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.
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, and 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. 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, and 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 a high chance 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 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 on 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 whipped cream on top. Or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
And go ahead, make extra sauce and use it over vanilla ice cream.
Related recipes you might like:
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Orange Caramel Bourbon Cake
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.
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
For the orange cake:
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 ½ cups sugar
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 ½ cups 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 tablespoons bourbon
For the caramel bourbon sauce:
- ¾ cups (150g) sugar
- ¼ cup of corn syrup
- ½ cup of orange juice
- â…“ 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.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 75 minutes
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: International
Inside a British Mum's Kitchen says
Oh this is simply gorgeous!! I can't resist caramel but paired with orange and bourbon it sounds beyond delicious!
Mary x
Anne@FromMySweetHeart says
Oh Paula...this is a beauty! What a perfect idea to pair orange and bourbon with caramel! I'm not much of a whiskey or bourbon drinker either. But I sure love to cook and bake with it! Your cake looks super moist and your photos always amaze me! : )
Susan Lester says
Oh, Paula! You've whipped 3 of my favorite flavors together! I must make this soon.
Anita at Hungry Couple says
I'm staring at that beautiful pool of sauce and drooling. 🙂
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
Paula,
love this! Note to self: learn how to make an old fashioned before I meet Paula! 🙂 loved reading this. . and AH, this bundt!!!! so beautiful. love all the "slice" photos with the caramel bourbon sauce. . yummmmm. . and I love that you made something original. You inspire me, always!
Abbe@This is How I Cook says
This looks divine! Love caramel and I love bourbon in things but haven't quite developed a taste for it on its own.
Guru Uru says
Ih my gosh. I have fallen in love with this beautiful bundt cake, too rich, too indulgently delicious 😀
Cheers
CCU
yummychunklet says
The glaze looks heavenly!
Deb says
I've been wanting to make orange caramel for some time bit just haven't decided what to pour it over! Now I know! This is not my mother's Bundt but a sophisticated dessert!
Cocoa and Lavender says
Okay, for starters - I would LOVE to sit down with you and an old fashioned! What fun to share secrets! (But we would each have our own drinks - no sharing there...) The cake sounds amazing, and I love the measuring cups - so sweet - and great photos, as always. I really do look forward to the day we meet in person... ~ David
Miss Messy says
YUM this sounds awesome! 😀
Andrea_TheKitchenLioness says
Paula, this is an amazingly delicious sounding Bundt cake recipe that is quite out of the ordinary - the recipe is different and interesting and sounds perfect for when the wheather is just a little less heatwave like (quite warm around here) - you put so much thought in every detail of your recipes and in the end they always turn out truly special! Keep on baking, Paula!
Angie Barrett says
I love caramel! Can't wait to try this!
laurasmess.me says
Hello beautiful! It seems like forever since I've read your beautiful posts (everything has been rather frantic lately, so I've fallen dreadfully behind on my reader). This bundt looks DIVINE. I love the sound of the gorgeous bourbon caramel, yum!! Love your gorgeous photographs. I'll definitely be trying this, with the extra sauce option! xx
GK says
I absolutely adore anything and everything caramel. It's my weakness. Like you, with an Old Fashioned, give me caramel and I will start spilling all my secrets!
Steph says
Oh that caramel sauce!
Kathy says
This is just gorgeous! And it looks so amazingly delicious! Such lovely photos, Paula!
Cher Rockwell says
Paula - you had me at bourbon 🙂
This cake makes me want to pull out one of my bundt pans and turn on the oven - even though it is very hot and humid here right now...
Ninja Baker says
Duly noted Paula. I will ply you with Old Fashioneds sometime and hear you spill your secrets =)
Love the combo of orange and caramel in this cake. Grateful to you, as always, my friend for having another amazing recipe on hand...Confession: I'm not a big drinker but I've got tons of booze in my closet because I need a tablespoon here or there in baking. So I'm glad to have the bourbon on hand to pour into your lovely cake =)
Baker Street says
Love the shot of the caramel being poured. All I want to do is to be served a slice of your warm cake with some hot tea while I sit all cozy and warm reading my book!