Chocolate Rum Marble Cake
Enjoy moist, sweet, and gorgeous chocolate rum marble cake finished off with sweet vanilla and chocolate glaze. Complete your holiday table with this showstopping cake made entirely from scratch.
Yes, I love rum, can’t deny it! But you know what? It does not reciprocate my love—the story of my life. Why are all the things I love the ones that are not good for me? A meager tablespoon of it, in ANYTHING, puts me to sleep.
But I’m hopeful things are going to change soon because I’m not giving up. And during this holiday season, I’m betting on using a lot more than usual. I hope this is the year my tolerance increases.
Why Use Rum in Chocolate Cake
Rum reminds everyone of Christmas, myself included. While I was growing up, holiday baking was the only time I ever came close to rum. A tablespoon here and there always takes me back to those fond memories.
Originally intending to make a chocolate bundt cake for Christmas, I found myself eager to try something a little new. While I love my standby rum cake, I wanted something with both chocolate and rum. So I tweaked it with cream cheese, added a bit more butter, soaked it in rum syrup, and drizzled it with both chocolate and vanilla glaze! It was more festive and worked flawlessly.
How to Make Chocolate Rum Marble Cake
The Cake
- Cream the butter and sugar at high speed in a stand mixer until fluffy and starting to look white, 4-5 minutes. Add cream cheese and whip for another minute.
- Stir in the beaten eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition.
- Sift the flour and baking powder into the batter, and then add the rum, nutmeg, and vanilla.
- Separate about ⅓ of the batter and set aside.
- Melt the chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave in 20-30 second blasts, stirring after each blast, until smooth.
- Fold in the melted chocolate with the batter that was set aside. Mix well until fully incorporated. (Photos 1-2)
- Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, alternating between the vanilla and chocolate batter to simulate a checkerboard. (Photo 3)
- Run a large spoon through the batter, cutting and twisting to obtain a marbled effect. Tap the pan firmly to remove air pockets. (Photo 4)
- Bake the cake at 325°F (160°C) for 45–50 minutes or until a tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. While the cake is baking, you can start making the glazes.
- Transfer to a wire rack. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Make the rum syrup while the cake is cooling, then transfer the cake to a wire rack to soak it with the syrup.
Butter Rum Syrup
- Simmer the butter, sugar, rum, and water over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
- Poke little holes into the cake with a toothpick. Spoon the syrup over the cake and let it soak in. Let the cake cool to room temperature. Pour the remaining glaze over the cake.
Vanilla Glaze
- Sift confectioners’ sugar into a medium bowl. Add the milk and vanilla extract and or rum, and stir well. Adjust consistency with either milk or more powdered sugar.
- Drizzle it over the cooled cake.
Chocolate Glaze
- Sift in the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder, then add the milk. Adjust the consistency with milk or powdered sugar as needed to get a thick but pourable glaze.
- Drizzle the chocolate glaze over the vanilla glaze and let it set before serving.
Recipe Notes
- I have provided three ways to top the cake. You can use either or all three, like I did.
- Not everyone likes dark chocolate, so I always do a mixture of both. But for a more pronounced chocolate flavor, go with the dark.
- Be sure to let the cake cool for 5-10 minutes before removing from the pan so it firms up. Then proceed with the next steps.
Make-Ahead and Leftover Storage
This cake is even better the next day, so feel free to make it ahead. It will stay fresh at room temperature for a day or two, in the refrigerator for up to a week, and in the freezer for 2-3 months.
The same goes for the leftovers (if you have any). I love freezing individual slices for a quick sweet tooth fix or surprise guest. I also love making a dessert bread pudding with the leftover cake. Replace the bread with cubed cake, and go for it.
More Drool-Worthy Cake Recipes for the Holidays
By Imma
Chocolate Rum Marble Cake
Chocolate, vanilla, and rum, finished off with sweet vanilla and chocolate glaze, complete any holiday table. And making it from scratch is the best way to say I love you to your family.
