Indulge in a rich, moist chocolate rum cake infused with spiced rum and layers of dark chocolate ganache buttercream frosting. Chocolate layer cake is the perfect chocolate lover's recipe for a Valentine's Day dessert or birthday cake.

🌿 Ingredients You'll Need
- Spiced Rum with its lingering finishing taste of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and vanilla enhances the chocolate notes of the cake and frosting. The hot buttered rum made with melted butter not only melts the chocolate, but it also blooms the cocoa powder. The alcohol will bake out of the cake in the oven, leaving behind a subtle spiced flavor.
- Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder creates a lovely rich chocolate profile to our rum cake.
- Cloves and Espresso Powder gives the cocoa powder a little extra chocolate kick.
- Dark Bittersweet Chocolate of 70% cocoa creates a luxurious chocolate ganache frosting.

How to Make Frosted Chocolate Rum Cake
Start by weighing out all the ingredients and setting them out on your counter for easy access. Heat the butter and rum in a small saucepan, stirring until the butter is melted. Let the buttered rum cool completely. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans with baking spray and bottom layer of parchment paper and set them aside until the batter is ready.
Sift the flour and cocoa powder into a medium mixing bowl and whisk in the rising agents, espresso powder, salt and cloves. Separately, in a large mixing bowl of stand mixer beat together the eggs with both sugars. Pour in the buttermilk, cooled buttered rum, and oil. Then, mix again.
Spoon in the cocoa flour mixture a third at a time, mixing until you have a rich chocolate cake batter. Divide the cake batter between the two cake pans and bake.
To make the chocolate ganache frosting, combine all the ingredients into a medium sized saucepan. Heat on medium low until the chocolate and butter are melted, whisking into silky dark chocolate liquid. Transfer the chocolate ganache to a medium mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
Whip the chilled ganache with a hand mixer until fluffy. Place one cooled cake layer on a serving plate, cover with chocolate frosting then, add the second cake layer. Spread frosting over the top and sides of the cake with an offset spatula. Slice and serve the cake plain or topped with berries.

Tips for Chocolate Cake
- Make the chocolate ganache buttercream ahead and store it in the fridge until ready to assemble the cake.
- Use a high quality dark bittersweet chocolate bar chopped into small chunks for your ganache.
- Spiced rum can be swapped evenly for black spiced rum that has deep earthy notes of molasses, cinnamon, and orange zest.
- Use cake pan strips for even baking and level cake layers.
- Sift both the flour and cocoa powder for a lump free cake batter.
- You can make your cake layers the day before, wrap the cooled layers in plastic wrap and store them in the fridge until ready to assemble the next day.
Storing and Freezing Cake Leftovers
Unfrosted cake layers can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the fridge for 4-5 days of freshness. Or place wrapped layers in a freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Frosted cake can set out at room temperature in an air tight container for 2-3 days of freshness. Or place in the fridge for a few more extra days.
You can also keep cake in the fridge, then to revive a slice, just warm slightly to bring back softness in the frosting and moisture to cake.

FAQ's
Yes, this cake batter can be used to make 24 cupcakes. Divide the batter evenly amongst the cupcake liners.
Use a 1.5-2 tablespoon cookie scoop to equally measure each cupcake or simply fill each cupcake liner ¾ full with batter.
Place trays on middle rack of oven and bake at 350F (180C) for 20-22 minutes.
Cupcakes will dome on top with a slight crack, should spring back when slightly touched with finger tip, or check for doneness by inserting a toothpick that comes out with clean with a few crumbs.
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Chocolate Rum Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Chocolate Rum Cake
- 113 grams unsalted butter
- 240 grams spiced rum
- 250 grams all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 64 grams dutch processed cocoa powder
- 165 grams dark brown sugar
- 100 grams granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 180 grams whole fat buttermilk, room temperature
- 120 grams sunflower seed oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Chocolate Rum Ganache Buttercream Frosting
- 125 grams unsalted butter
- 200 grams heavy cream
- 250 grams bittersweet dark chocolate (70% cocoa), finely chopped
- 110 grams powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt
- 3 tablespoons spiced rum
Instructions
Chocolate Rum Ganache Buttercream Frosting
- Prepare ganache frosting first, so it can chill in the fridge while you bake the cake.
- Place the heavy cream and butter in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Stir until the butter is melted.
- Add the powdered sugar, chocolate, spiced rum, and salt. Using a wire whisk stir until chocolate has melted to form a silky texture. Do not allow mixture to boil.
- Immediately move from heat and transfer to a medium sized mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Chocolate Rum Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C) and prepare two 9-inch cake pans with non stick spray and line the bottoms with parchment.
- Add spiced rum and butter in a medium skillet on medium heat and cook until butter has melted. Stir together until creamy, remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
- In a large bowl hand whisk together sifted flour and cocoa powder with baking powder, baking soda, espresso powder, and cloves. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment or a large bowl using hand mixer, beat together eggs, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Add in the buttermilk and vanilla then mix again.
- Pour in the cooled buttered rum and oil, then mix again to incorporate.
- Add in ⅓ of the flour cocoa mixture to the wet ingredients and mix again on medium low. Repeat with remaining flour cocoa mixture until all a cake batter is formed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl as needed.
- Evenly divide the batter between the two prepared cake pans.
- Transfer pans to the middle rack of the oven and bake for 23-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If you are using top and bottom oven racks, switch cake pans halfway through.
- Place cake pans on wire rack to cool completely.
Assemble Cake
- Remove cake layers from their pans and peel away bottom layer of parchment paper.
- Remove bowl of ganache frosting from the fridge and using an electric hand mixer, whip 1-2 minutes to thicken into a spreadable frosting.
- Place on layer on serving plate.
- Spoon and smooth a thick layer of frosting across the top of the bottom layer.
- Place the second layer of cake right side up onto the frosting. Use the remaining frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake.
- Slice to serve.
Video

Notes
Tips
-
- Make the chocolate ganache buttercream ahead and store it in the fridge until ready to assemble the cake.
-
- Use a high quality dark bittersweet chocolate bar chopped into small chunks for your ganache.
-
- Spiced rum can be swapped evenly for black spiced rum that has deep earthy notes of molasses, cinnamon, and orange zest.
-
- Use cake pan strips for even baking and level cake layers.
-
- Sift both the flour and cocoa powder for a lump free cake batter.
-
- You can make your cake layers the day before, wrap the cooled layers in plastic wrap and store then in the fridge until ready to assemble the next day.
Storage
- Unfrosted cake layers can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the fridge for 4-5 days of freshness. Or place wrapped layers in a freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Frosted cake can set out at room temperature in an air tight container for 2-3 days of freshness. Or place in the fridge for a few more extra days.
James Josey
Outstanding