Rum substitution

[mmlstarr]

Hi all!
 

I'm going to make Marie-Helene's Apple Cake from Dorie Greenspan. It calls for 3T of rum, but we're a non-alcoholic house. Was thinking of substituting just 1/4 t of almond extract (there's already 1/2 t of vanilla in the recipe) 

Any thoughts?

[FrogPrincesse]

How about apple juice or non alcoholic cider?

[Tropicalsenior]

Why not use rum extract? It's pretty powerful so you wouldn't use three tablespoons full. Probably 1/2 to 1 tsp with the rest made up of water.

[AAQuesada]

just up the vanilla a bit, that's what the rum contributes anyway IMO.  You could always just leave it out as well

[mmlstarr]

Doubled the vanilla and added no extra liquid. Turned out wonderfully well. Light, fluffy, moist. Almost souffle like. Great flavor. Might try the other suggestions next time. Thanks for all the help!

[AAQuesada]

Glad it worked out!

[haresfur]

Don't know your particular situation, but you probably should be aware that vanilla extract contains approximately as much alcohol as rum. I believe they do make non-alcoholic vanilla extract, which I think is glycerine-based.

 

As a side note, some people don't mind a few dashes of alcohol-based bitters in mocktails, but others avoid them all together. Fees Brothers make glycerine bitters.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

On 11/1/2025 at 12:54 AM, haresfur said:

Don't know your particular situation, but you probably should be aware that vanilla extract contains approximately as much alcohol as rum. I believe they do make non-alcoholic vanilla extract, which I think is glycerine-based.

 

As a side note, some people don't mind a few dashes of alcohol-based bitters in mocktails, but others avoid them all together. Fees Brothers make glycerine bitters.

 

By law in the US vanilla extract must contain at least 35 percent ethyl alcohol by volume, although it may also contain glycerin.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-169/subpart-B/section-169.175

 

[haresfur]

3 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

By law in the US vanilla extract must contain at least 35 percent ethyl alcohol by volume, although it may also contain glycerin.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-169/subpart-B/section-169.175

 

 

Some quick googling shows they sell non-alcoholic vanilla "flavoring" in the US and it appears that some of this may be labelled or at least advertized as extract