
My mother got this recipe from the L.A. Times back in the 80s. That short-cut “cake mix” recipe quickly became a family favorite, but you know how I feel about cake mixes. And so when I re-imagined the cake as a made-from-scratch recipe, I felt powerful enough to re-imagine the name, too.
Just don’t blame my mother.
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: many
Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 1 hourIngredients
Directions
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Mix at medium speed for two minutes. Do not overbeat! Pour into one large greased and floured bundt pan or two smaller bundt pans. Place in a 350-degree oven. A large bundt cake will take approximately 50-60 minutes. Seven-inch bundt cakes will take 35-45 minutes.
Halfway through baking, I put a square of foil over the cake to keep it from over-browning.
Place the cake, still in the pan, on a wire rack until completely cooled. Invert onto a cake plate. Prick the cake all over.
Rum Glaze:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark rum
Melt butter in saucepan. Add water and sugar. Boil for 5 minutes then add the rum. Drizzle the glaze over the cake, letting it soak in through all those holes. This cake gets better the longer it sits. In fact, you can let it sit in your refrigerator for weeks and it is just better.
This cake makes a great gift, especially since it can be made ahead! Now, if you want the original short-cut “cake mix” version from the newspaper, here it is:
1 package yellow cake mix
1 3.4-ounce package (dry) instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup oil
1/2 cup dark rum
Follow all the above instructions for mixing, baking, and glazing.
But I really hope you try my homemade Drunken Rum Cake because it’s just better!
Did you make this recipe? Share your photo here:
Make sure the page has finished loading before you upload a photo.
Max photo size is 512KB. The best size to upload is 500 x 375 pixels.
By uploading a photo, you attest that this photo belongs to you. If you are uploading a photo that does not belong to you, please provide documentation that you have permission to use the photo to FBRblog(at)yahoo.com or the photo will not be approved.











1:00
pm
Thank you for re-making this recipe, Suzanne. I used to make this cake and it was always very popular. Will you be creating a chocolate version also? I once received a (joking) marriage proposal from a Marine when he tasted the chocolate rum cake I brought to a party.
5:30
pm
I made this cake a few days ago, and sliced it today. It’s so yummy! But I have a couple of comments, just for comparison with other cooks. I’ve uploaded a picture of the pan I used, next to a standard 6 quart stock pot for comparison. I did this because this recipe made more than enough batter. I followed the “homemade” recipe, and ended up with a full pan AND a mound of cake in the bottom of my oven. I’ll definitely make this again, but probably cut the dry ingredients back just a touch.
Also, when I make this next time, I will put the cooled cake in the COVER of my cake carrier, not on the base. That way all that yummy rum sauce won’t run off the edges! I managed to catch it in a saucepan and pour it on the cake again. And I reiterate-this cake is MIGHTY FINE.