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes
Resting Time: 10 minutes
Total: 1 hour 20 minutes
Caribbean
Servings 16
Ingredients
The Cake
- 10 ounces (283g) unsalted butter
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 4 ounces (113g) cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 5 large eggs
- 2½ cups (300g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon (12g) baking powder
- ¼ cup (60ml) dark rum (or vanilla extract)
- 1 teaspoon (2-3g) ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) almond extract
- 6 ounces (170g) dark chocolate or milk chocolate
Butter Rum Syrup
- 1 cup (226g) butter
- ½ cup (50g) sugar
- ¼ cup (60ml) water
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) dark rum
Vanilla Glaze
- 2¼-2½ cups (260-300g) powdered sugar
- ¼ cup (60ml) whole milk
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract or rum
Chocolate Glaze
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons (16-20g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) whole milk
Instructions
The Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease a 10-inch tube pan generously with cooking spray and set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar at high speed in a stand mixer until fluffy and starting to look white, 4-5 minutes. Add cream cheese and whip for another minute.
- Stir in the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition.
- Sift the flour and baking powder into the batter, and then add the rum, nutmeg, and vanilla.
- Stir well until everything is fully combined. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl. Separate about ⅓ of the batter and set aside.
- Melt chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave, stirring frequently every 20-30 seconds so it doesn't burn. It usually takes about 2 minutes.
- Fold in the melted chocolate with the batter that was set aside. Mix well until fully incorporated.
- Alternating with the vanilla and chocolate batter, spoon it into the prepared pan to simulate a checkerboard. With a large spoon, cut and twist through the batter to obtain a marbled effect. Tap the pan firmly to remove air pockets.
- Bake the cake at 325°F (160°C) until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 45–50 minutes. While the cake is baking, you can start making the glazes.
- Transfer to a wire rack. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Make the rum syrup while the cake is cooling, then transfer the cake to a wire rack to soak it with the syrup.
Butter Rum Syrup
- In a small saucepan, bring butter, sugar, rum, and water to a boil over medium heat. Simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent any burns. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
- Poke little holes into the cake with a toothpick. Spoon the syrup over the cake and let it soak in. Let the cake cool to room temperature. Pour the remaining glaze over the cake.
Vanilla Glaze
- Sift confectioners' sugar into a medium bowl. Add the milk and vanilla extract and or rum, and stir well.
- If the glaze is too thin, add a teaspoon of confectioners' sugar at a time, stirring until you get the right consistency. If the glaze is too thick, add milk a teaspoon at a time until it becomes pourable.
- Set aside, and drizzle it over the cake once the cake has cooled.
Chocolate Glaze
- In another bowl, sift in the confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder, then add the milk. Adjust the consistency with milk or powdered sugar as needed to get a thick but pourable glaze.
- Drizzle the chocolate glaze over the vanilla glaze and let it firm up before serving.
Tips & Notes:
- Start with room temperature ingredients for easier and smoother mixing.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes so it has time to firm up and not fall apart when you remove it from the cake pan.
- Feel free to skip the glaze for a faster, easier cake.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the ingredients used in the recipe.
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1slice| Calories: 711kcal (36%)| Carbohydrates: 91g (30%)| Protein: 8g (16%)| Fat: 36g (55%)| Saturated Fat: 22g (138%)| Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g| Monounsaturated Fat: 10g| Trans Fat: 1g| Cholesterol: 136mg (45%)| Sodium: 244mg (11%)| Potassium: 118mg (3%)| Fiber: 3g (13%)| Sugar: 59g (66%)| Vitamin A: 1002IU (20%)| Vitamin C: 0.01mg| Calcium: 94mg (9%)| Iron: 2mg (11%)
OMG this looks amazing!! Any way I can veganize this? Loving your vegan dishes.
Sorry, I can’t really can’t offer any suggestions. No expertise with using vegan ingredients in baking. However, you should be able to replace the dairy with plant-based substitutes.
