Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Pirate's RUM CAKE

I honestly don't know what I would do if I ever lost this piece of paper.

This food stained, faded, piece of paper with the most incredible Rum Cake recipe I've ever had the honor to bake - given to me in 1988 by a co-worker, who I think was reluctant to give it up.

But my pleading and begging became quite embarrassing to her (I think when I got down on my knees beside her desk, promising to wash her dishes and clean her house) she finally said "Oh alright!" and handed me over this piece of paper.

Not wanting to share, she jotted down - simple half-telling - instructions on what to do and how to do it, obviously leaving out detailed parts.  The end  of the recipe simply says "Bake".

But she didn't fool me.  I managed to figure it out.

23 years later, and I'm still making this Yo Ho Ho Pirate's Rum Cake.

It's out-of-this-world moist.  It's Rum-a-licous..... and incredible, I mean incredible with a cup of coffee.

I willingly, and freely, without having to beg me on your knees, or walk the Pirate's Plank, give you this recipe. 

1 box Yellow Cake Mix

1 small box Jello Instant Vanilla Pudding

4 eggs

1/2 c. Dark Rum

1/2 c. Vegetable Oil

1/2 c. Water

3/4 c. chopped walnuts

For Glaze:

1/4 c. Dark Rum

1 stick butter

1 c. sugar



Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In your Kitchen Aid mixer or in a large bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, rum, eggs, oil and water.  Mix to combine.

Get out your trusty Bundt pan and spray really well with Baker's Joy.  Again I tell you how much I love Baker's Joy. When ever I have to flip something out, wanting it to look ever-so beautiful, I use this stuff.

Be sure to spray up the sides of the tube on the Bundt pan, getting inside all the nooks and crannies of the pan sprayed.

Pour batter into the pan.  Then sprinkle the walnuts evenly over the top of the batter.  Something like this:

Now pop your pan into your preheated oven, and bake for 40 to 50 minutes.  This all depends on your oven temp.  Keep watching it, and be sure to do the toothpick test to ensure the inside center is baked thoroughly.

About 10 minutes before the cake is done, it's time to make the glaze.

Get out a small pan, and place in your stick of butter, 1 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup of rum.  Place on stove on medium high (the number 8 on your stove setting).  With your wooden spoon, stir and stir until this mixture comes to a soft rolling boil.

You want to keep stirring this so the sugar breaks down and is not all gritty.  Kind of like what you would do if you are making fudge.

Stir stir stir stir.  This is where I might start using my Pirate accent and sing "Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Rum" (to kill time while I'm stirring you know). Shiver me Timbers, this Rum sure smells good!

Once the glaze is at a soft rolling boil, and the sugar is broken down, set the pan aside off the burner.

Take your cake out of the oven and set your Bundt pan on a cookie sheet.  This is so the glaze won't run off onto your counter.

Gently pour this wonderful Rummy Glaze over the top of the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven.

Now let this set for a good 2 hours (pirate time), so the Rum Glaze can seep into the cake.

After about 2 hours, you will come back, and in amazement you will see how the floating rum, has miraculously worked its way down into the cake, and start to harden and become....well you know, Glaze-Like.

Take your butter knife, and gently slide it down the sides of the pan, to un-crust the glaze that might be holding the cake to the pan.  Be sure to slide the knife down the tube side of the pan too.

Now it's time for a trick, worthy of a high rank Pirate.

Take out two plates.  One plate will be your nice pretty serving plate.  The other plate will be just a regular dinner plate.

Place your regular ole dinner plate on top of the Bundt pan, and real quick like, flip it over.

Thanks to that friend of ours, Baker's Joy, your cake should just effortlessly pop right out of the pan.

Now comes the trickery.

Take your platter, the pretty plate you want to adorn this rum-filled beauty on, and gently place it on top of the cake.

As quick as a pirate's sword, flip it over once again. 

Now the walnuts and glaze are upright and showing off to your guests.

Yo Ho Yo Ho a Pirates Life For Me!

Rum soaked, moistness.  A proud Pirate you will be!