Rum cakes with pecans are a holiday classic. I do like the classic, but I decided I need a little twist, so I added coconut. This recipe has shredded coconut, coconut milk, chopped pecans, and plenty of rum! Plus it’s completely homemade, nothing from a box mix. Traditional holiday rum cakes are typically made from a box cake mix. There’s nothing wrong with going that route, but I definitely prefer homemade.
I know coconut can be a polarizing topic in the baking world. People seem to either love it or hate. I lean toward the love side of this one. Growing up my grandma always had a coconut cake or pie somewhere around the house, especially during the holidays. So when I decided to make this, adding coconut was almost a no-brainer. It just felt like home. Plus rum and coconut, classic combo.
A few key points:
– The type of rum you use it totally up to you. You’ll see many blogs and articles argue that dark rum is a must for recipes like this, but honestly, a light or coconut flavored rum will also work just fine. The lighter rums will give a slightly sweeter flavor, while the dark aged rums give a a deeper more mellow rum flavor. It’s really about preference (or what you happen to have on hand).
– Sweetened vs unsweetened shredded coconut. Please, please make sure your coconut is sweetened. Unsweetened coconut isn’t moist enough for baked goods and will end up drying out you cake. If you don’t have sweetened coconut on hand you can sweetened the unsweetened stuff yourself. Just add 2 tablespoons of simple syrup (1 part water, 1 part sugar) to each 1/4 cup of coconut flakes. Let this mixture simmer in a small pan until the coconut absorbs the syrup. Allow the sweetened coconut to dry on a cookie sheet for about 30 minutes and you’re ready to go!
Coconut Rum Cake
Ingredients
Coconut Rum Cake
- 2½ c all purpose flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 c unsalted butter
- 1½ c granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup canned coconut milk
- ¼ dark rum
- 1 c sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 c chopped pecans
Butter Rum Syrup
- ½ c unsalted butter
- ¼ c dark rum
- ¼ c water
- 1 c granulated sugar
Coconut Rum Glaze
- 1 c powdered sugar
- ¼ c dark rum
- ½ c shredded coconut
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Prepare bundt pan with non-stick spray, or other pan release method.In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt). Set aside.Using a stand mixer (with paddle attachment) or a handheld mixer, cream butter and sugar on high speed until light and creamy. This should take about 3 minutes.Add eggs, vanilla extract, and rum. Mix on high speed for about 2 minutes.Add dry ingredients, mix on low speed until just barely combined. Add coconut milk, mix on low speed until batter has come together. Careful not to over mix here.Fold in shredded coconut and pecans.Bake for about 50-60 minutes. *Bake time will vary depending on you bundt pan. Your cakes are done when a toothpick can be inserted and comes out clean. Allow cake to cool for about 15 minutes before removing cake. While the cake is baking, make your rum butter syrup. Combine butter, rum, water, and sugar in a small saucepan. Let the mixture sit at medium high heat until sugar has dissolve. Set aside and cool. After cake has cooled for about 15 minutes use a skewer or knife to poke holes in the cake while it's still in the pan. Add about half of your rum butter syrup. Let this soak in (about 30 minutes. Turn cake over onto a cooling rack and pour on remaining syrup. Let the cake cool completely.Once cake has cooled completely, add your glaze. Combine the powdered sugar, rum, and coconut. Spoon the glaze over your cake and it's ready to serve.
