Rum Cake Made Easy

I would usually make rum cake with a butter cake base. I would bake a basic butter cake. Then when the cake cools, I would brush the cake with rum glaze.

It just so happens that I discovered cake mixes. There's a white cake mix, a yellow cake mix, also a pre-mix for lemon cake, brownies, devil's food cake and a lot more other kinds of pastries. I think these are wonderful time-savers for those days when you need a dessert but too busy to make from scratch.

Of course, purist and serious bakers would consider using cake mixes a sacrilege! And of course, using cake mixes would take out the joy you really do get out of baking, specially if you are baking as a hobby. However, as I have mentioned, cake mixes can be used to help shorten the time you spend in the kitchen. There's less measurements to do, less ingredients needed, less utensils to wash. Plus cake mixes are so versatile, you can garnish them, add different flavors, make different icings and fillings and you can produce professional looking cakes that can impress your guests or audience.

I was invited to an informal birthday gathering yesterday and I wanted to bring a cake. However, I had several writing deadlines, leaving me less time to putter around in the kitchen. So, I took the easy way out and made rum cake using the yellow cake mix. :)

1 box yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1/3 C Bacardi's rum
2/3 C water
1/3 C Canola oil

1. Preheat oven to 350F (for regular bundt pans). I used a silicone bundt pan so I had to lower the baking temperature to 325F.

2. Grease the baking pan and coat with a little flour.

3. Mix everything up in the cake mixer for 2 minutes. Pour into the baking pan. Bake in the oven for around 30 to 35 minutes, until cake tester inserted in the center comes out dry.

4. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes. Invert the baked cake into a serving platter. Let cool completely before adding the glaze.


Rum Glaze

1/4 C Butter
3 T sugar
2 T water
1/4 C Bacardi Rum

1. Boil butter, water and sugar until sugar is melted and syrupy.

2. Turn off heat. Let cool for a while before adding the rum.

3. When completely cooled, brush rum glaze all over the baked and cooled yellow cake.


I have to confess that I find my butter cakes baked from scratch more fluffy and moist. And of course, the taste is totally different. But still, this is easy baking, isn't it? It can keep in the refrigerator for a longer period of time and the taste will just get better. It is delicious in its own way. Just do not let out that you cheated... hee... hee...