Rum cake is a well-known and much-loved dessert that is essentially a sponge cake containing rum. To make a rum cake spectacular, you’ll not only want to find a great recipe, but you’ll also want to get your hands on the best rum for rum cake.
Drawing a blank? Don’t worry!
We’ve compiled a list of rums that are full of deep, rich flavor to add depth to your rum cakes, as well as other rum types that might better suit your fancy. Eager to learn more about using rum in dessert? Then, let’s go!
Table of Contents
- Why Is Rum Used in Cake?
- What Kind of Rum Is Best For Rum Cake?
- What Is the Best Rum For Fruitcake?
- Which Brand of Rum Is Used in Plum Cake?
- Best Rum For Chocolate Rum Cake
- Best Rum For Rum Raisin Cake
- Non-Alcoholic Substitutes For Rum in Rum Cake
- FAQs on Rum For Rum Cake
- The Best Rum For Rum Cake? Take Your Pick!
Why Is Rum Used in Cake?
Rum is used in rum cake to deepen flavors. Also to cause the cake to take on the warm, buttery, and inviting flavor of rum itself. Depending on the type of rum you put in the cake, the rum flavoring can be intense or it can be subtle.
There are variations of rum that can also be infused into a rum cake, such as pineapple, spiced, or coconut rum. All of which can give your rum cake a unique flair.
What Kind of Rum Is Best For Rum Cake?
- Gosling’s Black Seal Black Rum – One of Bermuda’s largest exports, Gosling’s Black Seal Black Rum is the perfect addition to your next rum cake. This rum is described by its creators as having a taste similar to that of stewed fruits layered with hints of vanilla. Those that have tasted it described it as deep and dark like caramelized sugar. Based on this description, you’ll want to add this to a rum cake that you want to taste deep and rich. This is also a very good choice for a fruit cake for depth of flavor.
- Cruzan 9-Spice Rum – If indeed, you can get your hands on this rum, you’ll love it for its spicy flavor. As the name entails, this rum contains nine spices including vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, juniper berry, allspice, allspice, pepper, and mace. This rum brand is known for aging its rums in barrels anywhere from 14 months up to 12 years. Cruzan makes the perfect rum for making a cake spicy – if that’s the vibe you’re going for!
- Sailor Jerry Original – Said to be blended with the finest rums that the Caribbean has to offer. This is a well–known and popular brand of rum you’ll do well to put in your next rum cake. The original Sailor Jerry Rum is crafted with vanilla and cinnamon. These two are most forefront in terms of taste, paired with a unique blend of spices.
- Angostura 5 Years – How do toffee, caramel, and warming spices sound? We thought so! Angostura 5 Years is a light gold rum that has been aged a minimum of 5 years in oak barrels in Trinidad. It will provide a light and lovely taste of rum to your rum cake without being too overpowering.
- Barcardi Spiced (Formerly Bacardi Oakheart) – This rich and smoky rum isn’t for the faint of heart. Those who want rum flavor in the forefront when tasting a rum cake will likely love this addition. Bacardi Spiced is a robust-tasting rum that employs hints of sweetness, smokiness, and pepperiness. All these at the same time make for an unforgettable rum cake that people likely won’t stop talking about!
What Is the Best Rum For Fruitcake?
Rondiaz Coconut Rum can take your fruitcake to new heights, though any good and high-quality rum can do the trick. Also, it will depend on what kind of flavor you wish to achieve in your fruitcake, as coconut may not be everyone’s number one pick.
For another option that might be more palatable for some, consider Captain Morgan Spiced Rum. It can add impeccable flavor without the addition of other flavorings, such as coconut.
Which Brand of Rum Is Used in Plum Cake?
Plum cake describes a variety of cakes made with dried fruit and other add-ins. Traditionally, plum cakes are served as a holiday dessert. Rum is often used in plum cakes, though the types of rum used will vary.
