Arr, Matey! Who loves a rich Caribbean Chocolate Rum Cake?!? Because one bite of this Chocolate Rum Cake, and you will want to book a trip to the Grand Cayman Island.
Historically, rum cakes are enjoyed during the holidays in the Caribbean. However, this Chocolate Rum Cake Recipe is so decadent and delicious; you will want to make it year-round.
The cake is well balanced between the rum and rich chocolate because I use spiced rum. The spiced rum has wonderful hints of vanilla, caramel, and aromatic spices that pair perfectly with the chocolate.
You can truly taste the rum in the cake without it being too overpowering because of the aromatic spices and decadent chocolate. With that said, you can definitely feel the sweet sensation from the rum in the boozy and chocolatey glaze.
Tortuga Rum Cakes on Grand Cayman Island
Of course, one of the best things to do on Grand Cayman Island is to eat rum cake! And so we did. Hence, my inspiration for this Chocolate Rum Cake recipe.
Even though you can find rum cakes on the dessert menu of restaurants along the beach, the BEST Caribbean rum cake is from the one and only, Tortuga Rum Cake Company. The Tortuga Rum Cakes can be found at stores throughout the island, but you can also visit a small factory store for FREE.
In addition to purchasing rum cake, visitors can learn about the manufacturing process of Tortuga Rum Cakes at the factory store. More importantly to some, you can sample different flavors of rum cake on site. Be careful though, you might fall in love with every flavor that you get busted for smuggling so much rum cake back home (totally kidding, but we did bring home our fair share).
Speaking of flavors… The original Tortuga Rum Cake is all you need for those who love rum. For others (like me) with low alcohol tolerance, the Chocolate Rum Cake is more enjoyable because of the richness and sweetness of chocolate. Other favorite rum cake flavors include Pineapple Rum, Cinnamon Raisin Rum, and Coconut Rum.
What Is Chocolate Rum Cake?
A rum cake is a puddling-like yellow bundt cake baked with rum then soaked in a rum syrup for an extra boozy finish.
It is said that rum cakes originated during the 18th century in the Caribbean when English colonists brought over their fruit pudding cake recipes. Hence why rum cakes are very moist and pudding-like.
Many islands “fight” to claim who was first. Some say Bermuda, others the Bahamas, but one thing is for sure, the Grand Cayman popularized rum cakes thanks to Tortuga Rum Cake Company.
Today, there are different flavor variations such as Chocolate Rum Cake, Key Lime Rum Cake, Pina Colada Rum Cake, and more. As long as there is rum, a rum syrup, and a pudding mix, it is safe to say that you have a rum cake.
List of Ingredients for Caribbean Chocolate Rum Cake
Of course, the star of the show is rum. Personally, I think the best is a spiced rum. The spiced flavors and subtle sweetness pair so well with the rich chocolate. With that being said, you are free to use your preferred rum of choice.
If you love rum and want the flavor of the alcohol to shine through the chocolate, I recommend choosing dark rum. Gold rum is great for this recipe if you prefer a light yet sweet and flavorful rum.
No matter which type of rum you choose, this Chocolate Rum Cake will come out boozy, flavorful, and absolutely perfect!
Furthermore, another main component of a delicious and moist rum cake is a pudding mix. In this Caribbean Chocolate Rum Cake from scratch recipe, we are making our own pudding mix. The pudding mix includes milk powder, cornstarch, and sugar – pretty simple.
This is a brief overview. Please refer to the ingredient measurements at the end of this post.
- All-purpose flour
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Cornstarch
- Milk powder (instant dry milk)
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Sugar
- Vegatable oil
- Unsalted butter
- Eggs
- Whole milk
- Spiced rum (or your preference of rum)
- Bittersweet chocolate chips
- Vanilla extract
- Water
How to Make Caribbean Chocolate Rum Cake From Scratch
This Chocolate Rum Cake from scratch is so easy to make! It is not only easy, but it will also taste so much better than a box-cake version.
This is a brief overview. Please refer to the full recipe description at the end of this post.
Prep cake pan – Lightly grease a 9-inch bundt cake pan, then dust the inside with a mixture of flour and cocoa powder. Turn the pan to coat it evenly and shake out any excess.Preheat oven to 325°.
Melt chocolate – Add the milk and chocolate chips to a small saucepan. Stir the chocolate over low heat until it is melted and the mixture is smooth. Set aside and allow the chocolate mixture to cool (but not get cold).
