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.
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.
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.
Preparing the bundt pan
If you love making bundt cakes, you probably know the pain of not being able to remove it from the pan in one piece. It has happened to me many times!
There are several ways of dealing with this:
Shortening and flour: use soft shortening to grease the pan, every angle, every nook and cranny until it's completely covered. Using your fingers is messy but effective. You can also use a brush. Sprinkle flour and rotate the pan to cover it completely. You'll have to do it to one side and then the other. Make sure you flour the center tube. Turn the pan upside down over the kitchen sink and smack lightly it against the edge. The excess flour will fall, leaving a thin layer behind. Your pan is ready to be filled.
Cake goop or cake pan-release paste: it's one of my favorites, along with the shortening method above, because it's very effective. Mix equal parts (volume: cups or tablespoons) of shortening, flour and vegetable oil (sunflower or canola) to make a paste. Use it to coat the pan with a brush. Store it in an airtight container (I use a jar) for a month at room temperature or up to 3 months in the refrigerator.
Baking spray: use a spray labeled as having flour or specifically made for baking (as opposed to cooking). It has to have flour; otherwise, the cake will likely stick when removed. At least, that's my experience. I hardly use it anymore.
Recipe: whenever I find a great bundt cake recipe that can be easily removed from an intricate bundt pan, even though I didn’t follow step 1 above, I cling to it like life itself.
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:
Let me know
If you made this recipe and loved it, you can comment below and leave a five-star ⭐️ review. Also, if you had issues, let me know so we can troubleshoot together. I appreciate honest feedback and suggestions.
You can also subscribe to our FREE email series 'Baking the Best' and our regular newsletter. Or follow and save my recipes on Pinterest.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my disclosure policy.
Orange Caramel Bourbon Cake
Click the stars to Rate this Recipe!
Ingredients
For the orange cake:
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 ½ cups sugar
- 5 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup rye flour, finely milled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup milk
- 3 tablespoons bourbon
For the caramel bourbon sauce:
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¼ cup corn syrup
- ½ cup orange juice
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
Instructions
For the orange cake:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
- Grease a large 10 to 12-cup bundt cake pan with soft shortening. Coat with flour, shaking off excess. Reserve.
- In a large bowl, beat 1 ½ cups unsalted butter until creamy and gradually add 2 ½ cups sugar, beating for 3 minutes.
- Add 5 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 2 teaspoons orange zest.
- Sift together the dry ingredients: 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup rye flour and 1 teaspoon baking soda in a bowl. Or have them measured and sift them directly over the butter mixture when adding it.
- Add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with ¾ cup milk and 3 tablespoons bourbon in two additions. Mix well but don't overbeat. I like to use a spatula to scrape the bottom a few times to make sure no dry ingredients are unincorporated.
- Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted comes clean. Start checking at the hour mark as pans and ovens are different, and times might vary.
- Transfer to wire rack and let cool for about 20 minutes. Make sure no cake is sticking to the center tube or sides. I use a smooth-bladed knife to carefully scrape them.
- Invert the cake onto the wire rack.
- Drizzle some of the caramel sauce over the warm cake. Serve with extra sauce.
For the caramel bourbon sauce:
- In a saucepan stir ¾ cup sugar, ¼ cup corn syrup and ½ cup orange juice. Cook over medium heat and let boil for 10 minutes. It will bubble up a lot, so use a pan with high sides.
- Remove from heat and add ⅓ cup heavy cream and 2 tablespoons bourbon. Stir until smooth.
- Store in the fridge in an airtight container.
Kate | Food Babbles says
Love the old fashioned inspiration for this cake! Genius! Love all the flavors going on here. This is simply gorgeous.
Marissa | Pinch and Swirl says
A cake that's a "deconstructed old fashioned"? Yes please.
easyfoodsmith says
Ahh-mazing bundt cake. Orange and caramel sound wonderful in this cake. bookmarked.
Anne ~ Uni Homemaker says
You had me at bourbon! This looks amazing Paula. 🙂
Kalyan Panja says
just mouthwatering....looks delicious!
Elisabeth Foodandthrift says
Totally droolworthy and super delicious! Love the orange and caramel combination! Lovely photos, as well!
Vanessa says
I completely need this and want this in my life. I'm not even joking. I love the flavor combination and...the addition of booze 😉
Alexandra @ Confessions of a Bright-Eyed Baker says
Love the unexpected twist you added to your bundt... I've been checking out a couple of the cakes made for #bundtamonth and you definitely added your own spin! The orange caramel is intriguing! It sounds awesome. 🙂
P.S. I have a caramel obsessions too haha
Nancy @ gottagetbaked says
Holy shizz, Paula!!! I'm going crazy over this cake - I love every single element! The soft, moist, fluffy orange cake, that incredible glossy orange caramel, the fact that you used bourbon and basically made a cake version of an old fashioned. Ah-may-zing! Your photos are gorgeous. How do you do it? I'm in complete awe of your baking and photography skills. And you always come up with the most creative, unique and delicious desserts. I'm SO glad you came around to loving booze 😉
Jeannie Tay says
Utterly beautiful, love the fine crumbs and bet the taste must be divine!
Veronica Gantley says
Orange caramel what a tasty combination. I sure could go for a big slice of that right now.
cquek says
2 bowl please.. i love caramel
Renee says
So much goodness about this cake Paula. So MUCH! Love all your photos too. Makes it feel as though we are in the kitchen with you.
Angie Schneider says
mmmm...caramel bourbon sauce sounds decadent and the cake looks so beautifully baked and moist.
Stacy says
I don't even know where to start with this one, Paula. Bourbon and oranges and caramel and that DEEP bowl for the sauce. I say, fill it up, baby! I think I could eat the sauce on everything. I am pinning this one on my Recipes to Try board because I WILL be making it soon.
e / dig in says
paula, i too like cooking with booze in cakes - a slosh of frangelico, tia maria, brandy or sherry makes a cake or pudding even better! but i have never tried bourbon. this bundt looks moist and delicious.
Pink Patisserie says
What a lovely idea Paula. I love the orange with the salted caramel. A perfect balance. Perfect photos too, just gorgeous.
Holly @ abakershouse.com says
Your photos are so inviting and your text really adds to the excitement of this cake-- warm sauce and cake sounds wonderful right about now. Beautiful cake!
Sandra Lee says
That yummy caramel at the bottom would not be there for long. Very unique take on this month's theme.
Liz Berg says
Oh, my. I love everything about your cake. And I could tell from the thumbnail it was going to be yours...beautiful photos!