Rumtopf Cake
Steep fruit in rum for the ultimate 2-in-1 holiday treat: giftable boozy fruit jars AND the secret ingredient for this incredibly moist Rumtopf Cake.
German Rumtopf Cake
I love food traditions-and I'm especially grateful for friends who generously share their family's foodways with me.
So this recipe comes with a heartfelt thank you to my friend Dana, and to her dear grandmother, Maxi Walk, who believed old traditional recipes were meant to be passed on.
I nearly begged Dana for this German Rumtopf Cake recipe for a solid ten years. Once fall rolled around, I was already watching the calendar.
The fruit. The rum. That impossibly moist cake. By Halloween, I was fully committed to getting my slice.
After months of soaking fruit in rum and sugar to build her traditional German Rumtopf, Dana uses both the fruit and that boozy nectar to make this unforgettable cake.
Dana's Rumtopf Cake is moist, rich, and wonderfully forgiving. It works in a loaf pan, a Bundt, or whatever pan you've got handy. It slices clean, keeps beautifully, and somehow tastes even better with each passing day.
In my opinion, if you've taken the time to make Rumtopf with the season's fruit, this is one of the very best ways to use it. It certainly is mine.
Ingredients
- Yellow cake mix - An easy shortcut to a fantastic cake
- Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix - Amps up the flavors
- Vegetable oil - I use canola oil
- Eggs - Always use large eggs in recipes
- Chopped Pecans - lots of pecans in this cake. Use walnuts, if you prefer
- Rumtopf Fruit, drained and chopped (see recipe card) - get a good mixture
- Rumtopf Liquor (see recipe card) - Used in the batter, the glaze, and a little to soak the cake
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Spray the pan of choice with baking spray - loaf pan, mini loaf pans, XL muffin pans, bundt pans all work well.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix cake mix, pudding mix, vegetable oil, eggs, and Rumtopf liquor using a hand or stand mixer. Mix for 3 to 4 minutes. Batter will be thick.
- Fold in chopped Rumtopf fruit and chopped pecans.
- Pour into prepared pans and place in oven.
- Decrease the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (325 for darker pans) and bake until the cake tests done with a toothpick. Time will vary depending on the pan you choose. I use the XL muffin pans and bake for 25-27 minutes.
- Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing to cooling rack.
- Cool completely.
- Glaze - mix together powdered sugar and enough Rumtopf liquor to create a glaze with your desired thickness. Only a small amount of liquor is needed.
- Drizzle with glaze, if desired.
- Option: drizzle each cake with Rumtopf liquor before glazing so some of the liquor soaks into the cake.
Hint: Drizzle each cake with Rumtopf liquor before glazing so some of the liquor soaks into the cake for an extra boozy and moist cake.
How to Serve Rumtopf Cake
This cake doesn't need much help.
- Serve plain with coffee
- Add a light dusting of powdered sugar
- Top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream
- Warm slices slightly and spoon extra Rumtopf syrup over the top
- Slice thin for holiday dessert trays-it's rich and goes a long way
Storage
Store tightly wrapped for 3 to 5 days. For longer storage, wrap tightly and freeze.
Top Tip
Plan ahead. Making Rumtopf takes 3 months, but this cake makes it worth the time and wait.
FAQ
Yes. Wrapped tightly, it keeps at room temperature for 2-3 days and improves in flavor by day two.
Absolutely. Wrap well and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before serving.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Rumtopf Cake:
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Rumtopf Cake
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray the pan of choice with baking spray - loaf pan, mini loaf pans, XL muffin pans, bundt pans all work well.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix cake mix, pudding mix, vegetable oil, eggs, and Rumtopf liquor using a hand or stand mixer. Mix for 3 to 4 minutes. Batter will be thick.1 package Yellow cake mix, 3 ounce Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix, ⅔ cup Vegetable oil , 1 large Egg, ⅓ cup Rumtopf Liquor
- Fold in chopped Rumtopf fruit and chopped pecans.1 cup Chopped Pecans , 1 cup Rumtopf Fruit
- Pour into prepared pans and place in oven.
- Decrease the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (325 for darker pans) and bake until the cake tests done with a toothpick. Time will vary depending on the pan you choose. I use the XL muffin pans and bake for 25-27 minutes.
- Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing to cooling rack.
- Cool completely.
- Option: drizzle each cake with Rumtopf liquor before glazing so some of the liquor soaks into the cake.
- Mix together powdered sugar and enough Rumtopf liquor to create a glaze with your desired thickness. Only a small amount of liquor is needed.1 cup Powdered Sugar, 1 to 2 Tablespoons Rumtopf Liquor
- Drizzle cakes with glaze, if desired.
Nutrition
Notes
- 2 cups chopped fruit (such as crushed pineapple, Maraschino cherries, peaches, Mandarin oranges, or fruit cocktail)
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 cup rum
- 2 parts fruit
- 2 parts sugar
- 1 part rum
- Combine all the initial ingredients in a food-safe container.
- Add additional fruits as they come into season and top with sugar and rum. Stir or shake once a day. Rumtopf is ready to use 6 to 8 weeks after the final layer of fruit is added.