When deciding what rum to use, you’ll want to consider how strong you want the rum flavor. Dark rums are good for imparting deep and smoky notes to your cakes. However, you may also go for a more subtle flavor by opting for light or medium-bodied rum. Some brands you may wish to try are Plantation Original Dark Rum, Bacardi Gold (medium-bodied), or Captain Morgan Caribbean White,
Best Rum For Chocolate Rum Cake
Yes, there’s such a thing as a chocolate rum cake- and it’s absolutely delicious!
The thing about chocolate rum cake is that, like regular rum cake, you can go light or deep with the complexity of flavors. Therefore, you’ll find some recipes that call for dark rum and some that call for light rum. You can also substitute rums depending on your flavor preference.
As with most things in cooking, it really comes down to your preference.
Best Rum For Rum Raisin Cake
When looking for the best rum for rum raisin cake, you’ll likely notice that most recipes call for dark rum. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you can’t use light or medium-bodied rums. It just means that if you go by the recipe, you’ll want to select a dark and high-quality rum to do the trick.
Consider purchasing Bacardi Black for a tantalizing deep flavor that has caramel and burnt sugar notes for the most robust flavor.
Non-Alcoholic Substitutes For Rum in Rum Cake
Though we totally recommend using rum in rum cakes, rum raisin cakes, and fruit cakes, we understand that sometimes using alcohol in your dessert isn’t possible.
But don’t worry.
There are plenty of good non-alcoholic substitutes you can use to mimic the flavor of some of the aforementioned rum types and brands mentioned in this article.
These include:
- Apple Juice
- Orange Juice
- White Grape Juice
- Apple Cider
Note: Remember that the flavor of your rum cake or other rum-containing recipes won’t be nearly as strong without the usage of real rum. Still, if you’re in a bind or can’t use alcohol when baking, these are your best bets to achieve a similar flavor.
FAQs on Rum For Rum Cake
Is rum or brandy better for fruit cake?
Whether or not you want to use brandy or rum in your fruit cake is completely up to you. Just know that fruit cakes do best when the alcohol is strong and has a robust flavor. As such, it is usually either rum or brandy that is used, and sometimes, even a combination of both! Still, it is important to know that rum is sweeter than brandy, meaning if you use rum, you may notice a slightly sweeter outcome, but not anything too different.
Can I use rum instead of brandy in Christmas cake?
You absolutely can use rum instead of brandy in a Christmas cake. In fact, rum and brandy are often recommended substitutes for one another. But keep in mind that rum is sweeter than brandy and that this distinction may cause your Christmas cake to taste sweeter than it would have if you had used brandy instead of rum.
Remember also that many rums come in unique flavors such as coconut, pineapple, and cherry vanilla, and as such, you are free to pick the flavor you think would taste best in combination with your Christmas cake.
Note: Although we’ve made many suggestions in this article about what you should and shouldn’t use, be aware that many variations exist in recipes, and using one type of rum over another won’t ruin your recipe. Instead, each type of rum will yield its own unique flavor according to your preference. So, don’t be afraid to experiment with something that sounds good; just be sure not to pick a cheap and low-quality rum!
Is Captain Morgan Rum Good For Baking?
In addition to the previously mentioned rum brands, Captain Morgan rums are exceptional – and popular–rums to bake with.
Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum is medium-bodied and is known to have a subtle and spicy finish. It contains notes of vanilla and caramel and is a very popular pick for desserts of all types. We find that Captain Morgan really shows off in a good rum cake, but remember, there is more to Captain Morgan than what meets the eye! This brand of rum offers many flavors, many of which could provide a subtle and unique twist to your cake. These flavors include black spiced rum, pineapple rum, coconut rum, and so much more.
The Best Rum For Rum Cake? Take Your Pick!
No matter what rum you choose for your rum cake, make sure that it is high-quality and provides the flavor you’re looking for. Remember that rum varies in type and flavor. For that reason, you should do your research to see which rum will work perfectly for you.
In the meantime, we hope that this post has provided you with a guideline concerning which rums are which, and which brands are best.
Enjoy!
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