This vegan rum cake is incredibly moist, rich, and soaked in a buttery rum sauce. This simple yet indulgent pound cake is the perfect dessert for any occasion from a weeknight dinner to a showstopper dessert during the holidays.
What is Rum Cake?
Rum cake is a dessert enjoyed in countries all over the world. For each unique name it has, there's a variety of ways to prepare it.
This recipe is the vegan version of the Bacardi Rum Cake which gained its popularity during the late 70's. If you're not familiar with the original old school rum cake, think: a golden bundt cake made with boxed yellow cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, oil, water and rum to create the a dense and tender cake. It's then brushed or soaked in a butter rum sauce. Being delightfully indulgent and super easy to prepare, it's no wonder why it's so loved!
How to Make Vegan Rum Cake from Scratch?
This homemade rumcake comes together in just a few steps:
- Sift the dry ingredients in a large bowl
- Combine the wet ingredients in a blender,
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, mix
- Bake the cake in a bundt pan
- Cook the syrup
- Cool and soak the cake in the syrup
- Enjoy!
The Classic Rum Cake Goes Vegan
There are some vegan cake and pudding mixes available so veganizing this may have been simpler than the recipe testing I've done for this homemade rum cake. I've never really gravitated to cake mixes. I have nothing against them, I just find that they tend to be expensive and the dry ingredients for a cake are pretty easy to assemble at home.
That said, I did use custard powder in this vegan rum cake. I really like Bird's Custard Powder which is naturally egg-free. It gives us that density and tender crumb we're looking for in a rum cake. The custard powder also gives the cake a nice yellow hue and full flavor.
Some of the classic old school rum cakes include nuts, some of them don't. I chose not to include them in this recipe but if you would like add nuts, sprinkle 1 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans on the bottom of the prepared bundt pan before adding the batter.
Magic of Silken Tofu in Vegan Rum Cake
Silken tofu is magical in vegan pound cakes. Now before I lose you, you will not be able to taste tofu in this cake! Silken tofu is usually found room temperature in tetra-paks and are different than the tofus you'll find in the cooler section at the grocery store. True to it's name, it's incredibly silky and very mild in flavor, if not verging on being flavorless. This unique type of tofu adds moisture as well as strengthens the body of the cake so it can take on the dreamy rum syrup. We're after a tender crumb but not so delicate that it will become gluey and disintegrate under the syrup.
The silken tofu absolutely needs to be blended up to make sure you don't have flecks of it in your cake. If you don't have a large enough blender for all of the wet ingredients, you can use a bullet style smoothie blender and blend the tofu and milk together. Once the tofu is completely blended and no fine bits remain, then mix this with the rest of the wet ingredients in a large measuring cup or medium sized bowl.
Make Vegan Rum Cake Ahead of Time
This vegan rum cake actually gets better the longer it sits. For the best flavor, I like to make the rum cake and soak it with half of the sauce the day before I plan to serve it. Once it's completely cool, wrap it or cover it. At serving time, drizzle each piece with a bit of the remaining sauce.
Love bundt cakes? Try out my Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake , Vegan Hummingbird Cake with Vanilla Glaze, or Cranberry Chocoalte Fudge Bundt Cake with Candied Cranberries which is perfect for the holidays. This time year just isn't complete without pumpkin, so check out this Pumpkin Spice Latte Sheet Cake with Butterscotch Sauce. It's obviously not a bundt cake but it makes a great addition to the holidays if you're looking for an easy vegan cake recipe.
If you make this Vegan Rum Cake, please give it a rating in the recipe card or let me know in the comments! I love connecting on Instagram where you can tag me in your creations using my recipes. You can also follow me on Pinterest and Facebook. Thank you for reading along!
Vegan Rum- Just Like to 1970's Classic!
Recipe Video
Ingredients
For the Rum Cake:
- 1 cup plant-based milk
- ½ cup dark rum*
- ⅔ cup extra-firm silken** tofu***
- ¾ cup neutral oil (eg avocado, canola, etc)
- 3 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoon vegan custard powder
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the Rum Glaze:
- ½ cup vegan butter
- ¼ cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup dark rum
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
For the Rum Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Prepare a 12-cup bundt pan - wipe down with non-hydrogenated shortening. Do not use vegan butter or margarine. If using cooking spray, do this just before you add the batter so the spray doesn't drip down the pan.
- Combine the milk, rum, tofu, oil, vinegar, and vanilla in a blender - blend on high until completely smooth scraping down the sides as necessary.
- In a large bowl, sift the flour, sugar, custard powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Make a shallow well, and pour in the wet ingredients into the dry. Mix with a spoon, taking care not to over mix. Pour into the prepared bundt pan and bake in the center of the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with a few baked crumbs. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes then invert onto a cooling rack.
For the Rum Glaze:
- While the cake cools, prepare the rum glaze. In a small saucepan, combine the vegan butter, water, sugar and salt over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring continuously for 5 minutes taking care not to let it boil over. Remove from heat and mix in the rum - be careful, the mixture will bubble vigorously.
