This brown sugar caramel pound cake has a luxuriously dense texture. In even better news, it is covered with salted caramel sauce that seeps into every bite.
Make a statement with this amazing recipe that can be made in a gorgeous bundt pan, and 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!
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 and Apple Pound Cake. Don’t skip my complete recipe collection for all the best variations!
Brown Sugar Caramel Pound Cake
Their tender crumb and luscious texture is irresistible! It gives it a deep, rich flavor and color for a delicious twist.
Brown sugar caramel pound 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!
Why You’ll Love It
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! Learn about the Best Brown Sugar Substitutes here.
- 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!
Salted Caramel Sauce
*Don’t have time for a homemade sauce? That’s okay! Use your favorite store bought caramel sauce! No judgement here.
- Brown Sugar – The molasses in brown sugar makes this caramel sauce come to life!
- Heavy Cream – For pure decadence and the creamy consistency of this salted caramel sauce.
- Butter – Butter is a necessity for caramel sauce!
- Fleur de Sel – Or any type of cracked salt.
- Vanilla Extract
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
Tools to Use
- Mixer (You can also mix by hand)
- Liquid Measuring Cups
- Measuring Cups + Measuring Spoons
- Baking Spray (My favorite for intricate pans!)
- Bundt Pan
How to Make
- Prep – Preheat oven and grease bundt (or loaf) pan.
- 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!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Brown sugar is moist and therefore makes baked goods softer and more moist.
Yes, it not only gives it rich flavor, but rich color, too!
Serving Suggestions
- Serve with a scoop of ice cream! Vanilla Ice Cream, Mascarpone Ice Cream and Cream Cheese Ice Cream are perfect with this pound cake.
- Top it off with Homemade Whipped Cream
- Or try this decadent Mascarpone Cream
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.
More Caramel
Brown Sugar Caramel Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 3 cups light brown sugar lightly packed
- 6 large eggs room temperature
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup milk 2% or Whole Milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Salted Caramel Sauce (Topping)
- 1 cup light brown sugar Packed
- ½ cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 4 tablespoons Butter (unsalted)
- 1 teasppon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt (Large cracks of salt)
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.
For the Topping
- In a saucepan over medium-low, combine brown sugar, cream, butter and salt.
- Whisk for five minutes as it thickens.
- Add vanilla and continue to whisk for another minute. Remove from heat and allow to thicken before serving. Refrigerate to store.
Julie’s Tips
Tips
- No time for the homemade caramel sauce? That’s okay – nobody will know if you take a store bought shortcut!
- Bring eggs and butter to room temperature for the best pound cake finish.
- 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.
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
What size Bundt pan do I use? 🙂
10″ or 10 cup capacity
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 !
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
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 🎂
Awe! Enjoy!
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 ????
YIKES! 300 degrees.
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 🙂
Ha! I could watch it again and again! Thank you!