This incredibly moist and tender buttermilk bundt cake is drenched in a rich, homemade caramel icing glaze. It’s my take on a Southern classic, and is a winner every time.

This Buttermilk Caramel Bundt Cake is Inspired by a Southern Classic

For those of you who don’t know, my boyfriend is a Southern boy who is very serious about caramel cake. Although we live in Chicago (far from Mississippi where he grew up), we like to take time every once in a while to make food from and inspired by his childhood. Caramel cake was something that his grandmother made that I frankly had never heard of until a few years ago.

Well, it was my loss, because it’s so good. Just picture a tender, fluffy buttermilk layer cake wrapped in luscious caramel frosting. We have it every year when we visit his family during Thanksgiving and to be honest I’ll take it over pie any day. 😉

This bundt cake was inspired by said classic caramel cake. I love it because it takes less time to make than a layer cake but is just as good! Cake is cake, no matter the shape, right? Here are a couple more reasons to love this bundt cake:

• The cake is moist, fluffy, and delicious: the ingredients in the cake are simple–butter, oil, flour, eggs, buttermilk, etc–and the cake itself is so light. The acid in the buttermilk breaks down gluten strands, which makes the cake incredibly tender and soft.
• It’s covered in a homemade caramel glaze: caramel from-scratch can seem intimidating, but it’s easy to make in less than 15 minutes. Then, by whisking it with some powdered sugar and milk, we create a rich and decadent glaze that pairs perfectly with the light cake.
• It stays moist: I mean, how many of you hate cake that dries out the next day even after you pretty much vacuum seal it? Happy to say that from personal experience, this cake stays moist and delicious–you’d be proud to serve this leftover!

Ingredients and Equipment

Equipment

I used this 6-cup bundt cake pan to make this cake. All of the measurements and baking times in this recipe are listed for a small bundt cake. However, if you have a larger, 10-12 cup pan, simply double the ingredients and increase the bake time.

You will also need an electric mixer and non-stick skillet–one for making the cake and the other for making the caramel.

Ingredients for Cake

• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Fine sea salt
• Large eggs, at room temperature: soak the eggs in a bowl of very warm water for 10 minutes to bring them to room temperature.
• Granulated sugar
• Unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• Vanilla extract
• Buttermilk: measure out and warm the buttermilk for 10-15 seconds in the microwave to bring it to room temperature.

Ingredients for Caramel Glaze

• Granulated cane sugar
• Water
• Unsalted butter, cut into slices
• Heavy whipping cream: make sure this is at room temperature
• Vanilla extract
• Fine sea salt
• Powdered sugar
• Milk

Tips for Bundt Cake

The biggest pains of making bundt cakes? How to keep them from sticking and how to make sure the cake stays perfectly soft and moist!

• Grease the pan with shortening, a pastry brush, and flour: if you’ve never had the experience of your bundt cake sticking and falling apart in chunks as you remove it from the pan, then consider yourself lucky. 😉 If you struggle like I do, then let me tell you the trick: melted shortening. It’s the only time I ever use shortening, but it’s my savior for bundt cake baking. Melt 1-2 tbsp of vegetable shortening, and then brush it into every nook and cranny of the pan with a pastry brush. Be thorough–even a small crack left un-greased can cling on to your cake. Then, add a tiny dusting of flour–not too much or the cake may actually stick more.
• Let the cake rest for 10-15 minutes in the pan: After baking, let the cake rest for 10-15 minutes in the pan. This gives it time to set and the steam can actually help loosen the cake from the sides of the pan.
• Use room temperature ingredients: to ensure a tender crumb on the cake and an even rise, make sure to use room temperature ingredients. To warm up the eggs, place them into a bowl of very warm for 10 minutes. To warm up the buttermilk, heat it in the microwave for around 10 seconds. 
• Don’t over-mix the batter: although the acid in buttermilk will help break any gluten strands, avoid creating too much gluten in the first place by being gentle with the batter. Fold the flour in until it is just combined.

How to Make Homemade Caramel Glaze

This buttermilk bundt cake is coated with a rich, homemade caramel icing glaze. This glaze starts out as a homemade caramel sauce, which is surprisingly easy to make. Once you’ve done it once, it’s easy to do again and again for a multitude of recipes! Have you tried samoas brownies yet? It uses the same caramel sauce.

1. Add ½ cup of sugar and 1-½ tsp water into a nonstick skillet over slightly higher than medium heat.
2. Begin melting the sugar. Every once in a while, lift the pan and give it a few shakes forward and back every to prevent burning. The sugar will clump up at first as the water evaporates, and then melt completely. As it melts, it’ll turn a deep amber color. Begin stirring the sugar once it’s close to fully melted.
3. Then, reduce the heat and add in 3 tbsp of butter. It’ll immediately begin to sizzle and melt. It helps if the butter is cut into cubes ahead of time so that it melts evenly. At this point, stir continuously and aggressively, until the butter is fully melted and combined.
4. Pour in the heavy whipping cream. Make sure the heavy whipping cream is at room temperature, as cold cream may cause the sugar to clump up. Continue stirring until the cream is combined.
5. Continue cooking the caramel for another 1-2 minutes on low heat, or until it starts to thicken.
6. Once you see it start to thicken, immediately remove it from heat and pour it into a separate, heat-proof bowl to cool. Whisk in the vanilla and salt.
7. Let the caramel cool for 10 minutes, or until it’s just warm to the touch. It may take shorter or longer depending on the size of your bowl.
8. Whisk in ½ cup powdered sugar and a tablespoon of milk until you have a smooth glaze.

The last step, or course, is to pour this glaze over your bundt cake.

Recipe Q&A

How do I store leftover cake? Tightly wrap leftover cake or place it into a bundt cake-keeper. You can leave it out on the counter for 3-4 days.

Can I substitute out the buttermilk? While I do recommend using buttermilk if at all possible for this cake, in a pinch there are two substitutions you can make. The first is to whisk together equal parts Greek yogurt and milk. The second is to add 1 tsp of vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk and let it curdle for 10 minutes.

Can I use store bought caramel? If you would prefer not to make homemade caramel sauce, you can use store bought caramels. Melt down 7-oz of soft caramels (not hard caramel candies) in a pan and add 1-2 tbsp of milk to keep the caramel soft. Then, follow the recipe instructions to whisk in powdered sugar to create a glaze.

Did You Make This Recipe?

If so, I’d love to hear from you! Please leave a rating and/or comment to spread the love and help others find this recipe.

Also feel free take a picture and share it with me on  Instagram @toppedwithhoney. Looking forward to seeing your delicious buttermilk caramel bundt cakes!

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Have fun baking and check out more cakes here! 

Buttermilk Caramel Bundt Cake