- Wash and dry the bundt pan, place over the cooling cake and invert the cake back into the pan. Pour the half of the hot rum syrup all over the cake, down the sides and let soak for an hour, and finish cooling. If you pour the half of the sauce over it, you can save the rest to drizzle over the slices of cake at serving time. Otherwise, you can pour all of the rum glaze over the cake for soaking, both options are great. The cake is even better then next day.
Sally says
My son is celiac AND dairy intolerant. I’ve been trying cake recipes for his birthday for years! It’s a VERY frustrating journey and I’m an experienced baker. I made this cake last night and it is DELICIOUS!!! My son is turning 37 so he can have alcohol. Which is a good thing because this cake is LETHAL!! So very appreciative. For those with the same baking struggles of a GF bday cake, this is the answer. I used Costco GF flour. 👍👍👍😋
Kaitlyn says
Brilliant rum cake recipe. Instructions are straightforward and easy. Cake is moist and flavorful. I’ve made it several times with various tweaks (different glazes).
Bronwyn Fraser | Crumbs & Caramel says
Hi Kaitlyn, thank you for taking the time to share! I'm happy you're enjoying the cake and experimenting with different glazes. Would love to hear what flavors you've been making! ~ Bronwyn
Agnieszka says
I made this cake yesterday and finally tried today. It is amazing ! I did it have custard powder or silken tofu . I used corn starch and extra vanilla , and firm tofu which blended well in my vitamix . The cake is not absorbing the glaze that well . So I drizzled some on the individual cake peace . I was wondering if I could poke holes in the cake to let glaze absorb more . Also I wa s wondering what rum brands others use . I will make this cake again in the future for sure and I will make sure to use the custard powder and silken tofu like the recipie dictates , and will rate it here again
Thank you for this wonderful recipie !
Bronwyn Fraser | Crumbs & Caramel says
Hi Agnieszka, thank you for sharing your ingredient swaps! Firm tofu has less moisture and more protein so perhaps this is why the glaze wasn't absorbing well (a denser cake.) That said, the glaze is normally absorbed slowly - next time you could try poking holes in it with a skewer like you say, or gradually brushing the glaze on. I often save a little to spoon over each slice at serving time. As for rum suggestions - I really like dark rums (rather than traditional rum) with a more robust flavor such as The Kraken.
Priscilla Muntemba says
I made this cake for a vegan friend and she and her family loved it! She doesn’t like to bake so she asked me again this Christmas to make it for her! I used apple sauce but my husband wants me to use tofu next time for him!
Bronwyn Fraser | Crumbs & Caramel says
Such a sweet comment, Priscilla! Thank you! I'm glad you're all enjoying the rum cake 🙂
Wendy says
I made this cake for my husband’s birthday and he loved it. I cooked the sauce a bit because the rum would have been basically raw and was to sharp to my taste. My question is how would this cake bake up at altitude? We live at 7200ft but I made the cake basically at sea level while visiting family. Any tips?
Bronwyn Fraser | Crumbs & Caramel says
Hi Wendy! I'm so happy to hear that your husband loved his birthday cake! As to your question, I am not able to test my recipes for high altitude where I live, but I can share a great resource with you in tweaking it. King Arthur has a very comprehensive guide on modifying standard recipes for high altitude ones. Check it out here: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/resources/high-altitude-baking I'd love to hear how the modifications work for you if you'd like to share! Thanks again for the nice feedback! ~ Bronwyn
Sarah S says
I have made this cake 4 or 5 times now and it’s always killer. So delicious. I’ve found that most people have never had (or heard of) rum cake and they are shocked by the delicious flavor and how hard it hits. It’s a strong cake! But so delicious it’s hard to stop with one piece.
Also, I wanted to share that for my most recent iteration, I did not have silken tofu so I substituted one container of Silk (dairy-free) Greek yogurt and it was even better. It’s been my latest hack for egg substitutes in baking and I recommend experimenting with it, it certainly worked with this recipe!
Pallavi says
I want to add chocolate chips to this, how should I do that?
jess says
real quick question: why the firm command not to use vegan butter to grease the pan? it's been a while since i've been able to get shortening in any of the supermarkets i have access to, so block margarine is all i have to use to grease.
Bronwyn Fraser | Crumbs & Caramel says
Hi Jess! Some vegan butters (especially the tub or whipped varieties) have a higher water content so they don't provide enough "grease" to ensure the cake will release properly from the pan. I tend to recommend using shortening as it is all fat, and I want readers to be successful without ripped/stuck cake. That said, many block margarines/vegan butters now have comparable fat contents to dairy butter and can likely be used if that's what you have on hand. Back when I developed this recipe, most vegan butter available in my area was the tub based variety which had too much water in it to be suitable for greasing. Hope this helps and that you enjoyed the cake! ~ Bronwyn
Lena says
I made 2/3 of the recipe in a regular pyrex dish, using a slightly smaller amount of regular firm tofu instead of silken, and 3:1 starch and sugar in place of custard powder.
