Ingredients

• vegetable cooking spray, for misting the pan
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)
• 1 (18 1/4 ounce) package of regular yellow cake mix
• 1/4 cup half of a 3 . 4 ounce package vanilla instant pudding mix
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup Bacardi dark rum (other brands of dark rum will work also)
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons Bacardi dark rum

Instructions

1. Prepare the cake pan by misting with vegetable oil and placing pecans in bottom of bundt pan if desired. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, oil, 1.3 cup of rum, water, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are just incorporated (about 30 seconds). Stop mixing and scrape down the sides of the bowl with rubber spatula.

3. Increase the speed of the machine to medium and beat the batter until smooth (1 1/2 to 2 minutes longer).

4. Pour batter into prepared cake pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

5. Place cake in oven and bake until the top springs back when lightly pressed with finger. Approximately 40 to 45 minutes.

6. While the cake is baking, make the buttered rum glaze. Place butter in small sauce pan over low heat and stir until melted. Add the brown sugar and 3 tbsp of rum and stir to combine. Cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture boils and thickens (approx 3 minutes). Remove from heat and let the glaze cool.

7. Transfer the Bundt pan to a wire rack and let cake cook for 10 minutes. The gently shake the pan and invert it on a wire rack to cool. Let cool. Cool for at least 10 minutes.

8. Using wooden skewers ( I use toothpicks), poke a dozen holes in the top of the cake and very slowly pour over warm cake so that the glaze can soak into the cake.

9. Store this cake in a cake saver at room temp for up to 3 days. Freeze unglazed cake for up to 3 months. Let cake thaw overnight on countertop before glazing.