Rum Runner Trifle

This Rum Runner Trifle is a bit of work, but creates a super tasty, visually stunning trifle dessert full of blackberry & Banana flavours!

Originally published November 8, 2011. Updated on 5/5/2021

I am a big fan of Rum Runners. They’re definitely up there among my favorite cocktails ever.

As the weather gets cold enough to require jackets and gloves, I realize that this summer was sorely lacking in the Rum Runner department.

Though it seems sort of out-of-season now, it’s something we’ll definitely have to correct NEXT summer. You know, as we lounge around on our deck and patio, NOT busting our backs all summer doing tornado cleanup and repairs!

While it may be too cold to pour up a fancy, tropical rum runner cocktail, it’s NOT too cold to whip up a dessert inspired by its flavors: Rum Runner Trifle!

This was one of the first recipes slated for "The Spirited Baker".

In the course of multiple re-hashes of the layout, format, and groupings... I managed to forget to include it. Whoops! You’ll have to buy the book for the other 160+ awesome recipes!

This recipe seems involved, but it comes together quite easily.

The cake should be made at least a day before serving, but can be made even further ahead than that. Feel free to tightly wrap the slab of cake in plastic wrap and freeze for a couple of weeks, allowing it to defrost for an hour or two before cutting it up.

While I like to make up my trifles fresh RIGHT before serving them, many people find that they get better by aging a day or two in the fridge - making them an excellent dessert for entertaining!

How to Make a Rum Runner Cocktail

This cocktail is one of my all-time favorites. I'm a fan of rum, I'm a fan of really sweet "girlie drinks"... in my eyes, there's nothing NOT to love in this cocktail!

Here's the thing: It's called "rum runner" for a reason - There's a lot of booze, and it sneaks up on you.

Much like the 'rum runners" from back in the prohibition days, this drink does a really good job of concealing the alcohol!

If you're up for it, you can also pour another oz of rum over top - dark rum, ideally! Personally, I like it without the optional dark rum float.

This is a really great drink to make larger volumes of, for parties. Rum Runner Cocktails by the pitcher, by the cooler... just be sure to have some designated drivers on hand!

Rum Runner Ingredients

1 oz Amber Rum
1 oz Light / White Rum
1 oz Creme De Banane
1 oz Blackberry Brandy
1-2 oz Orange Juice
1-2 oz Pineapple Juice
Splash Grenadine
Splash Rose's Sweetened Lime Juice

Rum Runner Instructions

Fill a cocktail glass* with ice – ice should come just above the edge of the glass.

Measure ingredients into a shaker. Shake, then pour contents into the cocktail glass.

(That’s how you’re supposed to do it. Honestly, I skip the shaker and just pour the ingredients straight into the glass!)

Garnish with a pineapple wedge, orange and/or lime slices, and/or a maraschino cherry.

Rum Runner Notes

* I like to use fancier tall glasses for this, usually some variation on a hurricane glass

To make this for large groups, forget the “oz” measures, go for “parts”. 1 cup of each ingredient will yield about 8 servings… and I recommend using 2 parts of each of the juices, unless you want a really quick drunkfest!

This recipe comes from my first cookbook, The Spirited Baker. It’s FULL of fun, tasty recipes using spirits and liqueurs for flavour – you should check it out:

Combining liqueurs with more traditional baking ingredients can yield spectacular results.Try Mango Mojito Upside Down Cake, Candy Apple Flan, Jalapeno Beer Peanut Brittle, Lynchburg Lemonade Cupcakes, Pina Colada Rum Cake, Strawberry Daiquiri Chiffon Pie, and so much more.

To further add to your creative possibilities, the first chapter teaches how to infuse spirits to make both basic and cream liqueurs, as well as home made flavor extracts! This book contains over 160 easy to make recipes, with variation suggestions to help create hundreds more! Order your hard copy here on my website, through Amazon, or through any major bookseller.

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5 from 2 votes

Rum Runner Trifle

This recipe seems involved, but it comes together quite easily! The cake should be made at least a day before serving, but can be made even further ahead than that! Feel free to tightly wrap the slab of cake in plastic wrap and freeze for a couple of weeks, allowing it to defrost for an hour or two before cutting it up.

Prep Time40 minutes mins

Cook Time45 minutes mins

Cooling time15 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: British

Servings: 20 People

Calories: 447kcal

Author: Marie Porter

Equipment

• 9 x 13 cake pan
• Trifle Bowl

Ingredients

Cake:

• 3 cups Cake flour
• 2 ¼ cups Sugar
• 2 tablespoon Baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoon Salt
• 3 ½ oz Instant vanilla pudding mix
• 6 Eggs
• ½ cup Amber rum
• ½ cup orange juice
• ½ cup pineapple juice
• 1 ½ cups Butter melted
• 2 tablespoon Pure vanilla extract
• Zest of 1 orange

Banana Rum Soak:

• ¼ cup light rum
• ¼ cup creme de banane liqueur
• ½ cup sugar

Pudding**

• 2 small boxes vanilla instant pudding
• 1 ¾ cup milk
• ¼ cup blackberry brandy
• Purple food coloring optional

Assembly:

• 7-8 bananas sliced
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2-3 pints blackberries

Instructions

Cake:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Liberally a 9x 13″ cake pan with vegetable shortening, and/or spray with baking spray.
• Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and pudding mix in a large mixing bowl. Add in eggs, rum, and orange juice, beating until smooth. Carefully add melted butter, vanilla, and orange zest to the mix, mixing on medium speed until smooth.
• Pour batter into prepared cake pan. Bake until golden and knife inserted into center of batter comes out clean – about 45 minutes. Allow to cool 10-15 minutes before turning cake out onto baking rack to cool fully. Ideally, allow to cool to room temperature, wrap tightly with plastic wrap.
• Allow cake to sit overnight, assemble trifle the following day.

Banana Rum Soak

• Combine ingredients in a small saucepan, heat until sugar dissolves. Set aside.

Pudding**

• Whisk together pudding mix, milk, blackberry brandy, and food coloring – if desired. Allow to set up slightly before assembling trifle.

To Assemble Trifle

• Cut cake into 1- 1.5″ cubes.
• Slice bananas, gently toss with lemon juice to prevent browning
• In a large trifle-type bowl, arrange ⅓ of the cake cubes (or whatever percentage it takes to get a good solid layer down) on the bottom. Drizzle with banana rum soak, spoon ⅓ of the blackberry pudding mixture evenly over top. Arrange banana slices and blackberries on top of pudding layer.
• Repeat twice with remaining cake, binder, and fruit. Serve immediately, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving.

Notes

** Feel free to substitute homemade custard. That’s how I tend to do it, but have utilized instant pudding mix in this recipe to keep things a bit more simple!

Nutrition

Calories: 447kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 485mg | Potassium: 316mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 671IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 126mg | Iron: 1mg

Interested in making wickedly delicious cakes? You'll LOVE my second cookbook, Evil Cake Overlord!

We've long been known for our “ridiculously delicious” moist cakes and tasty, unique flavors. Now, you can have recipes for all of the amazing flavors on our former custom cake menu, and many more!

Bake your moist work of gastronomic art, then fill and frost your cake with any number of tasty possibilities. Milk chocolate cardamom pear, mango mojito.. even our famous Chai cake – the flavor that got us into “Every Day with Rachel Ray” magazine!

Feeling creative? Use our easy to follow recipe to make our yummy fondant. Forget everything you’ve heard about fondant – ours is made from marshmallows and powdered sugar, and is essentially candy – you can even flavor it!

Order your copy directly through my site, through Amazon, or through any major bookseller!

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