Coconut Rum Cake
This Coconut Rum Cake adds even more Caribbean flavor to the classic cake recipe with the sweet infusion of coconut and a buttery glaze.
This Coconut Rum Cake Recipe puts a tropical twist on a classic Rum Cake recipe.
Bonus (at least, for me): it brings back memories of my recent Princess Cruise trip in the Eastern Caribbean!
I’m excited to be partnering with Princess Cruises to share this delicious recipe with all of you!
When you think of cruises, you probably imagine blue waters, white sand, and fun excursions like snorkeling and swimming with stingrays.
And while my cruise offered all these things (and more) there’s something else I really enjoyed on the trip …
THE FOOD!
That’s right, in addition to the tasty food on board, I loved sampling the local flavors at each port.
And one of the tastiest — and most surprising — treats was Coconut Rum Cake!
Also known as Caribbean Rum Cake, this boozy dessert is dense, moist, and full of rum and coconut flavor.
But the reason it’s so surprisingly delicious is that it’s sold in the port gift shops!
Believe it or not, this treat is packed in boxes and shrink-wrapped (it’s called Tortuga Rum Cake).
In fact, it’s considered the most popular souvenir in the Caribbean!
We picked up a few in port in Grand Turk just before boarding the ship.
I was worried we were running late to catch our ship, but since the OceanMedallion makes reboarding so quick and easy, I decided to risk it and stock up on some sweets!
A Caribbean Tradition!
We saw the Tortuga Cakes in almost every port, and of course, I had to pick a few up.
But once I got them home, unfortunately, they didn’t last long …
So, I was inspired to make my own homemade version.
Plus, I love rum cake already; it’s always been a traditional Christmas dessert in my family and we make it with spiced rum and walnuts!
But this recipe has a coconut twist that makes it perfect for summer!
In fact, it may be the Best Rum Cake Recipe you’ve ever tasted.
And with a couple of hacks, it’s easy to replicate the traditional tourist favorite.
What’s Rum Cake Made Of?
This cake is made quick and easy with a yellow cake mix and a package of vanilla pudding.
The recipe also calls for basics like eggs, butter, sugar, water, and vegetable oil.
The not-so-secret ingredient is loads of sweet, shredded coconut for that signature island flavor.
Then, of course, there’s the rum! Rum Cake is made with three different kinds of rum – THREE!!!
And they equal a full cup!
What Rum Is Used?
Dark Rum – I’m partial to Myer’s, but I know many who like Goslings. The dark rum helps build a strong flavor foundation within the cake itself and should not be substituted for another rum.
Gold Rum – I really like using Appleton Special Rum in baked goods. It’s an affordable rum with great body and a nice sweetness to it that really lends itself to the glaze.
Coconut Rum – This rum makes the cake! It’s sweet and delicious and adds the flavor of the tropics to an already delicious recipe. I like using Sugar Island, Blue Chair Bay, or Malibu.
I prefer making this cake with three different kinds of rum because I think it adds a wonderful flavor dynamic.
If you can’t find Appleton Special Rum, you can use another gold rum, dark rum, or ALL coconut rum.
However, I recommend keeping the dark rum in the cake batter itself.
I don’t recommend spiced rum as it tends to overpower the coconut.
So, it must be noted: this Rum Soaked cake is definitely not kid-friendly.
But the adults at the party will love this Caribbean-inspired dessert!
Yep, each bite is like a vacation in your mouth.
That’s why it’s perfect to share with (age-appropriate) friends and family all summer long!
How To Make It:
This cake is pretty simple to make but takes some time because it takes about an hour to bake and about 2 hours to soak in all the buttery and sugary goodness of the glaze.
- Begin by preheating the oven to 325 degrees F and grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan. Sprinkle some shredded coconut evenly over the bottom of the pan.
- Sift the cake mix and pudding mix into a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Add in the eggs, water, oil, and rums and beat until fully incorporated. Pour batter over the coconut in the pan.
- Bake for 1 hour or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- During the last 10 minutes or so that the cake is baking, prepare the glaze. In a saucepan, combine the butter, water, and sugar and bring to a boil over medium heat. Continue to boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in the rum.
