Campfire Rum Cake
Instant pudding and cake mix cooked in foil over the fire. Dense and boozy with pecans that prevent the whole thing from dissolving.
- calories
- 380
- weight
- 3.8 oz
- cal / oz
- 100
- protein
- 5 g
- serves
- 6, scales
- prep
- 5 min
- cook
- 35 min
- total time
- 40 min
- water
- 150 ml boiled
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dessert
- Campfire coals
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Foil packet
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Yellow cake mix | 1 package | standard 18-ounce |
|---|---|---|
| Vanilla instant pudding mix | 1 package | 3.4-ounce |
| Pecans, finely chopped | 1 cup | carry pre-chopped |
| Dark rum | 1/4 cup | in a small flask or bottle |
| Vegetable oil | 1/4 cup | |
| Water | 150 ml |
Method
- Mix cake mix and pudding mix in a bowl.
- Stir in pecans, oil, and rum.
- Add water slowly until the batter is thick and spoonable, like wet sand.
- Tear a sheet of heavy-duty foil, lay it shiny-side up, and mound the batter in the center.
- Fold the foil around it, leaving an air pocket so it can expand.
- Set the packet on a grill grate or flat rock at the edge of the fire, not directly on coals.
- Rotate every 10 minutes for 30-35 minutes total until a stick through the foil comes out clean.
- Unwrap slowly—it will be hot and soft.
This is not a real rum cake—it’s a workaround using instant mixes and foil to approximate one over a campfire. The pudding mix provides richness without fresh dairy, and the pecans anchor the structure when the batter would otherwise just spread and bake unevenly. The rum is there for flavor, not hydration, so you don’t need to carry much.
Foil-packet cooking over fire is approximate. The bottom can scorch, the top can stay gummy, and the middle is sometimes both at once. Rotate often and accept inconsistency. It still tastes like rum cake and it’s still better than the alternatives.
Packing
Premix the cake and pudding packets at home into one gallon bag. Chop pecans and pack separately to keep oils from soaking into the mixes. Rum and oil go in separate small containers. Bring heavy-duty foil.
Variations
- Omit the rum entirely if you need the calories without the booze.
- A tablespoon of instant coffee stirred into the water adds complexity.
https://www.lodgecastiron.com/blogs/recipe/rum-cake