This easy chocolate rum cake is made with golden rum, a chocolate cake mix, and chocolate pudding. It’s topped with a rum glaze; a perfect “anytime” dessert. I love that you can dust it with powdered sugar, or serve warm with fresh whipped cream!

I love a fudgy, boozy, chocolate cake for any special occasion, and this homemade chocolate rum cake recipe is a sweet treat for any holiday! It’s rich and dense, like our Chocolate Dump Cake, but not quite as buttery and gooey. In the Caribbean, rum cakes are a traditional holiday dessert.

What I love about this recipe is the rum does not overpower the cake. The rum glaze is perfectly spiked and infused with the fudgy, chocolate flavor (with nuts and chocolate chips). I love this cake for St. Patrick’s Day, Valentine’s Day, and Christmas. But our kids request it for a weekend dessert, too, any time of year.

Do chocolate and rum go together?

The pairing of rum and chocolate has been around for many years, and it’s perfect together, especially in a rich chocolate cake! We also have a favorite holiday rum cake that we make every year at Christmas (that does not involve chocolate).

Why you will love this moist, boozy cake

  • Moist and fudgy: This cake combines rich chocolate flavor with rum which in turn creates a delicious and boozy dessert experience!
  • Easy to make: This chocolate cake starts with a boxed cake mix and pudding mix – you can’t get any easier than that.
  • Perfect for the holidays: This cake pairs well for any holiday! Because everyone seems to love chocolate cakes at gatherings.

Can you get drunk from rum cakes?

You would have to eat a lot of cake, or several cakes, to get drunk off of rum cakes. With only ¼ cup total of rum in the cake and a few tablespoons in the glaze, it’s most likely you would never feel a buzz after a slice or two of this rum cake.

Which rum is good for cake?

Golden Rum. Golden rum is our favorite choice for baking. It’s aged in oak barrels, giving it a golden color and a richer, more complex flavor profile compared to the lighter taste of light rum.

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Other favorite holiday treats with rum that I love to make include this cake and this hot drink for winter.

Chocolate Cake with Rum ingredients

  • Dry ingredients: A chocolate cake mix, pudding mix, and chocolate chips and nuts.
  • Wet ingredients: Butter, eggs, sour cream, vanilla.
  • Rum: We use a golden rum.
  • Glaze: Butter, rum, sugar, vanilla.
  • Toppings: Powdered sugar, raspberries, and fresh whipped cream.

How do you make a rum cake?

  1. We start off with a bundt pan.
  2. Sprinkle the nuts and chocolate chips on the bottom of the pan.
  3. Make the cake: Add the cake ingredients and mix well with a hand mixer until combined.
  4. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan (on top of the nuts and chocolate chips) and bake.
  5. Make the sauce: While the cake is baking make the glaze – bring to a boil; set aside and add the vanilla.
  6. Poke holes in the cake: Before inverting the cake, using a fork, poke holes all over the bottom of the hot cake. Slowly pour glaze over the bottom of the cake and let soak in and cool completely.
  7. Take a knife and loosen the cake from pan, carefully going around the outer edge.
  8. Invert cake from pan, and dust with powdered sugar.

Tips and substitutions:

  • Rum-free version: You can substitute rum in a cake with orange juice, orange liqueur, or non-alcoholic rum options. 
  • Rum: Instead of a golden rum, you can use a light rum (a little lighter in flavor).
  • Cake mix: You can use whatever cake mix you prefer, but we love the chocolate.
  • Pudding mix: You can also use whatever pudding mix you prefer.
  • Poke holes in cake: While cake is inside the bundt pan, loosen the edges with a knife then use a toothpick or skewer to poke holes in the bottom of the cake. Slowly pour some glaze inside the holes allowing it to soak into the cake. Allow to sit before inverting to a wire rack.
  • Generously grease or flour your pan: For easy removal, you want to make sure the bundt pan is greased or floured well so it does not stick when inverting.
  • Serve chocolate rum cake with a dusting of powdered sugar and fresh berries or nuts. We also love fresh whipped cream.

Serving

We love this cake served warm with fresh whipped cream and berries. But it’s also great with vanilla ice cream. It’s optional to dust the cake with powdered sugar, and if you do, you can serve it plain with no other toppings!

More chocolate cake recipes you may want to try while you are here:

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Chocolate Rum Cake

This easy anytime Chocolate Rum Cake dessert is made with golden rum, a chocolate cake mix, chocolate pudding; topped with a rum glaze sauce.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield: 12
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Ingredients
 

  • 15.25 ounce Chocolate Cake Mix
  • 5.9 ounce box Instant Chocolate Pudding
  • ½ cup softened butter + more for greasing the Bundt pan
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • ½ cup Golden Rum
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • ½ cup chopped nuts, pecans or walnuts
  • ½ cup chocolate chips

SAUCE:

SERVING:

Equipment

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Butter the bundt pan, coating it very well. [Optional to flour it as well.]
  • Sprinkle the nuts on the bottom. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the nuts. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, add the cake mix, pudding mix, ½ cup butter, eggs, sour cream, ½ cup rum, and vanilla. Mix well with a hand mixer until combined for about 2 minutes.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan (on top of the nuts and chocolate chips) and bake for 45- 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan until the sauce is made.

Make the sauce:

  • Immediately make the glaze by bringing 4 Tbsp butter, ½ cup rum, and ½ cup sugar to a boil. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla.
  • Before inverting the cake, using a fork, poke holes all over the bottom of the hot cake. Slowly pour glaze over the bottom of the cake and let soak in and cool completely.
  • Take a knife and loosen the cake from pan, carefully going around the outer edge.
  • Invert cake from pan, and dust with powdered sugar.
  • Serve warm or at room temperature.
  • Optional to add a dab of fresh whipped cream and fresh raspberries. A fun cake for any season, but delightful for Valentine’s Day, especially if served with fresh raspberries or strawberries.
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
Author: Sandy / Reluctant Entertainer
Calories: 521kcal, Carbohydrates: 53g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 28g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 96mg, Sodium: 614mg, Potassium: 243mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 37g, Vitamin A: 554IU, Vitamin C: 0.2mg, Calcium: 97mg, Iron: 2mg
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