- Use a skewer to poke holes all over the bottom of the cake while in the pan, then pour the rum glaze all over the cake while both are still hot. Be careful not to let it overflow the pan.
- Let the cake cool to room temperature and soak for at least 2 hours before removing from the pan. DO NOT refrigerate. After the cake has cooled, use a small rubber spatula to loosen it from the sides of the pan, then gently flip it onto a serving plate or cake stand and remove it from the pan. Be patient and let gravity do its thing. The cake is a little sticky and is slow to come out.
- If you feel like getting fancy, once plated you could top it with powdered sugar or a thick vanilla icing and toasted coconut.
The Perfect Cake For A Crowd!
Bring it to backyard barbecues and cookouts all summer long. But don’t let the season stop you, this makes a delicious dessert all year round!
Paired with Rum Punch on a balmy evening, and you’ll be ready to party the night away!
And if you plan on turning your backyard into a tiki hangout, this Rum Cake is definitely a necessity.
Every time I eat a slice of Coconut Cake, it takes me back to turquoise water and sandy beaches …
It’s almost like being back on my sunny Princess Cruise. Almost.
This crowd-pleasing Coconut Rum Cake Recipe will become a staple at your get-togethers all summer long.
Make this boozy treat once, and friends and family will beg you to make it over and over again!
More Cake Recipes
Let’s Connect!
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Coconut Rum Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
- 1 (18.25-oz.) box yellow cake mix
- 1 (3.4-oz.) box instant vanilla pudding mix
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup dark rum
- 1/4 cup coconut rum
Glaze
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup coconut rum
- 1/4 cup Appleton Special Rum
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan. Sprinkle the shredded coconut evenly over the bottom of the pan.
- Sift the cake mix and pudding mix into a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Add in the eggs, water, oil, and rums and beat until fully incorporated. Pour batter over the coconut in the pan.
- Bake for 1 hour or until a cake tester inserted into the cake comes out clean.
- During the last 10 minutes or so that the cake is baking, prepare the glaze. In a saucepan, combine the butter, water, and sugar and bring to a boil over medium heat. Continue to boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in the rum.
- Use a skewer to poke holes all over the bottom of the cake while in the pan, then pour the glaze all over the cake while both are still hot. Be careful not to let it overflow the pan.
- Let the cake cool and soak for at least 2 hours before removing from the pan. DO NOT refrigerate. After the cake has cooled, use a small rubber spatula to loosen it from the sides of the pan, then gently flip it onto a serving dish and remove it from the pan. Be patient and let gravity do it's thing, the cake is a little sticky and is slow to come out.
- Once plated, leave plain, dust with powdered sugar, or top with icing and toasted coconut if desired.
Video
Notes
- I prefer making this cake with three different kinds of rum because I think it adds a wonderful flavor dynamic. If you can’t find Appleton Special Rum, you can use another gold rum, dark rum, or ALL coconut rum. However, I recommend keeping the dark rum in the cake batter itself.
- I don’t recommend spiced rum as it tends to overpower the coconut.
- If you want an even stronger coconut flavor, add 1 teaspoon of coconut flavoring.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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If I could give this more stars then I would!! I am very new to baking and this recipe was so easy to follow. (thank you Rebecca for answering my question about subbing the pineapple rum) My entire family went crazy over this recipe and it was almost completely gone by the end of the night. Everyone thought it was a gourmet recipe and was over the moon on how good it tasted.
Can you sub a pineapple rum for the appleton special rum?
That would be fine.
This cake was so so so delicious! Made it last summer for the 4th of July party which is also my bday celebration!! It was a hit! I know I only had like 1 type of rum which was the Malibu coconut rum but I also used half milk and half pina colada mix in place of the water. I always use milk in my cakes instead of water. There’s a good chance I only used 3 eggs instead of 4 because really a box cake, really no cake ever needs 4 eggs. It was amazing! Making again for a good fried this weekend!
