Rum cakes, so the story goes, were once hard biscuits that got dunked in the daily serving of black liquor provided to sailors of yore. Whatever the origin, the recipe has improved over the years, and you can taste the newer—and softer—versions soaked in island rum at the Bermuda Rum Cake Company. This “cakery,” which is housed in a historic dockyard, is a Bermudan marquee attraction. Sharing a space with a glasswork factory, the bakery allows visitors to see the classic treats prepared and packaged and also try free samples. In addition to traditional cakes with lemon and vanilla, there are ones flavored with chocolate and coconut—as well the Swizzle, dotted with apricots, cherries, pineapple, and other ingredients.
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Bermuda Bites: The Bermuda Rum Cake Company
Complete your souvenir shopping and bring a taste of the islands home with you. Located at the Royal Naval Dockyard, the Bermuda Rom Cake Company resembles a charming Bermuda-style cottage. This machine shop turned micro-bakery shares space with Dockyard Glassworks. Visitors can watch the baking of cakes and the creation of delicate blown glass vases and figurines. Bermuda rum cakes are baked with Gosling’s Bermuda Black Seal Rum, rather than sherry, whisky, or cognac like other places in the Caribbean. Gosling’s has been blending rum in Bermuda since 1806 and has become a staple of the island. Flavors include traditional black rum mixed with ginger, banana, and fruit juices as well as specialty Christmas rum cakes.
Bermuda Rum Cake Company
Taste Bermuda’s signature confections soaked in locally distilled rum. This “cakery,” which is housed in the historic dockyard, offers free samples to visitors. In addition to traditional cakes with lemon and vanilla, there are those flavored with chocolate and coconut. Also try the Rum Swizzle cake, which features apricots, tart cherries, pineapple and, of course, rum.
Bermuda Rum Cake Company
Another must-visit, or perhaps must-taste, stop for visitors to the dockyard with a sweet tooth is the Bermuda Rum Cake Company, where you can try free samples of the eponymous pastries (and whole cakes for purchase). While rum cakes can be found on some Caribbean islands, on Bermuda they are made with Gosling’s, the local distillery that has been producing the world’s premier rum for more than two centuries. With cake to keep you going, you can continue your tour of the historic dockyards with stops at the Bermuda National Museum, which occupies the 10-acre fortress called The Keep. Visitors can explore colonial-era armaments, gunpowder magazines, and the Commissioners House, the oldest cast-iron house in the world.
