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Brown Sugar Cake recipe is has a luxurious dense texture and is covered with salted caramel sauce that seeps into every bite. Make a statement with this amazing Brown Sugar Pound Cake that is made with just six staple ingredients!
With a gorgeous deep golden brown crust and a dense, buttery interior, this brown sugar cake is sure to please. Slice it and serve with a drizzle of salted caramel sauce for an elegant dessert your guests will adore.
This brown sugar pound cake can be baked in a traditional cake pan, two loaf pans, or formed into a bundt cake pattern as shown. The choice is yours, and you can’t go wrong!
This post was originally shared October 26, 2017 and updated with fresh content and details December 27, 2021.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love Brown Sugar Cake
- Easy
- Made with Staple Ingredients
- Full of Rich Molasses Flavor
I absolutely love pound cakes. They’re so easy to make, amazing for breakfast, snacks or dessert and keep incredibly well! In fact, you can freeze individual slices to enjoy later!
I’ve shared so many easy pound cake recipes over the years including Orange Pound Cake, Pumpkin Pound Cake, Lemon Pound Cake, Apple Pound Cake, Cinnamon Pound Cake, Chocolate Chip Pound Cake and of course, classic Pound Cake.
Their tender crumb and luscious texture is irresistible! It gives it a deep, rich flavor and color for a delicious twist.
For specific measurements and instructions, head to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post!
Brown Sugar Cake Ingredients and Substitutions
- Butter – Unsalted works well here, but you can also use salted butter to balance out the sweet flavor of the cake. Learn how to soften butter quickly here!
- Brown Sugar – Light brown sugar is the best option for this cake. Firmly pack your brown sugar into the measuring cup!
- Eggs – Size large eggs are best.
- All Purpose Flour – Lightly spooned into the measuring cup.
- Milk – Whole or even 2% milk will work well for this recipe.
- Vanilla Extract – Adds incredible fragrance and flavor to this brown sugar cake. Learn how to make your own homemade vanilla extract here!
Variations
- Add Toffee Bits – Add in the batter or on top!
- Add Nuts – Candied nuts are amazing in Brown Sugar Pound Cake, but make a beautiful garnish as well.
- Sprinkle with Thick Flakes of Sea Salt
How to Make Brown Sugar Pound Cake in Just 5 Easy Steps
- Prep – Preheat oven and grease bundt (or loaf) pan. I like to use this spray for an easy, clean release, especially for intricate pans.
- Cream Butter – This gives pound cake its luxurious texture.
- Make Batter – Combine ingredients, alternating flour and milk.
- Bake – This cake bakes low and slow to maintain moisture and a perfect rise.
- Release – Allow to cool slightly before inverting onto a platter.
Tips
- Bring eggs and butter to room temperature.
- Cream Butter – Beat until it’s light in color. When adding brown sugar, beat until fluffy. The fat (butter) and sugar hold air bubbles to create a fine texture and leaven the cake.
- Do Not Over Beat – Beat eggs one at a time to prevent the air in the mixture from deflating.
Scaling up, down or substituting? You’ll love this printable Measurement Conversion Chart!
Shortcuts
- Use store-bought salted caramel sauce to top.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does brown sugar make a cake moist?
Yes! Brown sugar is moist and therefore makes baked goods softer and more moist.
Does brown sugar make cake darker?
Yes, it not only gives it rich flavor, but rich color, too!
How to Store
- Room Temperature – Store cooled pound cake in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerate – Wrap with plastic wrap and store in an airtight container or bag up to 4 days as well.
- Freeze – Wrap in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag to prevent any freezer odor from seeping in. Freeze up to 6 months. Bring to room temperature to enjoy.
Dietary Considerations
- Nut Free
- Vegetarian
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Brown Sugar Cake can be made in loaf pans, but everything is better in a bundt. Bundt cakes require little to no additional effort but feel so special! They double as a centerpiece! They’re easy to slice and look so pretty when plated.
My Favorite Bundt Pans
Of course what is cake without frosting? This brown sugar bundt cake can stand on its own, but I love adding a little “frosting” for fun. It is an easy way to decorate a bundt cake and to dip each and every bite, because you’re worth it.
More Amazing Cake Recipes
Did you make this? Rate the recipe and tag me on social @julieblanner!
Brown Sugar Bundt Cake
Easy brown sugar bundt cake recipe with salted caramel sauce – make a statement with this easy and delicious cake that doubles as a centerpiece!
Yield
Ingredients
- 2 cups unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 3 cups light brown sugar lightly packed
- 6 large eggs room temperature
- 4 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup milk 2% or Whole Milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Grease 10" bundt pan with shortening and a dust of flour or baking spray and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat butter 5 minutes until it's a creamy light yellow (do not skip this step).
- Beat in brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in eggs until just incorporated.
- Alternate beating in flour and milk on low speed. add vanilla.
- Pour into greased bundt pan and bake 90 minutes.
- Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack 15 minutes. Carefully trim off the excess with a kitchen knife.
- Turn over onto a platter or cake pedestal and remove from pan. Optional: top with salted caramel sauce.
Tips
Tips
- Bring eggs and butter to room temperature.
- Cream Butter – Beat until it’s light in color. When adding brown sugar, beat until fluffy. The fat (butter) and sugar hold air bubbles to create a fine texture and leaven the cake.
- Do Not Over Beat – Beat eggs one at a time to prevent the air in the mixture from deflating.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 506kcal (25%), Carbohydrates: 65g (22%), Protein: 5g (10%), Fat: 25g (38%), Saturated Fat: 15g (75%), Cholesterol: 123mg (41%), Sodium: 243mg (10%), Potassium: 132mg (4%), Sugar: 40g (44%), Vitamin A: 815IU (16%), Calcium: 68mg (7%), Iron: 2mg (11%)
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
Nelda says
What size Bundt pan do I use? 🙂
Julie Blanner says
10″ or 10 cup capacity
Andrea says
I keep trying to find your butter pecan Bundt cake recipe but the link takes me to this cake instead … any idea where I could find it ? I’ve made it before and it is so delicious !
Julie Blanner says
I’m so sorry! That recipe received so few views that we ultimately decided to eliminate it from our site. If you still have the link you can retrieve using waybackmachine.com
Anonymous says
I don’t have the link anymore … I can remember there was sour cream and vanilla pudding mix. Might just have to wing it haha. It’s my grandpas favorite and today is his 93rd birthday 🎂
Julie Blanner says
Awe! Enjoy!
Anonymous says
My daughter Is making this for thanksgiving. We got ready to put it in the oven and realized there is no oven temp on the recipe so I hope we guessed correctly ????
Julie says
YIKES! 300 degrees.
lisa says
The cake looks amazing and I bet it tastes even better being that it’s made with brown sugar. My Big Fat Greek Wedding is my favorite movie, and I LOVE that part…I always reference it, but no one seems to know what I’m talking about, lol. Glad to see someone else thinks it’s as funny as I do. Thanks so much for sharing at Mix it up Monday 🙂
Julie says
Ha! I could watch it again and again! Thank you!