinnamon crumb, add the sugars and spices to a small bowl and mix. Set aside for just a second.
I sprinkled it on the top (or bottom, when inverted) of the cake. But the cinnamon crumb was so crazy good, I decided that this cake will be even better with more crumb!
So while my finished pictures show it just on the top/bottom, trust me, you want more layers!
Pour the first half of the rum cake batter in to your prepared bundt pan.
“Prepared” just means I spray it with cooking spray. A legit baker would probably butter the pan and coat it in flour, but I’m lazy and willing to take my chances with spray.
Add a layer of the cinnamon crumb, then add the rest of the batter. Finish it off with more crumb.
Pop it in the oven. And bake.
Let cool for a few minutes and then invert on to a plate. You can see the cinnamon crumb crumbling off.
This is not the cake you’ll enter into a beautiful cake contest. But in a taste test? WINNER! This cake tastes like the holidays.
Want to make it even more festive? Dust the top with a little bit of powdered sugar!
The notes of vanilla and dark caramel in the spiced rum really come through and compliment all the other flavors so well.
This quick and easy Rum Cake with cake mix is a delicious breakfast or dessert idea that you’ll love!
Related Posts
- Fake a Croquembouche with this easy Donut Hole Tower! This is a fun breakfast idea for holiday mornings.
- Oreo Cookie Balls are delicious and fun treats to share with friends and family.
- We make these Cinnamon Walnuts every year as the perfect sweet snack!
- Prosecco Cupcakes are a celebratory dessert that are infused with sparkling wine. Yum!
- Guinness Brownies are a tasty treat that are spiked with dark beer and topped with Beer Whipped Cream!
- Explore all my Alcohol Infused Cupcakes to find one that is inspired by your favorite cocktail.
Rum Bundt Cake
Ingredients
For the Rum Cake
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup Don Q Gran Añejo Rum
- 1 box Yellow Cake Mix
- 1 small box Instant Vanilla Pudding
For the Cinnamon Crumb
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ginger
Instructions
- Grease a bundt pan and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat eggs, oil, water and rum until just combined.
- Add dry pudding powder and dry cake mix and beat until smooth, approximately 5 minutes on medium.
- In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.
- Pour half the batter into your oiled bundt pan.
- Top with a bit of cinnamon crumb (amount to your liking but remember to reserve at least half to finish it off)
- Add the remaining batter.
- Finish with the cinnamon crumb.
- Bake 40-45 minutes.
- Let cool for 10 minutes then invert cake on to a plate to remove from the bundt pan.
Sandy h says
I use Myers Rum because it is very smooth ( we tasted before using )and withing my price range for rum. It give the rum cake a really smooth taste . Then because my husband is a chocolate fiend I changed the cake mix to Devils Chocolate and the pudding to Lemon. That is very good and would work for a girls night out especially for those who LOVE chocolate!
Sharon Garofalow says
Sounds like a delicious substitution! And thanks for sharing about Myers Rum! I always love to know about affordable brands that taste great!