this is my all time favorite cake – please try it!
This cake has been on my want-to-make list for such a loooong time.
I’m thrilled with the result – it was amazing and rivals that from my favorite bakery. Quite a feat for a first time attempt, if I do say so myself:)
This cake is one of my weaknesses. If I let myself, I could probably eat the WHOLE thing. No kidding. Last day on earth? Yes, I’ll take a piece of this cake as part of my last meal. Heck, maybe even make it the entire meal!
childhood memories
Growing up, Italian Rum cake was a must-have for every birthday celebration. We didn’t do chocolate cake, sheet cake, or any other cake. My family and most other Italian families in the neighborhood had this kind of cake to celebrate birthdays.
Italian rum cake will always remind me of my old neighborhood in Philly; my mother; my Italian roots; my childhood….bittersweet memories for sure. I’m so glad that I’ve found a way to make it just as I like it because it seems to be harder and harder to find a good Italian rum cake.
what is Italian rum cake?
The cake is made with three layers of sponge cake (think Angel Food cake but with the egg yolks) that are soaked with a rum-flavored syrup, filled with layers of vanilla and chocolate pastry cream, iced with a bakery style frosting, [update: I am now using a stabilized whipped cream frosting] and adorned with crushed peanuts (or sliced almonds) on the outside (peanuts should be crushed a tad bit more than shown in photo).
it’s not as hard as it looks to make!
Don’t be intimidated by the instructions – the key is to make the cake in small steps over time, and then assemble it the day before or morning of the celebration. I made the sponge cake and froze it a week ahead, and also made the frosting a few days prior. I made the pastry cream the night before assembling the cake and the rum syrup the morning of assembly.
almonds vs peanuts?
I’ve seen a few versions of this cake online but with almonds instead of the peanuts. In Philadelphia, most if not all of the rum cakes that I’ve seen have the peanuts – I do wonder what area uses the almonds? It’s easy enough to substitute, but here in Philly, we’ve gotta have the peanuts.
Sources: Pastry cream adapted from Good Things by David; Sponge cake from Baking911; Bakery Frosting from My Madison Bistro
Italian Rum Cake
Ingredients
Ingredients for the bakery frosting (UPDATE: I now recommend stabilized whipped cream frosting, see link at end of this post for recipe):
- 28 ounces of powdered (confectioners) sugar (7 cups)
- 1 cup butter , room temperature
- 1 cup shortening (use high-ratio, if available)
- 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
- milk to thin , if needed
Ingredients for the vanilla pastry cream:
- 5 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 4 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
Ingredients for the chocolate pastry cream:
- 5 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons
- 4 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
Ingredients for the sponge cake:
- 1 cup sifted unbleached all-purpose flour; sift onto a sheet of waxed paper and then spoon into measuring cup and level to rim (4.25 ounces King Arthur all-purpose flour or 4.625 Gold Medal)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 large eggs , separated; separate when cold. Can use cold in the recipe.
- 1 cup superfine or regular sugar , divided
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 3 tablespoons water , cold
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ingredients for the rum syrup:
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon rum extract
Ingredients to assemble the cake:
- 2 cups crushed peanuts , lightly salted
- 8- inch cake board (optional)
Instructions
How to make the bakery frosting:
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Combine butter and shortening
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Add powdered sugar slowly, 1 cup at a time
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Mix on medium-to-low speed to prevent air bubbles from forming
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Add vanilla extract and mix to combine
How to make the pastry creams:
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In a small bowl, add egg yolks and cornstarch. Whisk to blend and set aside
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In a medium saucepan, add milk, sugar, salt, and vanilla or chocolate; heat until small bubbles form (scalded) and remove from heat.
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Temper eggs by adding small amounts (about 4 ounces) of the hot milk mixture at a time, while whisking very QUICKLY to prevent the eggs from curdling.
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After all of the milk mixture has been incorporated into the eggs/cornstarch, return everything to the saucepan and cook over medium heat and stir constantly until thickened.
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My mother does this over a water bath because it quickly thickens and can very easily burn; I didn't use a water bath.
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Cool the pastry cream and refrigerate until ready to use. (should be eaten within 3 days)
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Whip heavy cream only until soft peaks form (overbeating will cause it to turn to butter) and fold together with cooled pastry cream (rewhip this if it has been refrigerated).
How to make the rum syrup:
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Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves and then cool or store in refrigerator.
How to make the sponge cake:
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees and position rack in center of oven
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Line bottom of pans (I used two 8-inch) with parchment paper (UPDATE, Feb 2015: I used three 8-inch pans and split the batter equally)
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Combine flour with salt in a small bowl and set aside.