I follow you on instagram and have noticed the beautiful things you make. Yesterday I came to this page because I had a request for a marble cake. I just made this last night for a farewell party. Loved it! I used milk chocolate in the batter but then it seemed too light for me so i dumped in some dark cocoa powder to darken it up and it worked out just fine, I didn’t have nutmeg at home so i used cinnamon instead and that also worked well.
I was skeptical when i read ‘almond extract’ in the ingredients for the batter, i would usually add vanilla, but I did it anyway and you know what? It was amazing!
For the topping i used all three, lol. I couldn’t decide. I did change the chocolate one by using baker’s chocolate instead of cocoa and melting it with heavy cream simply because I had chocolate bars to use up. (threw some rum in there too, cause why not)
Mine took about 60 minutes to bake, but it fluffed up wonderfully and made the kitchen smell divine! Definitely something I’ll be making again.
Thanks for following Louisa! So happy to hear it worked out well for you.
Tried this recipe for Christmas. It was a hit! My parents and brother devoured the whole thing. I made a few modifications. I noticed that the cake batter did not call for any salt so I added 1 tsp. Also, the butter rum glaze tasted a bit too buttery and not “rummy” enough so I added more rum and reduced the butter. I also took one tablespoon of dark rum and sprinkled it over the cake for an extra kick. Also, I found the baking temperature a bit low – took too long at 325 (well over an hour). I think 350 would work better next time. Otherwise, it was spot on. Thanks so much for sharing. Your blog is awesome.
WOW!Alicia love all the changes you made to this cake. And thank you so much for taking the time to provide feedback. Wishing you all the best this year.
This really looks Immaculate dear Imma 🙂 I have never done marbled anything but now you have given me major cravings! I love rum too!! Perfect in desserts and brownies 🙂
Swayam! Glad you are a fan of rum too!
This looks absolutely phenomenal. I love the taste of everything rum — but I’m with you, it totally puts me to sleep!
Oh erm yes, oh yes to 3-4 slices. Especially with the 2 different frosting please.
This cake looks absolutely stunning! I bet it’s just as delicious as it looks!
Beautiful cake, Imma! I love there are two frostings too! Everyone would love a little goose in their dessert during holidays, right? 😀
This is just so beautiful. I don’t drink myself, but the other topping options are perfect. Love the marbled effect!
Thanks Kevin!
This is stunning! So pretty!
Thanks Kathleen, am over on your blog drooling over your tuna sashimi and you are here. I have to make them.
Oh my, Immaculate – this is a gorgeous cake! I must say, you had me at ‘rum’ 😉 Of course the chocolate is right up there too. This would not last long in my house.
I’m not a fan of rum to drink but I love it in recipes! Can’t wait to give this a go, it looks spectacular…
Same here Cristie!. Love it in recipes
Would love to try this ,but still need to find some ingredients. anyway thanks for the recipe
You’re welcome. Please do let me know how it turns for you. Can’t wait for you to try it. Enjoy!
Such a festive cake and what a showstopper it is going to be on the holiday table! 🙂
It sure is Christine!
Absolutely stunning cake! The marbling is to die for.
Thanks Dorothy!
This looks delicious. I wonder how rich and decadent this cake would be if I saturated with the rum sauce first and then add the vanilla and chocolate glaze. Oh the possibilities. Hope to be making this for Christmas! Great recipe Imma!
Thanks Trey! I know what you mean…. do tell how it all works out!
Imma,
I will definitely have to try this cake for the holiday! Can cocoa powder be used instead of milk chocolate?
You sure can. So excited you want to give this a try Cassandra. Here is how you can go about it .
To make the equivalent of one ounce of chocolate ,Combine 1 tablespoon cocoa powder 3 1/2 tsp sugar, and 2 teaspoons butter or vegetable oil then multiply by 4 or 6 . Do let know if you have any other questions.
Thanks Imma!