Brown sugar pound cake with caramel glaze is a nostalgic dessert straight out of my grandma’s recipe box! Rich pound cake baked in a bundt pan gets topped with a creamy, sweet and salty caramel glaze.
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It’s my birthday! And I’m celebrating by bringing back the birthday cake I first shared 10 years ago.
A lot has changed since then, but this cake remains one of my all time favorites. I remember enjoying this cake as a child, and luckily was able to find the recipe in my grandma’s recipe box.
I know everyone hates when people talk about their grandma on a food blog, but it’s important to know that this recipe is a little bit nostalgic and completely vintage. That means it’s pretty laid back with foolproof instructions, because things were a little more basic back then. Don’t you miss it?
Many caramel pound cakes use a thick, frosting-like caramel topping. This recipe uses a thinner caramel that will soak into the cake a little bit, keeping everything tender with just the right amount of sweetness.
Brown sugar pound cake makes a great celebration cake for birthdays or holidays like Christmas and New Year’s. I’m sure it will keep everyone talking and looking forward to it year after year!
Brown sugar pound cake ingredients
- Shortening
- Brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Milk
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Baking powder
How to make brown sugar pound cake
- Coat a large bundt pan thoroughly with shortening and dust with flour. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs, milk, and vanilla. Mix on low speed until incorporated.
- Add dry ingredients a little at a time, mixing on low until just incorporated.
- Pour into the prepared pan. Bake at 350ºF for 70-90 minutes or until browned and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in the pan for ten minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Caramel glaze ingredients
- Heavy whipping cream
- Brown sugar
- Butter
- Sea salt
How to make caramel glaze
- Bring cream and brown sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Boil, stirring, 2 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in butter and salt. Allow to cool and thicken slightly before drizzling over cooled cake.
Top tips
Use room temperature ingredients
While not entirely required, room temperature ingredients will combine better and improve the texture of your finished cake. To bring the milk and eggs to room temperature, take them out of the refrigerator 30-60 minutes before baking.
It is not necessary to bring the glaze ingredients to room temperature before making the glaze.
The best bundt pan
Nordic Ware is the gold standard of bundt pans. You can use any style, but I like to keep it simple since it’s hard enough to get a cake out of the pan as it is.
How to grease and flour a bundt pan
I like to grease my pan with an even layer of shortening. I do this with either a gloved or bare hand to make sure I get it in all the crevices without adding so much that it will change the shape of the cake.
Next add a few spoonfuls of flour to the pan and start tapping it to get it on all sides. I usually do this over the sink to catch any stray flour. Once everywhere is coated in flour, hold the pan upside down over the trash and tap to remove any excess.
When to add the glaze
Always allow your cake to cool completely before adding the glaze. If you add the glaze when the cake is still warm, it will further melt the glaze, causing it to soak in too much or roll right off the cake.
Should I glaze the brown sugar pound cake on a cake stand?
I chose to glaze my cake on a stand because it looks pretty and dramatic for photos, but this is one cake that is really best kept on a rimmed plate to catch all the caramel.
The middle of the cake can especially be filled with caramel, which will ooze out as you start to cut the cake. It’s all fun and delicious, but to avoid a mess, keep the cake on a large, rimmed plate.
How to store
Brown sugar pound cake with caramel glaze will keep for up to one week covered in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it for up to 6 months.
Tips for customizing brown sugar pound cake with caramel glaze
- Add 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans to the cake batter before baking
- Skip the caramel and top with a dusting of powdered sugar or the vanilla icing from my banana bundt cake.
- Use store bought caramel topping instead of making your own
- Add a ¼ teaspoon of cardamom to the cake batter with the dry ingredients
FAQ
There are few things in life more stressful than trying to remove a bundt cake from the pan in one piece. For starters, make sure you’re following the directions above on how to grease and flour a cake pan.
Second, allow the cake to cool slightly (but not all the way) before trying to remove it. I like to let mine rest for 10-15 minutes.
When you’re ready to get it out, place a wire rack on top of the pan before turning it over all together. Holding the two together, give it a gentle tap on the counter before trying to lift the pan off the cooling rack.
If it’s sticking, turn it back over and use a butter knife to gently loosen the sides of the cake and try again.
When pound cake was first created it called for a pound each of butter, sugar, and flour. In my family we always joked that it was because each slice weighed a pound.
Yes, if you don’t have a bundt cake pan, you can use a 9×13-inch pan or two 9-inch round pans. However you may need to adjust the baking time depending on how big your cake pan is.
More cake recipes
- Butternut Squash Cake
- Banana Bundt Cake
- Applesauce Cake
- Chocolate Cake with Warm Butter Sauce
- Lemon Pound Cake
- The Best Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting
- Orange Scented Chocolate Cake
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake
If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!
Recipe
Brown Sugar Pound Cake with Caramel Glaze
Ingredients
Brown Sugar Pound Cake
- 1 ½ cups shortening
- 2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 5 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Caramel Glaze
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
Brown Sugar Pound Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Coat a large bundt pan thoroughly with shortening and dust with flour. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream shortening and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs, milk, and vanilla. Pulse the mixer until slightly incorporated to prevent overflow, then mix on low speed until incorporated.
- Add dry ingredients a little at a time, pulsing again and mixing on low until just incorporated.
- Pour into the prepared pan. Bake 70-90 minutes or until browned and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in the pan ten minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Caramel Glaze
- Bring cream and brown sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Boil, stirring, 2 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in butter and salt. Allow to cool and thicken slightly before drizzling over cooled cake.
Papa says
Yeah, kids and no air conditioning! :). I remember that picture.
Love papa
Papa says
Oh yeah, and Happy Birthday :). And I had a better body back then, not by a whole lot, but better than now. Have fun this weekend.
Love papa