GREAT rum cake! I have NEVER made a bundt cake…..EVER. I barely cook anything but I was able to follow the directions for this recipe to the letter and I wound up with a HUG hit for a potluck event at work. The only thing I would do differently next time, is wait to add the powdered sugar until a few minutes prior to setting out on the table because overnight, it adopted the color of rum………hmmmmm I wonder why (smiles!) Oh, and when I was pouring the glaze, I had only poured about half of it when it was almost overflowing the pan, so at first I thought I was done. Good thing I looked at it again a minute later to see that it had soaked in. So thankfully I added the remainder of the glaze and it turned out perfect two hours later when I released the cake from the pan. Now, I’m already being requested to do it again for our next event. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!
I’m so glad this recipe was a hit for you and your coworkers and I hope you enjoy it many times in the future!
This is a wonderful cake.. everyone just loves it. I used coconut milk in place of the water on the cake mix and it was so good. I’ve also made variations of this cake that were so good. I did a chocolate cake with orange flavored rum and added mandarin orange segments to the bottom of the pan in place of the coconut. It was really good too.
Wonderful recipe! I saw this on your YouTube channel and could not wait to try! I also wanted to ask you about the cute green saucepan you are using in the video…..what brand of cookware is that and where did you get it? Love it!
So glad you enjoyed it! My videographer lives in Europe so I’m not sure what brand the pan is. It looks similar to a Dansk pot but I don’t think it is since the handle is shaped a little differently.
I’ve gone to several stores and have only seen the cake mix box in the 15.25oz size. Would this significantly alter the results?
Yes, it will! Anything 15-19oz should work.
I used coconut cream in place of all water and only used coconut rum. It was DELICIOUS! Definitely our new favorite coconut cake!
This sounds amazing! If my cake mix says that it already includes pudding, do I still need to add the packet of vanilla pudding mix?
I still do but you don’t need to.
Would it be Ok to use Coconut oil in place of vegetable oil in this cake
I’ve never tried so I can’t say for sure, but I would think it would alter the recipe slightly.
FYI……I used a cake pan release paste and it came out of the pan so easy!
1/3 cup of flour, shortening and vegetable oil.
Enjoy!
This is THEEEEE BEST RUM CAKE RECIPE EVER! I was so nervous making this cake for my husband who is from the Bahamas. He said this was the best rum cake he has ever had! The only thing I did different was add a half cup of crushed pineapple that I let soak in the rum for a few days before I made it.
Oh yum, I will have to try that the next time I make it! 🤤
Could you add shredded coconut directly into the batter and bake?
I’m sure you could, but I have never done it.
I made yesterday and did add shredded coconut to batter and it was great. I also replaced all the water with coconut cream. So delicious!!
I made this a few months ago, but only had coconut rum on hand. It turned out AMAZING!!! My husband loved it, and can’t wait for me to make it again, which I plan to for the holidays. Highly recommend trying…you’ll love it.
I’ve made this cake at least 4 times already! Always get rave reviews! It’s so easy and so flavorful!
I’m so glad you enjoy the recipe so much!
This cake was so easy and hands down the favorite that I baked for my birthday. It went against a chocolate layer cake with buttercream and everyone agreed this was the winner.
I sprinkle extra coconut on top of the batter after it’s in the pan since my friends and I all thought it needed more.
Made this recipe and the reviews from friends and family were all off the chart. This is a deliciously moist cake with excellent flavor. This is a keeper recipe that will be made often in the future.
I’m so glad you all enjoyed it!
Have cake in the oven now, have always wanted to make a rum cake. Surprisingly easy recipe to follow. Anxious to eat, thanks for sharing the recipe!
I hope you love it!
I am a HORRIBLE BAKER! But THIS is the best cake I have EVER made, and it tasted so great, I’m baking another one RIGHT NOW. Yes, 2 cakes in 1 week!!! I haven’t baked 2 cakes in the last 5 years! (LOL) MAKE THIS CAKE!!!!
yay! So glad you love it!!!
Making this right now! And surprised at actually how simple it is!
I hope you enjoyed it, Melanie!
Looking forward to trying this.