Easy Zucchini Rum Cake

Our easy zucchini rum cake is easy to make and even easier to love. Delightful as a breakfast treat topped with warmed maple syrup alongside eggs or as a light dessert after a Sunday roast, this cake will become a go-to in your baking repertoire. It’s also make-ahead friendly and super easy to get creative with things like glazes, toppings, or mix-ins.

Yes, this cake is a breeze to make, it’s in the name. This cake uses only simple ingredients that are readily available at your supermarket and uses a basic yellow cake mix as its base. Tender, moist, and packed with luscious rum and chocolate flavor, I promise this cake will become one of your favorite indulgences.

Now, without further delay, let’s get to it.

Recipe Overview – What to Expect

Alright, if you’ve read this far you’re likely interested in our Easy Zucchini Rum Cake, but also likely still have a few questions, such as what does it taste like? How hard or easy is it to make? And what does it pair well with?

For the answer to those questions and more, read on.

• Taste and Texture: This cake is naturally moist, with a decadently tender crumb, serving as a bed for a medley of zucchini and rum flavors. Meanwhile, the rum-soaked raisins and chocolate chips create pleasant ‘pockets’ of rummy-sweetness speckled throughout the cake. We finish the cake with a topping of walnuts, chocolate, and raisins, which provide a bit of texturing and added flavor depth. Delicious.
• Difficulty Level: As far as baking recipes go, I’ll say this is a fairly beginner-friendly recipe, made even easier by the use of a cake mix as the base. Beyond, that the only additional steps we’ve got going on are grating the zucchini and soaking the topping ingredients. All told I can say with confidence that this is ‘not’ a difficult cake recipe to prepare at all.
• Preparation Process: The process is very straightforward. We start by mixing the cake ingredients, then adding in the zucchini, and incorporating the soaked raisins and chocolate chips. We mix until a batter comes together, and then pour that into a parchment-lined springform pan. We add the topping and bake until done.
• Pairings: Coffee, tea, or even hot chocolate are all go-to pairings in my book. Naturally vanilla ice cream would also serve as a delicious pairing or homemade whipped cream. The subtle rum flavor makes it a great choice for holiday gatherings or special occasions.

Ingredient Checklist – Everything You’ll Need

• 1 box yellow cake mix
  • Tip: Any high-quality yellow cake mix will do, preferably one that emphasizes moistness.
  • Substitution: Feel free to experiment with other flavor cake mixes. Pumpkin spice would be a nice substitution if you’re preparing this during the Fall months.
• 3 eggs
  • Tip: Room temperature eggs for the best results.
  • Substitution: I’ll be honest here and say that I do ‘not’ recommend substituting the eggs. However, if you must, three-quarters of a cup of unsweetened applesauce can work.
• 2 cups shredded zucchini (peeled)
  • Tip: We want the zucchini juice. That keeps the cake moist and helps permeate the zucchini flavor throughout the cake. In other words, do not squeeze or drain the zucchini.
  • Note: To reiterate, the zucchini juice is a key ingredient. No squeezing!
  • Substitution: If you need to substitute the zucchini for something else, then feel to either leave it out. As without the zucchini, this becomes a completely different – though still delicious – rum and nut cake.
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • Tip: A flavor-neutral oil that brings fat to the recipe.
  • Substitution: An equal amount of melted butter.
• ¼ tsp. cinnamon
  • Tip: Feel free to adjust the amount of cinnamon to match your preference.
  • Tip: Yes, pre-grated cinnamon works just fine, this is not a recipe where you need to fuss with grating your own.
  • Substitution: Add a pinch of nutmeg or cloves, though these will bring a bit more of a ‘warming’ or ‘holiday’ flavor than does the cinnamon. Also, I find the cinnamon works really nicely with the rum.
• 4 tbs. raisins (chopped)
  • Tip: Soak the raisins in warm water or rum to plump them up before chopping.
  • Substitution: Dried cranberries or currants can be used for a different flavor.
• 4 tbs. chocolate chips (roughly chopped)
  • Tip: Milk chocolate or dark chocolate both work. I prefer to use dark chocolate in this particular recipe as I find the more intense chocolate flavor works well with the rum.
  • Substitution: White chocolate or butterscotch chips can be used, as both work well with the rum.
• 4 tbs. rum
  • Tip: Soak both the raisins and the chocolate in the rum for a more pronounced flavor.
• Parchment paper for lining the springform pan
  • Tip: Parchment is my top kitchen hack, as it makes clean-up so much easier, and nothing prevents sticking better than parchment.

