If you're into cakes and cocktails, this bundt recipe is spot-on: a tribute to the wonderful old-fashioned drink, it's dense and moist with a wonderful orange flavor and a has bourbon caramel sauce that you will want to eat with a spoon! Serve it in a bowl and call it dessert.
I started out to make a caramel bundt cake.
Now, I find caramel to be one of the best discoveries ever. EVER. The same goes for caramelized stuff. The latest fad of salted caramel has me over the moon, these salted caramel millionaire's graham cracker bars being the example.
But at the same time, I wanted to share something different, try to enhance the caramel while not making it too sweet.
This orange caramel bourbon bundt cake turned out much better than I expected. It's the bourbon with the caramel, an inspiring idea from a drink called old fashioned, which involves whiskey, sugar, bitters, and orange. Prepare me one and I'll sit right next to you and spill all my secrets. Oh, I love the stuff. It has a slight caramel undertone, a mellow sweet and sour flavor, all the tough exterior of what appears to be a manly glass of bourbon blurred by the addition of sugar.
I started with one of my favorite recipes ever, the Orange Chocolate Marbled Bundt Cake, a cake that works for all the right reasons and is absolutely delicious.
Bourbon in cakes
Sometimes I think that I can pretty much add bourbon to every cake. Probably my favorite cake ever is the Bourbon Hot Chocolate Bundt Cake, and I'm known for adding a bourbon chocolate glaze to the Buttermilk Banana Cake. So yes, I can say I'm a fan.
What bourbon does is add a subtle caramel undertone with a kick. Together with some vanilla extract, which I pretty much use in every recipe, it created a much deeper and very unique flavor. So yes, I can say I'm a huge fan. When used sparingly, it can have the same effect as an extract or citrus zest. The keyword being sparing. Too much and you get what we here call a tipsy cake. Not a bad idea at all, but we're focusing on caramel today.
Preparing the bundt pan
- Butter: I use soft butter (NOT melted) to patiently cover the whole pan, every nook, and cranny, every sharp angle, every single bit of space available. I use a brush or my fingers. I then flour the pan and REFRIGERATE IT while putting together the batter. I take it out at the last moment when I need to fill it (image above) and it goes like that into the oven. It will unmold like a dream!
- Baking spray: I use a spray that is labeled as having flour in it, or being specifically made for baking. It has to have flour in it, otherwise, you have high chances of the cake sticking when removing it. That is my experience at least.
Main ingredients
- Rye flour: it gives the cake an earthier tone and a more rustic texture. Use a semi-fine or fine flour for smoother results.
- Bourbon: I like to use the best whiskey or bourbon I can afford, even for baking, so I use Jack Daniel's regular or honey.
- Milk: you can also use orange juice if you want.
This cake is like a deconstructed old fashioned that focuses more on the golden caramel than the booze, with an orange cake as a base, a hint of bourbon both inside and out, and a caramel sauce made with orange juice instead of water.
A sensational mix of flavors, very balanced, with the pooling sauce around the warm piece of cake if you choose to serve it in a deep plate or bowl. Almost a dessert.
Serving
I highly suggest you eat it warm with the caramel sauce. It's up to you if you want it even more decadent and add a dollop of cream on top. Or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
And go ahead, make extra sauce and use it over vanilla ice cream.
Other chocolate recipes you might like:
Bourbon Chocolate Pudding Cake
Baileys Chocolate Cheesecake
Chocolate Kahlua Cakes
Let me know in the comments below if you make this recipe! I’d love to hear what you think about it. Thank you for being here, I appreciate it! Let’s connect via Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
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Orange Caramel Bourbon Cake
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 75
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: International
Description
This is a fantastic cake that takes after the popular drink called Old fashioned. Moist and delicious!
Ingredients
For the orange cake:
- 1 ½ cups (340g) unsalted butter, room tº
- 2 ½ cups (500g) sugar
- 5 large eggs, at room tº
- 2 ½ cups (350g) cake or all-purpose flour
- ½ cup rye flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Zest of 2 oranges
- 3 Tbs bourbon
For the caramel bourbon sauce:
- ¾ cups (150g) sugar
- ¼ cup of corn syrup
- ½ cup of orange juice
- ⅓ cup cream
- 2 Tbs bourbon
Instructions
For the orange cake:
- Preheat oven to 350º F /180ºC.
