Caramel Bundt Cake with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Swirl

The first time I made this caramel bundt cake (while researching ideas for my cookbook, Beautiful Bundts), I knew that I would be making it over and over, again. I brought it to the last special occasion dinner party that I went to, and the whole thing was quickly devoured. The only heated dinner table debate was over which part of the cake was the best part--the moist cake, the spiced cinnamon swirl, or the rich caramel glaze--so a few guests went in for a second slice to figure it out. Not all heroes wear capes.

What is "Classic" Caramel Cake (or Caramel Bundt Cake)?

Caramel cake, with its signature rich, candy-like frosting, has been a Southern staple for generations. The traditional cake is a yellow layer cake covered in a thick caramel frosting that is slow cooked for up to 2 hours in some recipes. In my Bundt version, I've thinned out the frosting slightly so that it will drip decoratively down the sides, but the delicious cake still maintains the texture and taste of classic recipes.

Bonus: I've added a brown-sugar cinnamon swirl, which creates a pretty ribbon running through the cake when sliced!

Three Pro Tips for Baking a Beautiful Caramel Bundt

1. Mix well: I call for room temperature ingredients, such as butter and eggs, because they mix seamlessly into the batter. Make sure ingredients are fully incorporated so that you have a smooth batter without any lumps of butter or flour. These show up after baking and leave either pockets of butter or white specks of flour.
2. Prepare the pan: Ever single time I make my Bundt cake recipes, from my sweet Gingerbread Bundt Cake to my savory Cheddar, Bacon, and Jalapeno Cornbread Bundt, I spray the pan with non-stick baking spray to prevent the dreaded sticking to the pan. Look for a brand like Baker's Joy or Pam for Baking and coat all of the crevices evenly.
3. Have patience with the icing: This caramel icing is a slow-cooked variety, so it takes a little extra time (25-30 minutes). Use a heavy-bottomed saucepan so that it does not burn, and resist the urge to increase heat to cook it faster. SInce the glaze is thick and sets quickly once the confectioners' sugar is added, you might need to "coax" it down the sides of the cake by tapping your wire rack on the counter a few times.

Ingredients and Special Equipment

Please check the recipe card at the bottom of this post for specific quantities.

Bundt Cake Ingredients

• Cake flour: If you don't have cake flour, substitute 14 tablespoon all purpose flour whisked with 2 tablespoon cornstarch for every cup needed of cake flour.
• Baking powder / baking soda
• Salt
• Unsalted butter: Room temperature butter will evenly incorporate into the batter.
• Oil: Use a neutral oil, such as vegetable, canola, safflower, or melted coconut oil.
• Granulated Sugar
• Large eggs: Room temperature eggs, like butter, incorporate easily into the batter.
• Vanilla extract: I recommend pure vanilla extract in my baking recipes, as opposed to imitation, for a true vanilla flavor.
• Sour Cream: Use full-fat sour cream for the most moist cake texture. Low-fat may be substituted, but I do not recommend fat-free.

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Swirl Ingredients

• Light brown sugar: Substitute dark brown sugar.
• Sour cream: One standaed 16-ounce container will yield enough sour cream for both parts of this recipe (the cake and the swirl.)
• Ground cinnamon
• Salt

Caramel Icing Ingredients

• Dark brown sugar: Substitute light brown sugar, but dark brown will result in a richer icing.
• Evaporated milk: Don't confuse this with sweetened condensed milk, which has a significant amount of added sugar, making it sweeter and thicker than evaporated milk.
• Unsalted butter
• Salt
• Confectioners' sugar: Sift the sugar if it has any noticeable lumps.
• Heavy whipping cream: Substitute half-and-half or whole milk.

Recommended Special Equipment

• 12-cup Bundt cake pan: This cake has enough batter (and swirl!) to fill a standard 12-cup Bundt pan, like the classic Nordicware Anniversary Pan, seen above. If you use a 10-cup Bundt pan the batter will rise over the top of the pan, so decrease all ingredients by ¼.
• Stand mixer with the paddle attachment: Or a hand electric mixer with a large bowl.
• Nonstick baking spray: My favorite way to prevent Bundts from sticking to their pans (See "Pro Tips", above.)

Step by Step Photos and Instructions

Prepare the Caramel Bundt Cake

1. Preheat your oven to 350℉. Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with nonstick baking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using your hand mixer and a large mixing bowl, beat the sugar, butter, and oil on medium speed for 4 minutes, or until very fluffy and light in color.

4. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary with a rubber spatula. Add the vanilla and beat for 2 minutes more.

5. With the mixer on low speed, alternately beat in the flour mixture with the sour cream, making three additions of four and two of sour cream, amd beating until incorporated.

6. Make the Brown Sugar Cinnamon Swirl: In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and sour cream until blended and smooth.

7. Transfer half of the cake batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Spread the cinnamon swirl mixture evenly over the batter and top it with the remaining batter. Smooth the top.

8. Bake the Bundt in your preheated oven for 55 to 65 minutes or until the top of the cake is puffed and golden brown and a cake tester or thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minute, then carefully invert the cake onto a wire rack to cool completely.  

Prepare the Caramel Icing

1. In a medium saucepan, stir together the brown sugar, salt, evaporated milk and butter over medium-low heat until butter melts and mixture is smooth.
2. Increase to medium heat and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat and boil gently, stirring, for 25 to 30 minutes or until thickened and glossy (mine tends to take the full 30 minutes.) Remove the mixture from the heat and let it cool, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

3. Whisk in the confectioners' sugar and 3 tablespoon (45 mL) of the heavy cream until smooth. Whisk in more cream if necessary until the glaze is thick but pourable.

4. Immediately pour the glaze over the cooled cake, letting it drip down the sides, Let the glaze set for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Variations On Caramel Bundt Cake

While I think that this cake is pretty darn perfect just the way it is, here are a few tweaks if you want to try something new the next time you make it.

• Baking pan variations: If you don't have a Bundt cake pan, use a different baking vessel Prepare the cake as written in a 12-cup tube pan. Make a loaf-style caramel pound cake, using two 8 or 9-inch loaf pans. Or make mini Bundt cakes (a little more tedious to layer each one, but doable!), filling each about ¾ full. Baking time will vary depending on the depth and size of the baking container.
• Salted caramel glaze: Instead of the thick caramel icing, make a thinner salted caramel glaze by adding 1-2 tablespoons more of the cream to thin it out. Add an extra ½ teaspoon salt for a contrasting salty kick.

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions

• Make Ahead: You can prepare the unglazed cake up to 3 days in advance. Cool the cake completely on a cooling rack and then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or cover it with an airtight container. Keep it at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
• Refrigerator: Store lefover cake in the refrigerator on a cake plate, tightly covered, for up to 3 days (honestly, it won't last that long.)
• Freezer: The baked, unglazed Bundt can be frozen for up to two months. Cool the cake completely and then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then foil. For an extra layer of protection, seal the cake in a freezer bag. Defrost the cake overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature before adding the icing.

Troubleshooting / FAQs

Why Does My Glaze Have Lumps in It?

The lumps are likely from clumps of confectioners' sugar. To get a homemade caramel glaze that is perfectly smooth, make sure that you sift your sugar before adding it to the caramel sauce, either through a fine mesh sieve or a traditional sifter.

Can I substitute All-Purpose Flour For Cake Flour?

Yes, you can substitute all-purpose flour for cake flour. Your baked goods will be denser, as all-purpose flour has higher protein content than cake flour. For a lighter, fluffier result, and a tender crumb, use cake flour or a cake flour substitute.

To make a "cake flour substitute" whisk flour (all-purpose) with cornstarch. Remove 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour per cup and replace with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.

Why Did the Center of My Bundt Cake Sink While Baking?

There are a few reasons why the center of your Bundt sunk during the baking process:

1. Oven temperature too low or too high: If your oven is too hot, the cake will rise too quickly and then collapses. If it's too cold, the cake won't rise enough and then sink in the middle.
2. Over-mixing the batter: This incorporates too much air into the batter, which can lead to a cake that collapses in the center.
3. Wrong pan size: A pan that's too small for the amount of batter can cause the cake to overflow and sink.
4. Opening the oven door: Resist the urge to open your oven door while baking, as this will cause the oven temperature to fluctuate and disrupt the baking process.

Explore Some more of my Favorite Southern-Inspired Recipes!

• Classic Chicken Pot Pie with Homemade Biscuit Topping
• Hummingbird Cake with Bourbon Buttercream
• Buttery and Flaky Praline Pecan Scones
• Buttermilk Biscuits with Fresh Herbs

Tried this recipe and loved it? Take a photo and tag me on Instagram or give it a review!