The cake came out lovely: tender yet robust, delicious (and I don’t even like rum a lot). Everyone liked it. Will make again. Excited to try some flavor variations, like replacing rum with brandy, adding orange zest, almond slices, etc.
Bronwyn Fraser | Crumbs & Caramel says
Thanks for taking the time to review and comment, Lena! I'm so happy that you all enjoyed the cake and that the modifications were a success. Have fun with experimenting with those flavor variations, they all sound so good! ~ Bronwyn
Kelly says
This cake is absolutely delicious! Thank you so much for creating the recipe, rum cakes are a nostalgic dessert that I’ve missed for many years vegan and I wasn’t able to figure out good substitutes for the cake I used to make. I’ve made this three times and each was a delight. Now I’m looking forward to experimenting with variations!
Bronwyn Fraser | Crumbs & Caramel says
Thank you for taking the time to share, Kelly! I'm so happy this recipe has brought this cake back from the past for you! It's a special recipe in our family, too, and so glad we can continue to enjoy it animal-product free! Feel free to share your variations, always fun to hear reader twists!
Kelly says
@Bronwyn Fraser | Crumbs & Caramel, I made an orange variation, adding a couple tablespoons of orange zest and about 1/4 cup of orange juice as part of the milk amount to the cake, then substituted some orangecello for some rum in the glaze. Orange flavor was subtle and very good; would need to make some adjustments to make a stronger orange flavoring. Will continue to try variations, I’m loving this cake and it freezes so well, it’s nice to have some in the freezer to just pop out whenever we’d like it!
Andrea says
It was a hit!
So now I want to make it for
Christmas but need to make it gluten free.
Have you every tried it with GF flour? My understanding is equal amount of flour to regular flour.
Thanks so much! And thank you again for such a delicious recipe!!
Aarthi says
Hi! I just wanted to let you know that I've made this recipe a dozen+ times, and it has been 100% ooohs and aaahhs! The base is perfect for making Vegan Indian desserts. The julab jamum and Rasamali cakes were so good! Thanks for makes my special events extra sweet!
Crumbs & Caramel says
Hi Aarthi! I'm so happy to hear this! I'm also really intrigued to use the base for Indian desserts - I used to LOVE julab jamum before I went vegan and now I'll have try this! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a nice review! ~ Bronwyn
Aarthi says
@Crumbs & Caramel,
I subbed the rum with cardamom water, rose water and saffron. Then added toasted almonds to the bottom of the pans and put a light dusting of cardamom powder and dried rose petal. I also just made a mango/passionfruit, again just subbing the rum portion with the said purees! Bronwyn, this recipe has made me the dessert queen at family events! I love boasting that it has tofu to my unsuspecting guests!
Thanks again!
Bronwyn Fraser | Crumbs & Caramel says
Aarthi, my mouth is watering at the thought of these flavors! Love how you've adapted the recipe, and that they've been so well loved. I bet the rose petals are just stunning on top! Thanks so much for sharing!
Momoko says
I made this today (2/3 of the recipe) with noted cornstarch + extra vanilla extract (instead of using vegan custard powder). Turned out brilliant and tasty, I like how it is not overly sweet, but just right! I used a 10-cup Nordic bundt cake for the 2/3 recipe.
Crumbs & Caramel says
I'm happy to hear this Momoko! Thanks so much for sharing your modification, that's great to know! ~ Bronwyn 🙂
Sabrina says
I’ve made this cake at least 3 times now! It’s amazing! I never have silken tofu on hand so I substitute vegan mayo and it turns out amazing! Best vegan rum cake ever!
Crumbs & Caramel says
So happy you enjoy the rum cake, Sabrina! Love the use of vegan mayo instead of silken tofu. Thank you for sharing and for the lovely feedback! ~ Bronwyn
Susan Skidmore says
I have the cake baking in the oven right now. I just realized I’m out of granulated sugar needed for the sauce. Can I use light brown sugar or coconut sugar as a substitute? Please advise. Thanks!
Crumbs & Caramel says
Hi Susan, I'd use light brown sugar - it'll provide a slightly richer flavor which should be really good! Hope you enjoy the cake! ~ Bronwyn
Lola says
I made this cake for company last night. I replaced the custard powder for cornstarch and added a dash more vanilla. It was absolutely delicious! A big hit with my guests. Thank you 🙂
Crumbs & Caramel says
I'm so happy you and your guests enjoyed the cake, Lola! Thanks so much for letting me know! ~ Bronwyn
sabrina6260 says
Wow! What an amazing recipe. So, I used applesauce instead of silken tofu, added a rum icing (atop the glaze the next morning), and baked it in a half sheet pan. This rum cake came out divine! I made it for a Superbowl get-together and everyone loved it. I will definitely be making it again! Thank you for the recipe!
Crumbs & Caramel says
Love that you tried it as a sheet cake! So happy you and your guests enjoyed it! Thamk you for taking the time to let me know 🙂 ~Bronwyn