I am always honored when I get to make a birthday cake for a friend. Two of our closest friends celebrated their birthdays in January and after making this Vanilla Bean Bundt Cake for the first friend then the second friend also requested it. While it was a great birthday cake, I think it would also make a great Valentine’s Day dessert!
When we have friends over for house church or just for fun they always seem to make their way into our kitchen, quietly finding their way to our baked goods, helping themselves to a snack or drink. I love this about our friends, even though it means that baked goods never stay around for long. But to me, it means they feel comfortable and at home with us.
When I was baking this cake for the first time for Heidi, our friend Adrian was over, and the aroma must have filled the house. He mentioned that it sounded like one he would like, which made me smile, since I knew his birthday was coming up soon. The last year I had made him a Lemon Pudding Cake, which we all enjoyed, but per his request, we would switch it up in exchange for vanilla bean and rum!
When the birthday celebrations came around we topped the cake off with rum caramel sauce, whipped cream and pomegranates. Its a joy to be the one who gets to celebrate with friends on their birthdays. So, maybe I am taking after my friend Matt to be the birthday police of our friend group, or I could only hope to be!
GIVEAWAY... For this
cake I used Rodelle Vanilla Beans and they are graciously giving 3 gift packs away! Each gift comes with vanilla beans, vanilla extract, and cocoa. Leave a comment with your favorite Birthday Cake or Valentine’s Dessert to win. Winner will be announced next Wednesday Isabelle, Jeffrey, and Megan are the big winners!
A Better Homes and Gardens recipe for Vanilla Bean Rum Bundt Cake.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 45 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup light rum
- 1-2 whole vanilla beans, split lengthwise (I used Rodelle Vanilla Beans)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- whipped cream, rum caramel, and fruit, for serving
Instructions
Allow butter, eggs, and egg yolk to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, generously grease and lightly flour a 10-inch fluted tube pan; set aside. In a small bowl stir together flour and baking powder. In a medium bowl combine milk and rum. Using the tip of a small sharp knife, scrape out seeds from vanilla beans. Stir vanilla seeds into milk mixture; set aside.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add granulated sugar and brown sugar, beating about 10 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs and egg yolk; beat for 1 minute. Alternately add flour mixture and milk mixture to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Pour batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly.
Bake about 45 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan; cool completely on wire rack. Serve with whipped cream, rum caramel, and red fruit (raspberries or pomegranates both work great!)
Notes
You can use vanilla extract instead of vanilla bean but the vanilla bean will have a more powerful flavor. If using extract use 1 teaspoon. Or you may just use one vanilla bean and a little extract to save some money 🙂
For the Rum Caramel Sauce:In a small, heavy pot heat up 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup butter on medium low, stirring constantly. Once well combined and starting to thicken add in the 2 tablespoons rum and turn off the heat. Continue to stir until the rumis combined. Let cool, then refrigerate 30 minutes or more until ready to use. (the sauce does need some time in the fridge to thicken).Store in a jar in the fridge.
More Non-Chocolate, Special Occasion Desserts:
Lemon Pudding Cake
Spanish Almond Cake – Tarta de Santiago
Matcha Green Tea Pound Cake
Greek Yogurt Cheesecake with Pomegranates
Meyer Lemon Shaker Pie
