Skip to Content

Does Rum Cake Have Alcohol? (Answered)

Rum cakes have been popular ever since the nineties. Before consuming it you might be wondering if it really does contain alcohol in it and if you can get tipsy from it. 

Does rum cake have alcohol?

As the name suggests, rum cakes usually contain rum in them. Rum is alcoholic which means rum cakes do have alcohol in them. Though the alcohol content can be managed and made minimal according to taste. Otherside that, some alcohol also ends up evaporating when baking. 

Since rum cakes contain some rum in them you can expect most if not all rum cakes to contain alcohol inside them. The way the rum is incorporated varies from baker to baker. 

Some use fruits soaked in alcohol, some use rum as a glaze and some even incorporate direct rum into the cake batter.

While some people argue as to the reason why rum or alcohol is added. Many believe that the rum actually helps preserve the cake for a much longer time. 

That is true, the alcohol content actually helps the cake stay well for longer periods of time because bacteria or mold cannot come near it easily. However, the main cause behind adding the rum is to make the flavor of the cake richer. 

It adds a nice flavor depth to the cake that many people adore. It also gives the cake a lot of moisture and makes it softer. 

How much rum does rum cake have?

This can again vary from baker to baker and even if you are making it by yourself at home. They usually tend to contain an alcohol content that is below 0.5 percent, however, you can always customize it to your own taste. 

You can add way more than the usual alcohol content if you want your cake to have a more alcohol-dense flavor. The alcohol content can go up to five percent while still preserving the taste and shape of the cake. 

However, do keep in mind that 0.5 percent is the ideal amount as it adds the right amount of moisture as well as flavor depth to the cake. 

Does rum cake still have alcohol or does it evaporate from the cake while cooking?

Many people believe that the rum or alcohol added to rum cakes evaporates during the cooking process. This is somewhat true because whatever alcohol content you add, some of it will end up evaporating since you are cooking the cake at such a high temperature. 

It has been proved that not all of the alcohol will end up evaporating so do not worry. 

If you are a baker using the usual lower alcohol content to add more flavor, depth, and moisture to your cake then do not worry. The amount of alcohol that ends up evaporating during the baking process is too little to cause a dent in your cooking or the end result of the cake. 

If you are looking to eliminate more flavor of the alcohol then you can cook the cake in a higher heat for more amount of time so that more of the alcohol starts evaporating. 

If you, however, want your cake to have a dense alcohol flavor then you can add in a higher content of alcohol that is more than 0.5 percent. This will help you acquire the hard alcohol taste in your cake. 

How much alcohol does rum cake have?

The general alcohol content can vary amongst different types of rum cakes that are available. 

Tortuga rum cake:

Generally Tortuga rum cakes contain less than one percent of alcohol content in the entire cake. This makes it safe for almost anyone to consume without any hesitation. 

Even such a little percentage of alcohol present in Tortuga rum cake can actually prolong its life period and allow you to consume you for a while without getting spoiled. 

Italian rum cake:

Italian rum cakes are very popular for Italians when celebrating birthdays. It is an occasion that calls for a celebration which means some people tend to go overboard with the rum in their cake to really feel the buzz. 

This rum cake is mainly popular for soaking the alcohol fully and relying on it to give it a very mature and deep flavor. Italians add anywhere between half a cup to a cup and sometimes even more alcohol to make this celebratory cake. 

Vanilla rum cake:

This Caribbean-style rum cake is very similar to the Italian one. It is certainly not for anyone who is trying to avoid alcohol. Similar to Italian rum cake, one and a half to a half cup of rum is used. 

The cake is actually soaked in rum and vanilla and the vanilla ends up diluting the alcohol a tad bit. 

Bacardi rum cake:

Unlike what the name suggests, the alcohol content in Bacardi rum cake is actually only one percent. A lot of it also evaporates due to the cooking process. 

However, a glaze is added on top of the cake to give it a beautiful shine and flavor. Rum is present in that glaze which retains most of the alcohol. 

Chocolate rum cake:

A cup of black rum is used in most recipes to give it a beautiful and intense combination of chocolate and rum. This makes the cake, despite being a chocolate cake, have a fairly high alcohol content. 

Coconut rum cake:

Coconut rum cakes usually contain 0.5 percent to even less than that alcohol content which makes them suitable for anyone to consume. 

What kind of rum is used in rum cake?

The most popular rum used for rum cakes is dark rum. Unlike other types of rum, dark rum is actually aged for quite a few years in an oak barrel before it is sent in for the filtering process. Other types of rum are not aged and directly filtered. 

This ends up not only giving it a very rich flavor, but it can also end up making your cake’s taste have a very deep, spicy, and intense flavor. 

Can rum cake make you tipsy? How much rum cake to get tipsy?

Most rum cakes have an alcohol content that is below 1 percent or even 0.5 percent. This amount of alcohol will most likely not make you tipsy. Having the rum cake in a huge amount can make you tipsy. 

It also depends on how well you are able to tolerate alcohol. Some bakeries have a higher alcohol content that is up to 5 percent. That is more likely to get you tipsy if you have half a cake or more than that because the alcohol pools up inside your body. 

Having a slice or two will not do any damage so do not worry. 

What happens if you eat too much rum cake?

Having too much rum cake can lightly intoxicate you, depending on your alcohol tolerance. It is more likely to happen if the alcohol content is slightly higher in your rum cake. 

However, if you are not that tolerant of alcohol then having a lot of rum cake that has one percent or lower alcohol content can likely make you tipsy. If you are in any way allergic to rum then do not consume it as it can cause illness for you. 

Can alcoholics have rum cake?

If you are a recovering alcoholic then it is in your best interest to avoid consuming rum cake.

Even if the alcohol content is not much and it also evaporates a bit to leave behind only a deepened flavor of the cake, having any food that contains even a tiny trace of alcohol can set off a trigger for you. 

Therefore, particularly avoid consuming rum cake to avoid any form of trigger. 

Can a kid have rum cake?

This is based mostly on cultural values. Since the percentage of alcohol is not much to do any harm, you can surely give your kid a slice at most

However, you should note that having too much rum cake can actually intoxicate someone so based on that you might also want to keep your kid away from rum cakes for safety reasons.

Can my dog have a rum cake?

You should never give your dog rum cake. Cakes in general are bad for dogs because of all the unhealthy ingredients present in them that add no nutritional value to a dog’s diet. 

Besides that, it can also cause alcohol poisoning in your dog even if the amount of alcohol present is little. It can cause vomiting, stomach aches, diarrhea and can lead to even worse symptoms. 

Final Thoughts:

The point of rum cakes is making them use alcohol to help give it a depth of flavor. It adds intensity, spiciness, and even moisture to your cake. The alcohol percentage, however, tends to be quite low so you can have a slice or two without any worries about getting tipsy or high.