Cake Mix Rum Bundt Cake is light, moist, and soaked in a mouth-watering rum-infused glaze! Topped with a chopped pecan topping, it’s oh-so-delicious and made with the added convenience of cake mix and pudding mix for a failproof dessert.
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Pin RecipeThere’s no disputing that a bundt cake is the way to go when it comes to holidays and special occasions. Whether you’re making a plain bundt cake or something a little fancier like this Apple Bundt Cake, it always looks amazing and tastes even better.
While I love making my cakes from scratch, I don’t always have the time. Luckily, I always have this Cake Mix Rum Bundt Cake to save the day! Made with yellow cake mix, it requires a fraction of the ingredients and is quick to prepare. Even better, it always tastes great.
For more cake mix dessert recipes, try my Cake Mix Brownies, Cake Mix Banana Bread, and Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies. You can even make your own cake mix to keep on hand for these treats with this Homemade Cake Mix recipe!
Cake Mix Rum Bundt Cake Recipe
Slicing small holes in the baked rum bundt cake allows the sweet rum extract to soak throughout the cake, infusing extra flavor throughout, much like this Chocolate Poke Cake. While I love the fun twist of boozy treats, you can easily swap the rum extract for vanilla extract. Or, use a non-alcoholic rum extract to make this recipe alcohol-free.
While this Cake Mix Rum Bundt Cake is absolutely irresistible as is, don’t be shy to serve it as a decadent dessert alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or caramel sauce!
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Ingredients for Cake Mix Rum Bundt Cake
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Pecans – Walnuts are a great alternative. Omit if you have nut allergies.
- Yellow cake mix – Any brand will work.
- Eggs – Bring to room temperature before combining with the other ingredients.
- Rum extract – This recipe only contains a very small amount of alcohol, which will be burned off from baking. You can also source 100% alcohol-free rum extracts from certain stores.
- Water
- Vegetable oil – Canola oil or unscented coconut oil can be used instead.
- Vanilla pudding mix – Any brand will work.
Glaze
- Butter – I always use unsalted butter for desserts.
- Brown sugar – This adds a rich, caramel-like flavor to the glaze while keeping it moist.
- Water
- Rum extract
Variations
- Make a gluten-free version with a certified gluten-free cake mix. It’s also important to check the ingredients on the instant pudding mix in case there are any gluten-based ingredients.
- Real rum can be added to the cake batter for an authentic boozy flavor.
- Omit the nuts when catering to allergies.
How to Make Cake Mix Rum Bundt Cake
- Prepare: Preheat the oven. Then, spray a bundt pan with cooking spray followed by a dusting of flour. Tap out any excess flour. This helps prevent the cake from sticking to the pan! Sprinkle the chopped nuts into the bottom of the pan.
- Make the cake batter: Combine the cake batter ingredients in a mixing bowl just until smooth, and pour the batter into the bundt pan.
- Bake: Bake the cake for an hour. Allow the baked cake to rest for 30 minutes, and invert it onto a serving plate. Poke small holes all over the cake with a knife.
- Prepare the glaze: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and water, and bring the mixture to a boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove the glaze from the heat, and stir in the rum extract.
- Top with glaze: Drizzle the glaze over the cake, allowing it to soak into the poked holes. Slice, and serve!
Quick Tip
Move slowly as you pour the glaze over the baked cake. You want the liquid to begin absorbing as you pour, not puddle in the pan. Otherwise, your Cake Mix Rum Bundt Cake recipe is likely to turn out soggy!
How to Store Cake Mix Rum Bundt Cake
Store leftover rum bundt cake tightly wrapped or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The whole cake or individual slices can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature before serving.
Serving Suggestions
Serve a slice of this delicious Cake Mix Rum Bundt Cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or a generous drizzling of caramel sauce! Never tried rum with caramel sauce? You’re in for a real treat!
FAQs
After an hour of baking, insert a toothpick into the center of the bundt cake. The toothpick should come out clean when your cake is baked through. Return it to the oven for a few additional minutes if the toothpick comes out with more than a few crumbs or wet batter attached.
While pound cakes can be baked in bundt pans or other types of cake pans, a bundt cake is only baked in a bundt pan, hence the name! Bundt cakes tend to be lighter in texture compared to pound cakes, which are soft, buttery, and have a slightly crisp crust.
Rum extract is liquid flavoring made from rum which means that it does contain alcohol, although a very small amount. Certain stores do sell non-alcohol rum extract if needed.
More Favorite Bundt Cake Recipes
Cake Mix Rum Bundt Cake
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- whisk
- bundt pan
- Small pot
- Measuring cup
- measuring spoons
- Baking spray
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 box (15.25 ounces) Yellow cake mix
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup water
- 1 Tablespoon rum extract
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 box 3.5 ounces vanilla pudding mix
Glaze
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 teaspoon rum extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325ºF. Spray a 10” bundt pan with baking spray then dust it with flour. Tap out any excess flour.
- Sprinkle the chopped pecans in the bottom of the prepared bundt pan and set aside.1 cup chopped pecans
- Add the cake mix, eggs, water, rum extract, oil and vanilla pudding mix to a large mixing bowl and whisk together until smooth.1 box, 4 large eggs, 1 Tablespoon rum extract, 1 cup water, ½ cup vegetable oil, 1 box
- Pour the batter into the bundt pan on top of the chopped pecans. Gently tap the bundt pan on your counter to make the batter even inside the pan.
- Bake the cake in the preheated oven for one hour. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out cleanly and the center of the cake should spring back to the touch.
- Let the bundt cake cool for about 30 minutes in the pan then flip it out on to a serving plate.
- Use a knife or toothpick to prick the cake all over, making skinny, deep cuts across the entire cake.
- Add the butter to a small sauce pan and let it melt over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and water to the pot and bring the mix to a boil, stirring constantly. Let the glaze boil for 5 minutes.½ cup butter, ½ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup water
- Remove the glaze from the stovetop and stir in the run extract.1 teaspoon rum extract
- Slowly drizzle the glaze over the bunt cake letting it soak into the cake as you pour. Go nice and slow so the glaze can absorb into the cake and not pool at the bottom of the plate.
- Slice and enjoy the cake while it is nice and warm!
Notes
- If you would like to use real rum to make this cake, replace the 1 cup of water in the recipe for ½ cup or dark rum and ½ cup of water then eliminate the rum extract from the cake recipe. You can also make the glaze with ¼ cup of dark rum rather than water. The alcohol in the rum will cook off as the glaze boils and as the cake bakes.
- Replace the pecans with walnuts, almonds or peanuts.
I’m not a fan of rum flavour but I am a fan of pecans and caramel …would caramel extract be a ok to substitute? ( not sure I’d need to any to the glaze) thanks!
That should be fine! You can also use vanilla extract in its place. 😊