Cream butter and sugar – In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until well combined.
Mix dry ingredients – In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, milk powder, baking powder, and salt. Then slowly add the dry ingredient mixture into the creamed butter and sugar. Beat all of the ingredients together. Make sure to scrape the bowl and ensure all the ingredients are well combined. The mixture will look sandy.
Add wet ingredients – Pour the vegetable oil into the batter and mix. Then mix in the eggs one at a time. Remember to scrape the bowl continuously. Next, slowly add the spiced rum and vanilla extract. Followed by the melted chocolate mixture. Continue to mix the batter until it is smooth with no lumps.
Bake cake – Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until you insert a cake tester and it comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan.
Prepare syrup – In a small saucepan, mix together the butter, sugar, water, cocoa powder, and salt. Bring to a quick boil. Then turn the heat down and simmer, frequently stirring, for about 5 minutes, or until the syrup has slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the spiced rum and vanilla extract.
Glaze cake – While the cake is still inside the pan, poke holes into the bottom of the cake with a toothpick or skewer. Make sure you poke the holes at least 3/4 of the way down. Pour 1/4 of the rum syrup over the cake. Once the cake absorbs the syrup, pour more, but reserve some syrup for glazing the top. Invert the cake onto a rack. For easy cleanup, place a sheet of parchment paper underneath the rack. Pour the remaining syrup over the top of the cake.
Let the Chocolate Rum Cake sit for one hour before slicing and serving.
More Chocolate Recipes
- Triple Chocolate Biscotti – a Sweet Twist on the Classic Italian Biscotti
- Chocolate Caramel Tart – A Decadent Dessert
- The Ultimate Chocolate Peanut Butter Gooey Butter Cake
- Torta Tenerina – The Ultimate Italian Flourless Chocolate Cake
Caribbean Chocolate Rum Cake
Yield: 12 slices
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Additional Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
This Caribbean Chocolate Rum Cake is well balanced between the aromatic spices of the rum and decadent chocolate. It's finished with a boozy and chocolatey glaze where you can feel the sweet sensation from the rum.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 cup milk powder (instant dry milk)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup spiced rum (or rum of choice)
Chocolate Rum Glaze
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup spiced rum (or rum of choice)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch bundt cake pan, then dust the inside with a mixture of flour and cocoa powder. Turn the pan to coat it evenly and shake out any excess.Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, stir the milk and chocolate chips over low heat until it is melted and the mixture is smooth. Set aside and allow the chocolate mixture to cool (but not get cold).
- In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, milk powder, baking powder, and salt. Then slowly add the dry ingredients into the creamed butter and sugar. Beat all ingredients together while occasionally scraping the bowl until well combined. It will look sandy.
- Pour the vegetable oil into the batter and mix. Then add the eggs one at a time. Continue to scrape the bowl. Next, slowly add the spiced rum and vanilla extract. Followed by the melted chocolate mixture. Continue to mix the batter until it is smooth with no lumps.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until you insert a cake tester and it comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan on a cooling rack.
- In a small saucepan, mix together the butter, sugar, water, cocoa powder, and salt. Bring this to a quick boil. Then turn the heat down and simmer, frequently stirring, for about 5 minutes, or until the syrup has slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the spiced rum and vanilla extract.
- While the cake is still inside the pan, poke holes into the bottom of the cake with a toothpick or skewer. Make sure you poke the holes at least 3/4 of the way down. Pour 1/4 of the rum syrup over the cake. Once the cake absorbs the syrup, pour more, but reserve some syrup for glazing the top. Invert the cake onto a rack. For easy cleanup, place a sheet of parchment paper underneath the rack. Pour the remaining syrup over the top of the cake. Note: you do not need to use all the syrup if you do not desire it.
- Let the Chocolate Rum Cake sit for one hour before slicing and serving.
Notes
For this recipe, I use spiced rum because I think it is the best. The spiced flavors and subtle sweetness pair so well with the rich chocolate. With that being said, you are free to use your preferred rum of choice.
If you love rum and want the flavor of the alcohol to shine through the chocolate, I recommend choosing dark rum. Gold rum is great for this recipe if you prefer a light yet sweet and flavorful rum.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, when you click on the link you will have the option to purchase a product at no extra cost to you, but I would receive a small commission. I want to thank everyone for following and supporting us on all of “Our Sweet Adventures” and for cooking with my recipes on "Christina's Culinary Creations".