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In a standing mixer, whip the egg whites on medium-low speed until foamy (not stiff) and then add the cream of tarter and continue mixing until the white become opaque
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Add 1/2 cup sugar slowly to the side of the bowl and increase the speed of the mixer until soft but not stiff peaks form. Scrape the contents to another bowl and set aside
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Using the same bowl, which is now empty, add the egg yolks and whip at high speed for 3 to 5 minutes until lightened in color and the mixture "ribbons" when the beaters are raised
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Slowly add the remaining sugar (ie, 1/2 cup), cold water, and vanilla into the egg yolks and mix until combined on low speed
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Sift the flour onto the egg yolks in two additions, and stir gently with large spatula to combine.
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Gently but thoroughly fold in the whipped egg whites
How to bake the cake
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Transfer mixture to prepared pans and bake for about 20 to 30 minutes until cooked through; if using one pan instead of 2 adjust time accordingly. (using 3 pans, I only needed 20 minutes)
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Remove from oven, cool, and then run knife carefully around rim to loosen and invert to wire rack. After fully cooled, wrap and refrigerate or freeze. When ready to use, slice each cake carefully into 2 layers (will only need 3 of the 4 layers) (NOTE: see update below)
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UPDATE: I used three 8 inch pans and split the batter equally among the pans and it worked just as well with no waste; that is, no need to split the layers if you use 3 pans.
How to assemble the cake:
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Remove frosting from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature to facilitate spreading.
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Using a teaspoon, spoon the rum syrup evenly over each of the three cake layers.
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Place one cake layer on the bottom of an 8-inch cake board or cake dish (you may spread some frosting between the dish and bottom layer to prevent the cake from shifting)
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Spread all of the vanilla pastry cream on top on the bottom layer and then top with another layer of sponge cake.
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Spread all of the chocolate pastry cream on top of middle layer and then top with final layer of sponge cake
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Frost cake, and add generous amount of crushed peanuts to the sides of the cake.
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Decorate the top if desired and refrigerate until serving.
Recipe Notes
If you are baking in 1 or 2 pans, freezing the cake makes it much easier to cut into layers. I'm now using 3 eight inch pans so I no longer split it.
Ensure frosting is at room temperature and fully softened before trying to frost cake.
5 tablespoons of light rum or 1/2 tablespoon of dark rum may be substituted for rum extract
UPDATE: I am now using a stabilized whipped cream frostingthat use instead of the bakery frosting listed here.
Also, a reader recently commented about the use of cream cheese frosting for a more authentic cake. Although my Italian-born mother always used cream cheese frosting in her cake, the Italian bakeries in the Philadelphia area did not - feel free to customize the frosting to your taste.
Omg we must have been separated at birth, this would have to be “my” most loved things on this planet. Not even the best chocolate cake ever made can can hold a candle to this cake.
Thank you for sharing the recipe, I have been lookig for sooo long for this that its not funny.
Anyway just thought i would give a shout out to you and say thank you sister lol
Lol, it’s true!! This is hands down the best cake ever, i agree! I’m so glad you found it. Try it with the stabilized whipped cream frosting, which is my new favorite. Let me know how you make out, sister! 🙂
I tried this recipe over Easter this year. The 3 pan strategy is excellent and the pastry cream was great.
I was not a fan of the frosting. Too sweet. My husband and I had an Italian tort rum cake as our wedding cake. The bakery (Italian family run) used a frosting that was cream cheese based which I understand is more in keeping with Italian tradition. I’ll make this again with a different frosting and a bit more rum syrup
Hi Danielle! I’m so glad you liked the cake – I agree with you about the frosting (except I’m more of a fan of the stabilized whipped cream frosting vs the bakery frosting and not a cream cheese frosting for this particular cake but, of course, it’s completely customizable). I’m not sure if you noticed the link for a stabilized whipped cream frosting at the end of the post/recipe (may be worth a try vs the cream cheese frosting and more flavor neutral). Funny you mention the cream cheese frosting because my Italian-born mom made hers that way alllll the time, but none of the Italian bakeries in my area ever did so (ie, Italian bakeries in Philadelphia), and that’s what prompted me to find a more “bakery-style” approach. I do love cream cheese frosting on a carrot cake though – yum!
I’m originally from Utica, N.Y. and the Florintine Italian pastry shop makes an amazing rum cake with the almonds instead of peanuts.
I’ll have to try it! Try this version and use the almonds – I think you’ll love it! I’ve been using a stabilized whipped cream frosting, which I’ve grown to like more than the bakery frosting
Hey the extract above should be tea spoons not table spoons. Lol. You can make the pudding in 10 mins. Just mix up a chocolate pudding but instead of rum, do one teaspoon orange and another almond. That’s probably our favorite combo. Any flavor really. Coconut and lemon without the cocoa is very good as well. But the chocolate always comes out creamier and thicker. Just play with it. I adapted it from a recipe for “biancomangiare”.
Everyone loved it. Not a crumb left, literally. Lol. My Dad said it was just like the rum cake he grew up with. The pudding fillings are a lot easier to make. And left overs can be chilled and eaten with a spoon since they are pudding. 6 table spoons corn starch, 4 table spoons granulated sugar, 4 cups whole milk. For the white filling/layer: 2 table spoons [EDIT: as corrected by Dan he says extracts should be teaspoons not tablespoons] vanilla extract and an additional table spoon corn starch.
For the black filling/layer: 4 table spoons unsweetened dark cocoa, 1 table spoon vanilla extract, 2 table spoons rum extract.
Wisk continuously until thickens and begins to boil. Remove from heat, keep stirring for 30 secs then begin ro ladle onto cake. (I made tje vanilla first then added the second cake layer then made tje chocolate pudding. The sponge cake was perfect, the rum syrup was great, I did add extra rum. The only thing I would change is cit the butter cream frosting recipe in half. Excellent recipe overall. Gonna make another one this week.
Good to know, thanks for the feedback! I’ll have to try your pudding filling sometime
Just made this. Took me 4 hours. Never baked a cake before and this is my 3rd dessert recipe ever. Haven’t tasted yet but eent together well. I substituted the vanilla and chocolate with my own pudding recipe. Added extra vanilla to the white filling and added rum to the dark filling. I’m from Boston and rum cake was always with almonds. I topped with marichino cherries. Rum syrup seemed like it had too much water. But i used it all. The frosting recipe made double what i used to frost the cake. I also added almond extract to it. Overall i really liked preparing this.
Hope it works for you – as written it always works perfectly for me. This cake is my absolute favorite. I’m also loving it lately with stabilized whipped cream frosting instead of the bakery frosting. A little lighter
I grew up in CT and we used toasted almonds. I’m getting married next summer and will have to try making this. My extended Italian family owns a pastry shop and this is a tradition! Now thy I’m in Colorado, I can’t find a good rum cake. Yummy!
The best rum cake recipe
Growing up in Berks County, this was a popular birthday cake. My mother bought it from a French Italian bakery on 5th Street across from the library. However, the bakery used almonds instead of peanuts, so maybe the almonds are a French thing? I am eager to try this. It looks exactly like my birthday cakes when I was young. Thank you for sharing!
I think the peanuts are a Philadelphia thing because everyone else seems to use almonds:)
Hi! How far in advance can I make this cake? Thanks!
Hi Christina, the rate limiting parts would be cake staling and the pastry cream should be eaten within 3 days although I feel it’s lasted longer when refrigerated properly. The paragraph under the cake slice tells about my method for making in advance
Hi
my grandmother always made rum cake for Easter. She would mix black coffee and rum and soak each layer of sponge cake- probably why as kids we didn’t really like it. The filling on the first layer was crushed almonds in a simple syrup – the next layers were cream. The cryptic recipe I have doesn’t give instructions – just ingredients. I am going to try this recipe, it seems closest to what my family ate. I can’t wait to try it. Thank you
Hope it worked out well for you. the sponge cake recipe is one of those universal cakes that many Italians made back in the day. Kind of like cream puffs – the recipe is always the same. It makes sense that people changed up the fillings and frostings to give it a personal twist.
My cousin used to make this cake for Christmas but used whiskey sprinkled on layers. Has anyone ever done that?
Hi Dotti – hope my email helps, and good luck with the substitution. My biggest caution would be to add whiskey very slowly and small amount (1/2 tablespoon) at a time, tasting along the way. Too little is better than too much in my opinion!
My parents had this (to feed 300!) for their wedding and we wanted to order it for their 50th…but the bakery shut down last year! Ack!
So I’m making it for the party and really glad I found this site!
Been through THOUSANDS of recipes and they all resemble canolli filling, or are a cream cake, or just a rum soaked cake.
Excited to make this but thankfully I’m only feeding 20 instead of 300. 🙂
Hi Stacy – Baking for 20 sounds much for fun than baking for 300! Enjoy I hope you like it! Let me know what you think…
Well I just made this cake and put in fridge.
I started it at 2:30 and finished it at 7:30.
Not including cleaning up a huge mess.
We will be serving it tomorrow afternoon after dinner.
I’ll let you know the the guests reactions.
Hi, I was thrilled to see the Italian Rum Cake. They were a “must” at our family functions. we bought them at Termini’s in Southern New Jersey.
I have never made one, however I would like to give it a try. Thanks for the memory.
I too grew up in and around Philadelphia, eating and loving this cake. I can’t wait to try your recipe. I have traveled and lived all around the USA and have been to Italy, but have never experienced better Italian food than what is available in Philadelphia. Thank you so much.
Cara
Thank you so much for this recipe. I love love love Terminis rum cake and my twin sister and I get it for our birthday each year. I moved out to Lancaster county and can’t find any Amish that can make it!! Lol!!! I can’t wait to try this- with the peanuts of course!
Dear Marie,
I have been looking for this cake for decades – no exaggeration. No one in California or Virginia ever heard of it. I would get this cake every year on my birthday from an Italian bakery in FL. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I can’t wait to try it.
Hi
I grew up in Canada and my parents are from Italy. These are the only cakes we had for birthday parties. I’ve had them with either chocolate sprinkles or slivered almonds on the side. I’m going to make it for my birthday this week. The only thing I’ll add is some red food coloring to the rum syrup. That’s how the cakes we had were made. It just adds a little color. I will definitely let you know how it turns out! Thanks!
Hi Rose – thanks for trying the recipe! Hope you liked it! I’m looking for an excuse to make it again soon!
Hi Marie,
I made the cake and added the red food coloring to the rum-flavored syrup and slivered almonds on the sides. It was great. My only problem was that my cream filling was runny. I’m not sure if I didn’t cook it long enough or what. It was seeping out of the sides of the cake. I felt like a bricklayer. I was quickly frosting the sides of the cake to try to keep the filling from coming out. What do you think I did wrong? I managed to save the cake by quickly putting my crumb coat on and refrigerating it. I tried to post a picture but I don’t know how. It looked and tasted as good as I remember. My parents, who are from Italy and very picky thought the cake was excellent and said that they want me to make it for all family birthdays! Thanks again.
Hi Rose -that’s great! I’m glad your parents liked it! About the filling, it’s hard to say without being there with you but without question the filling gets thicker when it cools or gets cold in the refrigerator. Did you use it at room temp or cold temp (ie, from the fridge?) if room temp, I’d suggest letting it get cold next time..hope that helps!
So I know this post is old but for anyone else who reads it and worries, the recipe is perfect, you did not cook it long enough. I made this recipe for the pastry creams today and added an additional 1/4 cup of milk and it was wonderful, but whenever you make pastry cream it takes about 5 minutes of constant stirring with a whisk on medium to medium high heat until it starts to thicken. Once it starts to get lumpy ( and you’ll think you’ve over cooked it) take it off the heat and whisk vigorously, it will come together and become super smooth, this recipe makes a perfect thick cream, which is why the whipping cream works so well because it lightens it up while the pastry cream help with stability.
I’ve been looking for bakeries here in Orlando that make a traditional Italian rum cake… Haven’t found one yet. Anyway… Boston uses almonds instead of peanuts. I grew up there.
Dan, I did find a small Italian bakery in Clermont called R & C Italian Bakery & Deli. They have some Italian cookies & such and also Italian food. The address is 470 State Hwy. 50, Clermont, Fl. Good Luck!
Whooooohooo!! I’m from Philly & grew up on Italian rum cake!!!! Orlando’s bakery in west Philly. I soooo miss them. Live in Florida where absolutely nothing compares!!! Gonna try this recipe!!!
I know Orlando’s well! I’m from Overbrook! I used to love their cheesecake with the crushed pineapple on the bottom. Yum. Sadly, their Italian Rum cake wasn’t as good last time I had it (it was dry). you will LOVE this recipe, promise!
Yes, I know of Orlando’s. I used to go to Testa’s in Havertown/Upper Darby. YUM!
How far ahead of time can this cake be assembled? I’ve made everything but don’t know whether I can safely assemble a day ahead of the party or if it’s better to wait. Thank you!
Hi Bobbie – the day ahead should definitely be fine. I wish I could tell you exactly how long the cake can be held afterwards (leftovers) but I’m just not 100% sure. The cake, frosting, and nuts should hold like any other cake but it’s the pastry cream that probably has the shortest shelf life. The good news is that the assembled cake freezes nicely so that’s an option if you have leftovers:)