This soft, buttery rum pound cake is super easy and incredibly flavorful! We add rum to our recipe in two ways! First, we add dark rum to the batter. Then, when the cake comes out of the oven, we brush it with rum simple syrup. Very nice!
This rum pound cake recipe is inspired by the Caribbean rum cake. I spent a few years in the Cayman Islands as a child, and I remember my parent’s excitement over rum cake! Now, I understand why. We infuse this pound cake batter with a combination of orange, vanilla, and dark rum, which takes the classic pound cake and makes it 1000% better. Then, when it comes out of the oven, we brush on a simple rum syrup to add moisture and extra flavor.
I love slices of this pound cake with homemade whipped cream or coconut whipped cream (amazingly delicious). It’s also amazing served alongside our berry fruit salad!
Key Ingredients
- Flour and Baking powder: This recipe uses all-purpose flour for a well-textured cake. Baking powder ensures a good rise, so make sure yours is fresh! Check the expiration date to make sure your cake rises as expected.
- Sugar: While this recipe uses brown sugar, you can substitute brown sugar. Brown sugar will probably make the cake too moist.
- Eggs: We use 3 eggs to create the rich texture that defines pound cake. Substituting eggs is not recommended in this recipe.
- Cream and butter: Like a classic pound cake, this recipe includes a large amount of butter and cream. These ingredients are the key to the wonderful flavor and texture.
- Spices: Cinnamon, cloves, orange zest, and vanilla enhance the warm, toasted notes of the rum.
- Rum: Dark rum is recommended for this recipe, as white rum does not have the same depth of flavor. You can use rum extract if you don’t have rum on hand. (Tips for substitution values are included below the recipe.)
How to Make Rum Pound Cake
You don’t need any ingredients for this rum pound cake. Simply make the cake batter in a bowl with a whisk and spatula. Start by mixing the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
Next, rub the orange zest into the sugar, making an orange-scented sugar that will permeate the entire dough as it bakes. Mix the eggs and vanilla into the orange sugar, then the cream and rum.
To mix the dough, stir everything well and add the melted butter. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake!
While the cake is baking, make the rum syrup. A simple mixture of hot water, sugar, and rum. When the cake comes out of the oven, brush it all over with the syrup.
The warm cake will absorb the flavor of the syrup and the moisture, creating an incredibly moist and delicious cake. That’s really what makes this pound cake recipe over the top.
Buttered Rum Pound Cake
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This rum pound cake is very easy to make. The cake itself is infused with orange, vanilla and dark rum. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, we drizzle it with rum syrup. The divine. The rum used really needs to be dark and strong otherwise it goes to waste.
We use an 8 ½ by 4 ½ inch loaf pan for this. If using a 9 x 5-inch pan, check doneness 5 minutes before the baking time specified below.
1 loaf, 8 slices
You will need it
Pound Cake
8 tablespoons (115g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 ⅓ cup (175g) all-purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch the cloves off the ground
1 cup and 3 tablespoons (240g) powdered sugar
2 tablespoons of orange zest
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup (80ml) heavy cream
1 tablespoon dark rum
Rum Syrup
3 tablespoons of water
2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
2 tablespoons dark rum
Directions
1Place the rack in the oven and heat to 350°F (177°C). Butter and flour an 8 ½ x 4 ½-inch loaf pan. Place the pan on a closed baking sheet or two regular baking sheets stacked on top of each other.
2Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and cloves and set aside.
3In a large bowl, whisk the sugar and orange zest together until the sugar smells sweet and orange. Mix the eggs and vanilla until combined, then add the cream and rum.
4Switch to a large rubber spatula. Grease the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, stirring gently until they are all gone and the batter is smooth.
5Fold the melted butter into 2 parts. The batter should be smooth and firm.
6Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Make the rum syrup as soon as the cake goes into the oven.
7After 30 minutes in the oven, check the cake for color. If it seems to be browning too quickly, cover it loosely with aluminum foil.
8As soon as the cake goes into the oven, stir the water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, then bring to the boil. Remove the pan from the heat and add the rum. Transfer the syrup to a heatproof bowl or cup and let it cool.
9When the cake is done, transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Remove the cake and place it right side up on the rack. Place the rack on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil.
10Using a toothpick or small skewer, poke holes all over the cake. Brush the cake with the syrup. Do this slowly so the cake has a chance to absorb the syrup. Cool the cake to room temperature, cut, and serve.
Tips from Adam and Joanne
- Rum extraction: Use 1/2 teaspoon of rum extract for every 1 tablespoon of dark rum.
- The recipe was inspired and adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s Rum-Drenched Vanilla Cakes. The recipe can be found in her wonderful book: “Baking: From My Home to Yours” – highly recommended.
