Bolo di Rum

About This Recipe

Bolo di Rum is Curaçao's celebration cake — a dense, moist butter cake drenched in dark rum syrup and often decorated with candied fruit or a dusting of icing sugar. It is the centerpiece of birthdays, weddings, and holidays on the island. The cake's Caribbean character comes from local dark rum and the generous soak that keeps it tender for days.

Ingredients

Serves 10

• 2 cupsall-purpose flour
• 200 gunsalted butter, softened
• 1.5 cupssugar
• 4 largeeggs
• 1/2 cupdark rum
• 1 tspvanilla extract and baking powder

Instructions

1. 1

   Cream butter and sugar

   Beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

2. 2

   Add eggs and flavour

   Beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla.

3. 3

   Fold in flour

   Sift in flour and baking powder; fold gently. Stir in ¼ cup of the rum.

4. 4

   Bake

   Pour into a greased 22 cm bundt or round tin and bake at 175 °C for 50–55 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.

5. 5

   Soak with rum syrup

   Boil remaining ¼ cup rum with 2 tbsp sugar for 2 minutes. Pour over warm cake immediately after baking.

Variations

• •

  Add Curaçao liqueur to the batter for a citrus note.

• •

  Soak dried fruit in rum overnight and fold into the batter.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Store airtight at room temperature for 5 days; freezes well for 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions