My father’s all-time favorite.

Cake:

1 Package yellow cake mix
1 Package instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup dark rum (Bacardi works best!)
1 tsp coconut extract
1/2 – 1 cup toasted coconut

Glaze (if desired) ~ 1/2- 3/4 cup:

1/4 cup butter
1/8 cup water
1/2 cup sugar (white, brown or both)
1 tsp coconut extract
1/4 cup dark rum
top with toasted coconut

  • Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour 10″ bundt pan (use Crisco). Sprinkle some toasted coconut over bottom of the pan (or walnuts, if it suits your fancy). Set pan aside.
  • In a large bowl combine cake mix and pudding mix. Blend in eggs, water, oil, rum, and extract and mix until just combined.
  • Pour batter into prepared pan. If you’re really going for a coconut theme, pour in half of the batter, sprinkle with a handful of toasted coconut, and then pour in the rest of the batter on top. This gives a fantastic crunch to the lush rum-ness.
  • Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. The top will be just golden brown and cracked.
  • Meanwhile, prepare the glaze. In a saucepan combine butter, water, sugar, and coconut extract. Bring to a boil over medium heat just as the cake is coming out of the oven. Stir vigorously to prevent burning. The mixture will become white and frothy. Remove from heat after ~5-8 minutes and stir in rum. Shabang!
  • After removing the cake from the oven, let the masterpiece sit in pan for 5-10 minutes. While cooling, poke lots of holes with a toothpick and drizzle over half of the glaze. Let sit for 5 minutes so that everything is absorbed and moist.
  • Turn cake out of pan and poke top with holes. Pour on the remaining glaze. Garnish with toasted coconut. Enjoy!

A note about the glaze: While this cake is phenomenal even without the gooey topping, the glaze adds an extra level of moist rum flavor and acts as a glue for the toasted coconut. It also gives the cake an impressive shiny finish that is sure to wow your guests. If you’d rather cover your naked cake with something a bit more substantial, try a coconut frosting.