Butter Rum Coffee Cake is a moist sour cream Bundt cake with a thick brown sugar cinnamon streusel and a buttery rum glaze that settles into all the curves. It’s rich, sweet, and the kind of cake I like when I want something that actually tastes like a treat.
The crumb is soft and tender from the sour cream, and the streusel brings that cinnamon-pecan crunch that makes coffee cake worth making. I also really like the rum here because it gives the whole thing a warmer, more grown-up flavor than plain vanilla alone.
This one is especially good for brunch, holiday mornings, or anytime you want a cake that slices neatly and looks nice on the table. For me it’s best with hot coffee or a plain latte.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Moist crumb: Sour cream gives you that tender, classic coffee cake texture that stays nice even the next day.
Big streusel energy: You get a real layer through the middle plus a generous topping, so every slice has cinnamon sugar and nuts.
Rum glaze: The buttery brown sugar glaze is simple, but it makes the cake taste finished and a little special.
Bundt-friendly: It’s a great “set it on the counter” cake for get-togethers, and it slices cleanly.
Flexible: Use rum extract if you want it alcohol-free, and walnuts work just as well as pecans.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Cake Batter
- All-purpose flour: I use regular flour here. Spoon and level if you tend to pack flour into the cup.
- Baking powder: This is what gives the cake most of its lift, so make sure yours is fresh.
- Baking soda: Works with the sour cream to help the crumb stay light instead of dense.
- Fine salt: Don’t skip it. It keeps the cake from tasting flat, especially with the sweet glaze.
- Unsalted butter: Softened butter creams best with the sugar and gives that classic rich coffee cake flavor.
- Granulated sugar: Keeps the crumb light and gives the batter structure as it bakes.
- Eggs: Room temperature helps them mix in smoothly so the batter doesn’t look curdled.
- Sour cream: This is the main reason the cake stays moist. Full-fat is what I reach for.
- Whole milk: Loosens the batter just enough so it bakes up tender, not heavy.
- Vanilla extract: Use real vanilla if you can. It shows up in a simple cake like this.
- Dark rum or rum extract: Dark rum gives the deepest flavor, but rum extract is totally fine (and easy) if you want to skip alcohol.
Streusel
- Light brown sugar: I like light brown sugar here for that classic streusel taste. Dark brown sugar works too if that’s what you have.
- Ground cinnamon: This is the main flavor in the streusel, so use the good stuff if your cinnamon is old.
- Fine salt: A little salt keeps the streusel from tasting like straight sugar.
- All-purpose flour: Helps the streusel clump instead of melting into the cake.
- Unsalted butter: Melted butter makes streusel fast and easy. It should look clumpy, not soupy.
- Pecans or walnuts: Pecans are my first pick, but walnuts are great too. I like them chopped fairly small so the streusel holds together.
Butter Rum Glaze
- Unsalted butter: This is the base of the glaze, so butter flavor matters here.
- Light brown sugar: Makes the glaze taste like caramel-lite and helps it set a little as it cools.
- Dark rum or rum extract plus water: Use rum extract if you want it alcohol-free. The water helps replace the liquid you’d get from rum.
- Heavy cream or milk: Cream makes it richer, but milk works fine if that’s what you have.
- Powdered sugar: Sift it if it’s lumpy so you don’t end up chasing little sugar blobs around the bowl.
- Vanilla extract: Rounds out the brown sugar and rum flavor.
- Salt: Just a pinch makes the glaze taste more balanced.
Recipe Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.
- Mix the dry ingredients: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl, then set aside.
- Make the streusel: Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, flour, melted butter, and nuts until clumpy. Set it aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar: Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs: Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.
- Add the flavoring: Mix in the vanilla and rum (or rum extract) until combined.
- Mix the sour cream and milk: Stir the sour cream and milk together in a small bowl so it’s easy to alternate into the batter.
- Add the dry ingredients: Add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the sour cream mixture. Mix just until you don’t see dry flour.
- Layer the batter: Spread half the batter into the prepared pan, then sprinkle on half the streusel.
- Finish the layers: Add the remaining batter and top with the remaining streusel. Gently press the topping into the batter so it sticks.
- Bake: Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a tester comes out clean and the cake springs back when lightly pressed.
- Cool: Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a rack. Let it cool at least 30 minutes before glazing.
- Cook the glaze: Melt the butter with the brown sugar, rum, and cream over medium heat until smooth and slightly thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Finish the glaze: Remove from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt until pourable. Add a splash of cream or water if it thickens too much.
- Glaze the cake: Drizzle the glaze over a warm or room temperature cake, then let it set for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.
Some of my tips!
