There are so many foods to look forward to over the holidays, from cornbread dressing and garlic mashed potatoes to all those Christmas cookies. But one decadent and buttery dessert in particular has everyone eagerly awaiting December.
“I don’t think I’ve ever made a more popular dessert than this. It is universally beloved, and it is SO easy,” says Allrecipes member SANJOSEBARBIE, about our most-saved holiday dessert. “I look forward to the holidays just so that I can bring this cake out multiple times.”
Our most-saved holiday dessert is a cake, but not just any cake. It’s a golden cake so gorgeous, it’ll upstage the roast beef on your holiday table.
Our Most-Saved Holiday Dessert
Our community members saved our golden rum cake more than any other dessert on our site, and it’s easy to see why. It’s eye-catching, impressive, and absolutely delicious, but best of all, it has a very well-kept secret: It starts with boxed cake mix.
Yes, with the help of two store-bought shortcuts: cake mix and pudding mix, make this favorite, five-star rum cake moist, fluffy, and extra flavorful. But, between the buttery rum glaze and crisp crown of walnuts on top, it tastes positively homemade. Plus, it makes your whole house smell divine.
Tested and approved by the Allrecipes Test Kitchen, this cake stands out from the other holiday cakes on our site because it’s simple yet memorable and turns out perfectly every time. Just ask the 1,500+ reviewers who have called it “an absolute winner,” “perfectly moist,” and “the holy grail of rum cake.”
This cake recipe is a go-to when you want to impress without added stress, making it ideal for last-minute bake sales and hostess gifts. Just be warned — once you serve it to your family, you’ll be required to make it for every holiday meal from here on out. As reviewer Linda Schwettman said, even after 20 years of making it, it is “always the center of attention at the dessert table.”
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How to Make Our Most-Saved Golden Rum Cake
Because this cake is entirely shaped and decorated by the baking pan, you’ll want to choose the prettiest Bundt pan in your collection.
Start by greasing and flouring the pan, then sprinkle an even layer of chopped walnuts on the bottom. Combine the cake mix and pudding mix in a large bowl, then add the eggs, rum, water, and oil, mixing until thoroughly blended. Pour the batter into the pan over the nuts. Bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees F (162 degrees C) for 1 hour.
While the cake bakes, prepare the glaze by combining sugar, butter, and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, then continue cooking, stirring constantly until the glaze thickens and darkens slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining rum until it’s all combined.
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Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto your serving plate. You can brush the glaze onto the cake, or use this test kitchen tip: Pour half the glaze into the Bundt pan, put the cake back into the mold, then pour the remaining glaze over the bottom of the cake. Let it soak for a few minutes, then invert it back onto the serving plate.
Several users recommend poking holes in the cake before adding the glaze so that it can penetrate the cake crumb and add more flavor and moisture (just like a poke cake).
Once you’ve mastered the simple formula, you can make it your own by subbing in pecans for walnuts, or transforming the flavor profile entirely with chocolate cake mix, chocolate pudding, and whiskey. This foolproof favorite will serve you well this season and for holidays to come — so go ahead and give it a save.
Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise
Our golden rum cake recipe has over 1,600 5-star reviews and more stellar praise than we can keep track of. If you aren’t quite sold yet, see what the Allrecipes community has to say:
- “Dynamite flavor, moist texture make this irresistible! The rum can’t be discerned in the cake, so it depends entirely on the glaze,” says reviewer Baricat. “If you like the alcohol to shine through, just dump in the rum at the very end. If you like a more subtle alcoholic flavor, simmer for 2 minutes more after adding the rum.”
- “Awesome recipe! My husband and sons (ages 16, 13, and 8) LOVED it! It was very moist and had just the right hint of rum flavor,” says reviewer TORIANNE31. “I omitted the nuts due to personal preference. It came out PERFECT. Will DEFINITELY make this one again. Oh, and adding the glaze to the pan after turning out the cake and then poking holes in the bottom to pour the rest of the glaze over worked like a charm!”
- “This is my ALL TIME favorite cake recipe. If you want to WOW a crowd and have them say, ‘OMG, this is AWESOME,’ then this is the cake for you,” says reviewer Cattledog Mom. “I’ve made this at least 6 times and each time, everyone says it is the BEST cake they’ve ever had, and they continue to tell me how good it was even weeks after they’ve had it.”