- Butter or spray a large bundt cake pan. Coat the entire surface with coarse rye flour (the way I did here) or dry breadcrumbs, shaking off excess.
- In a large bowl beat butter until creamy and slowly add sugar, beating for 2 or 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add orange zest and vanilla.
- Sift flours and baking soda together in a bowl (I do this directly over the butter mixture when adding it).
- Add dry ingredients in three additions alternating with milk and bourbon in two additions. Don't overbeat.
- Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a tester inserted comes clean.
- Transfer to wire rack and let cool for about 20 minutes.
- Unmold onto a serving platter and glaze with the warm caramel sauce.
- Serve with extra sauce.
For the caramel bourbon sauce:
- In a saucepan mix sugar, syrup, and orange juice.
- Cook over medium heat, and let boil 10 minutes. It will bubble up a lot, so use a pan with high sides.
- Remove from heat and add cream and bourbon.
- Store in the fridge.
Notes
Preparing the bundt pan 1) Butter: I use soft butter (NOT melted) to patiently cover the whole pan, every nook, and cranny, every sharp angle, every single bit of space available. I use a brush or my fingers. I then flour the pan and REFRIGERATE IT while putting together the batter. I take it out at the last moment when I need to fill it (image above) and it goes like that into the oven. It will unmold like a dream! 2) Baking spray: I use a spray that is labeled as having flour in it, or being specifically made for baking. It has to have flour in it, otherwise, you have high chances of the cake sticking when removing it. That is my experience at least.
Liquid: you can use orange juice instead of the milk stated in the recipe, same amount.
Keywords: orange caramel bundt cake
What a gorgeous cake! I love that you used the flour. I’ve been wanting to try rye flour and will be using this recipe to for my first experience! MasterCakes
Orange and Caramel sound like a lovely flavour combination. Great choice for this month's theme.
This cake is a killer! Vas a matarme, Paula!!!
Paula this recipe will be in my must, as well as many other that comes from you.
It's a little bit difficult to found rye flour here, but I guess I can user regular flour. Wonderful recipe...!!!
Everything about this bundt cake sounds wonderful. It begs to have a second slice. 🙂
That caramel makes me want to lick the screen! Wow! What a fun class that must have been. I'd love to learn more about making cocktails. I think a lot of bartenders I know should, too, for every time I've ordered an Old Fashioned, it's never been made even remotely correctly. So sad!
This looks so good! What a fun idea, to make a cake inspired by a classic cocktail!! Plus with caramel sauce, how could that be bad?!
Warm with caramel sauce? Oh yes! I agree that caramel is amazing. And bourbon makes everything better!
Oh this looks so delicious! The flavour combination of orange, caramel and bourbon sound divine. I would love to try this recipe.
Holy moly, this looks fantastic! I definitely need to buy a bundt pan 🙂
Paula, I came looking for Whole Cherry Clafoutis and end up with this fabulous BundtaMonth Post of yours that is packed with information and recipes and good eats. I remember Susan's bundt cake because I also pinned it but, like so many things I've pinned, have never made. Your adaption is creative and very cool, Paula. And, thank you, for putting in Links to all the recipe suggestions you make. I haven't checked your Blog lately which is definitely My Bad. I have finally gotten to Normal (well, as normal as my Life could ever be) so will be reading and commenting on all your Posts. So many good ideas and recipes. Thanks.
You're so right that booze and baking mix really well. I like bourbon and also dark rum in recipes like this. Yours looks particularly nice - really good job! Oh, and I agree the Old Fashioned is a wonderful cocktail!
This is definitely swoonworthy! I love the idea of orange and caramel flavors together, and the bourbon takes it right over the top.
Oh my. I love the flavor in your Orange Caramel Bourbon Bundt Cake! Not to mention, this is a stunning cake as well. I would love a big slice for afternoon tea. SO good!
My mouth is watering just thinking about having a spoonful of that delicious bundt cake. That sauce sounds delightful.