This is the part that really makes a difference. If you only read one section, make it this one because this is where I share the little trick that helps the recipe turn out so well.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
Grease the Bundt pan really well. I do butter or baking spray, then a light flouring, and I make sure to get into the center tube and all the ridges. That’s what keeps the streusel from sticking.
Use room temperature ingredients. If the butter, eggs, and sour cream are cold, the batter can look a little broken and it won’t bake as evenly. It’s worth the small wait.
Stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears. Overmixing makes this kind of cake tough. Mix just until combined, then move on.
Tent with foil if the top browns early. Bundt cakes can get dark on top before the center is done. A loose piece of foil fixes that.
Toast the nuts if you have time. A quick toast in a dry skillet or the oven makes the pecans taste more nutty and less raw. Let them cool before mixing into the streusel.
Make some touches!
There are plenty of easy ways to serve this depending on the occasion. Keep it simple, or add a few small touches to make it feel a little more special.
Serving Suggestions
- Coffee or espresso: This is really good with coffee, especially if you like your coffee a little bitter. A strong drip coffee or an Americano is perfect.
- Fresh berries: Serve a handful of strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries on the side. It breaks up the richness in a simple way.
- Whipped cream: A small spoon of lightly sweetened whipped cream is nice if you’re serving this as dessert. I keep it plain and let the glaze do the work.
- Extra nuts: Sprinkle a few toasted pecans over the glaze right before it sets. It looks nice and adds crunch to the top slices.
Save it for later
This section covers how to store leftovers and what parts of the recipe you can prepare ahead of time.
Storage and Make Ahead
Store the cake covered at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. I keep it under a cake dome or wrap the cut side well so it doesn’t dry out.
If you prefer, store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. The cake will feel a little firmer cold, so I usually let slices sit out for a bit before eating.
You can make this recipe ahead by baking the cake the day before and glazing it closer to serving time. If you glaze it early, it’s still fine, but the glaze will soak in more.
If you want it to last longer, freeze individual portions or freeze the whole cake (unglazed is easiest). Thaw in the fridge overnight, then bring to room temp and glaze if you held the glaze back.
A few quick answers
This section covers a few extra details that may help before you head to the recipe card.
Recipe FAQs
Can I make this without alcohol?
Yes. Use rum extract instead of rum. For the glaze, use rum extract plus a little water, just like in the ingredient notes, so you still get the flavor and the right consistency.
Can I substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream?
You can. Plain full-fat Greek yogurt is the closest swap and works well in this cake. The crumb may be slightly tangier, but still moist.
How do I know when the Bundt cake is done?
I look for a few things: the top should spring back when lightly pressed, and a tester should come out clean. If you’re using a darker Bundt pan, it can bake a bit faster, so start checking around 45 minutes.
Can I bake this in a 9 x 13-inch pan instead?
Yes, this recipe works in a 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake it for about 35 to 45 minutes and start checking early, since the thinner cake layer can finish faster than a Bundt.
What nuts are best in the streusel?
Pecans are my favorite here, but walnuts work great too. If you like a finer streusel, chop them smaller; if you like bigger crunchy bites, leave the pieces a little larger.
You might also like
Before you go, take a look at a few other recipes below the recipe card. They use similar ingredients in a different way and are worth saving too.
MORE DINNER RECIPES TO TRY
Butter Rum Coffee Cake
INGREDIENTS
Cake Batter
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp fine salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1.75 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream room temperature
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp dark rum or rum extract.
Streusel
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts.
Butter Rum Glaze
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- 3 tbsp dark rum or 1 tsp rum extract plus 3 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp heavy cream or milk
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt.
INSTRUCTIONS
Prep and Pan
- heat oven to 350 F
- grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan
- whisk flour baking powder baking soda and salt in a bowl.
Streusel
- mix brown sugar cinnamon salt flour melted butter and nuts until clumpy and set aside.
Batter and Assemble
- beat softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy
- beat in eggs one at a time then mix in vanilla and rum
- mix sour cream and milk together
- add dry ingredients in three additions alternating with sour cream mixture and mix just until combined
- spread half the batter in the pan then sprinkle half the streusel
- add remaining batter and top with remaining streusel then gently press topping into batter.
Bake and Cool
- bake until a tester comes out clean and the cake springs back 45 to 55 minutes
- cool in pan 15 minutes then invert onto a rack to cool at least 30 minutes before glazing.
Glaze and Finish
- melt butter with brown sugar rum and cream over medium heat until smooth and slightly thickened 2 to 3 minutes
- remove from heat and whisk in powdered sugar vanilla and salt until pourable adding a splash of cream or water if needed
- drizzle over warm or room temperature cake and let set 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.
