Mom’s Famous Rum Cake
Butter or vegetable oil, for greasing the pan
1 cup/120 grams chopped walnuts or pecans
1 (roughly 16-ounce/450-gram) package yellow cake mix
1 (3.4-ounce/100-gram) package vanilla instant pudding mix
4 large eggs
1/2 cup/120 milliliters cold water
1/2 cup/120 milliliters vegetable oil
1/2 cup/120 milliliters rum (dark or light), preferably Bacardi
1/2 cup (1 stick/115 grams) unsalted butter
1 cup/200 grams sugar
1/2 cup/120 milliliters rum (dark or light)
1/4 cup/60 milliliters water
Directions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch Bundt cake pan, scatter the nuts evenly into the bottom of the pan, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water, oil and rum. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the thickest part of the cake comes out with just a few crumbs attached.
- While the cake bakes, make the glaze: In a small saucepan, combine the butter, sugar, rum and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, then remove from heat.
- When the cake is done, remove from the oven and let cool 5 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate. Using a skewer or a fork, poke holes all over the top and sides of the cake, then brush the entire cake with the glaze, repeating until all the glaze is gone. Serve warm or at room temperature. Cake keeps (and improves, some say), wrapped and refrigerated, up to 3 days.