Topping Ingredients:

• 4 tbs. walnuts (roughly chopped)
  • Tip: You can toast the walnuts, but honestly chopping them up is really all you need to do.
  • Substitution: For this recipe, pecans would be my go-to substitution, and might even work better than walnuts. That said, your choice of nuts works just fine. Almonds would be another go-to in my opinion.
• 4 tbs. chocolate chips (roughly chopped)
  • Tip: Here again, your choice of milk or dark is purely down to preference.
  • Substitution: Same as above. White chocolate or chopped butterscotch both work well.
• 4 tbs. raisins (roughly chopped)
  • Tip: Plain raisins are all you’re looking for here. No need to get fancy.
  • Substitution: Dried cherries or apricots would be my go-to, though this recipe will work best with raisins.
• 4 tbs. rum
  • Tip: I do ‘not’ recommend using a pricey or fancy rum, as the cooking process will destroy all the various nuances that go into ‘making’ a good quality. Basically, ‘cooking rum’ is all you’re looking for.

Tips for Keeping your Cakes Moist

1. Precision Measurements
   • Tip: I cannot emphasize enough that precision measurements are key to baking. You can get away with too much wine or pepper in a sauce, but a little too much flour can make your cake dry, while too little liquid can reduce moisture. So, I suggest ensuring that you have accurate measuring cups and spoons. Invest in a decent kitchen scale if you can.
   • Trick: I know it’s tempting to dip that measuring cup right into the flour, but this can lead to ‘packing’ and thus to using too much flour. Instead, spoon flour into the measuring cup.
2. Avoid Overmixing
   • Tip: I’ve said this a lot, but I cannot stress enough that overmixing ruins cakes. Why? Because mixing brings air into the batter, and too much air makes a cake dense, dry, and rubbery. Instead, mix only until the ingredients have combined.
   • Trick: One trick is to use a spatula, preferably a rubber spatula, to fold the batter in on itself, to bring the mixture together. Regardless, don’t overmix.
3. Bring the Moisture
   • Tip: In order for a cake to be moist, there needs to be moisture-rich ingredients. Shocking, I know! For this recipe, the zucchini acts as the primary source of moisture, supported by the rum and the raisins. However, if leaving out the zucchini, or if you want to bring a bit more to the recipe, try ingredients like sour cream or yogurt.
   • Trick: I know I said this above, but I’ll say it again – don’t squeeze the zucchini. We want the zucchini juice to bring moisture to the cake.
4. Precision Baking Time
   • Tip: As mentioned above, overcooking is the easiest way to ruin a cake, and that means you want to start checking the cake a few minutes ‘before’ the baking time has run out.
   • Trick: The easiest way to do that is with a slender knife or even a toothpick. Insert either into the center of the cake, and they’ll come out clean if the cake is done.
5. Precision Temperature
   • Tip: Precise temperatures are a must in baking, and that means investing in an oven thermometer is probably one of the quickest ways to up your baking game.
   • Trick: That said, if your oven tends to run hot, consider lowering the temperature by five or so degrees to avoid overcooking.
6. Avoid Overbaking
   • Tip: Overbaking is the most common cause of a dry cake. To avoid overbaking, keep your temps and cooking times precise.
   • Trick: As mentioned above, the easiest way to avoid overbaking is using the toothpick test, investing in an oven thermometer, and keeping an eye on baking times. That’s really all there is to it.
7. Rest the Cake
   • Tip: Resting the cake is exactly what it sounds like. First, we let the cake cool in its pan for about ten minutes and then transfer it to a wire rack to continue resting for another five to ten minutes.
   • Trick: During this process, cover the cake with a clean kitchen towel to help trap its steam to keep it moist.
8. Store Correctly
   • Tip: This cake is not finicky when it comes to storage, and really comes down to preference, and how long you’ll be keeping the cake. You can wrap the cake in plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge if you’ll be eating it right away. Conversely, you can also store it in an airtight container if you’ll be keeping it longer.
   • Trick: Also, if you aren’t serving the cake immediately, or are only storing it overnight, wrap the cake in cling wrap or aluminum foil to lock in moisture.
9. Use Parchment Paper
   • Tip: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, parchment is the best way to guard against sticking, and makes cleanup so much easier. It is my Number One tip for easier and cleaner cooking.
   • Trick: Not a whole lot to say here, other than to aim for even and complete, but don’t fret over it too much.

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And that’s our Zucchini Rum Cake! If you enjoyed this recipe, or have any questions or suggestions, be sure to let us know in the comments below, we always love hearing from you!

Happy Baking!

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