This Salted Caramel Bundt Cake is divine. The combination of salt and caramel is incredibly tasty.
I think using a bundt cake mold makes this recipe manageable, especially with the caramel glaze. I’ve tried this as a layer cake but I prefer it as a bundt.
I also like to serve this cake warm. I reserve some of the caramel to warm up and drip over the cake before serving.
Making the caramel was a bit intimidating for me but it was relatively easy! The trick here is to not burn the sugar. The rest is super easy and takes NO time at all.
NOTE: I didn’t use a candy thermometer; I just watched the color and reactions that are mentioned below when making it.
Salted Caramel Bundt Cake
Salted Caramel Bundt Cake
- Category: Desserts
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup Crème fraîche
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
Caramel Glaze
- 1 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 stick of butter
- Sea salt (I used fleur de sel)
Instructions
Preparation for Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease and lightly flour the inside of a bundt pan.
- Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
- Using a mixer, beat the butter until creamy.
- Add the sugar and continue to mix until it becomes light and pale.
- Next add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla extract and Crème fraîche 1/4 cup at a time until it is all mixed in.
- Next add your flour mixture in small amounts allowing each bit to mix in completely before you add more.
- After all the ingredients are mixed in, spoon the batter with a spatula into the bundt mold.
- Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Once the cake is done, let it cool for about 12 minutes before inverting it onto another rack. Let it cool completely for about an hour.
Preparation for Caramel Glaze
- NOTE: I Updated this recipe with 2 variations of the Caramel Glaze. Each recipe worked beautifully to turn out decadent caramel, so I wanted to share both with you.
- If you are prone to seeing sugar rocks start to form then try adding the butter and the sugar at the same time while whisking as they dissolve and blend together. See Version A below.
Version A
- Add the butter and sugar together and melt them at the same time while whisking (Medium Heat) .
- As the butter and sugar start to dissolve add the cream and continue to whisk (Medium to High Heat)
- Once it starts to froth and bubble, take it off the heat while still whisking. Continue in Version B below with step 5.
Version B
- In a saucepan add the sugar and whisk over a medium heat allowing the sugar to melt.
- Once it starts to turn an amber color add the butter and whisk at a fast pace.
- When all of the butter is completely melted and blended with the sugar you can remove it from the heat.
- Next add the cream while you continue to whisk until the mixture is in a cream caramel glaze form.
- Pour this glaze into a glass container or a bowl and set aside.
- Once the cake has cooled you can pour the caramel over the top, covering it in a decorative fashion.
- Sprinkle the top with sea salt and serve.
54 Comments
Simply Tia
December 30, 2011 at 5:50 amThis bundt cake is beautiful. Salted caramel? I’m drooling. YUM!
Joanne
December 30, 2011 at 9:04 amI flock to salted caramel like a moth to a bright light. Love this.
Elo
December 30, 2011 at 11:43 amThis looks delish!! I really want to make this, but Im not sure what “1 cup Crème fraîche” is.
Lauren
October 13, 2012 at 5:09 pmIs it Fresh Cream, or whipping cream?
Carrie Pacini
October 17, 2012 at 1:14 pm@Lauren The recipe calls for Crème Fraîche which is similar to Sour Cream.
Note: The Crème Fraîche will add a bit more richness to the cake verses Sour Cream.
Carrie Pacini
December 30, 2011 at 5:37 pm@Simply Tia – Yep Salted Caramel and it is quite tasty!
Carrie Pacini
December 30, 2011 at 10:08 pm@Elo Crème fraîche is similar to Sour Cream.
If you can’t find Crème fraîche then 1 cup of Sour Cream will do the trick.
cakebrain
December 30, 2011 at 10:20 pmgee, that looks so good! I love how the glaze glistens.
Julia
December 31, 2011 at 7:18 amI agree, some cakes are just MEANT to be made in a bundt pan. They look pretty and taste better. I love the idea of serving this with warm caramel on top, and a sprinkle of salt, mmmm!
Carrie Pacini
December 31, 2011 at 8:35 am@cakebrain Thanks!
@Julia I love this cake warm and the sprinkle of salt sets it off perfectly!
Rachel
January 2, 2012 at 6:54 pmThe bundt cake is currently baking in the oven. The batter seemed good and I’m excited to try it. I just had to come on here to say this though! The caramel sauce/topping does not work at all.
Despite my better judgement, I chose to simply follow the recipe having made caramel and caramel toppings previously. Always it is water, cornsyrup or something else that you add with the sugar in the first place. I followed the recipe instead and simply put the sugar on medium heat.
And bam!- little teeny sugar rocks formed. Which is what will happen if you don’t add another type of glucose to the mixture. I’m not sure how the caramel topping ended up entirely smooth for you. I’m glad it did but a word to the wise for those making this-I’d suggest looking up a caramel glaze elsewhere. The one written is more dangerous than it needs to be and results in little sugar rocks instead of a smooth glaze.
Other than that, the cake looks delicious in the oven and I will report back on that soon. :)
Jenny
February 20, 2016 at 6:56 pmI’m a big fan of dry method caramel like this…took some time to nail it but after a few tries I have it down pat! The key is to stir stir stir! The crystal lumps will eventually melt down as you stir. For some reason every time I try to use a method with a liquid I screw it up!
Carrie Pacini
March 6, 2016 at 9:49 amThat’s Great! It can be tricky.
Carrie Pacini
January 3, 2012 at 7:54 am@Rachel I’ve made this several times with different variations of it. There were 2 ways that worked for me.
Here’s the other one:
Add the butter and sugar together and melt them at the same time while whisking .
As the butter and sugar start to dissolve add the cream and continue to whisk.
When it starts to froth and bubble take it off the heat while still whisking. This also turned out a smooth caramel “milky” glaze.
Messy Missy
March 28, 2012 at 5:16 pmOMG my house smells AMAZING!
Kids loved licking the beater and spatula! That was the first sign… the smell was the 2nd. The ease of the carmel, the 3rd!!
Making this for a friends birthday, so will let you know tomorrow how amazing you are!! But I’m pretty sure it’s up there!! WOO HOO!
les
October 13, 2012 at 12:03 pmThis recipe sounds delightful, and seems very
easy until I came to the butter measurements.
A lot of people that are on pinterest are not
American. A “stick”? Grams, ozs, cups this I know.
I always check the recipe before I repin it or
copy it out as so often the American recipes have
boxes, packets or other ingredients that I cannot
get, thats why I got quite excited to see that it was
a straight forward recipe. Then came a stick…….
Carrie Pacini
October 17, 2012 at 1:10 pm@les sorry about that! Hope this helps:
1 stick of butter is 1/2 cup
2 sticks of butter is 1 cup
1 stick of butter = 113.5 grams
2 sticks of butter = 227 grams
Melissa
November 9, 2012 at 7:37 pmHi! Where can I purchase fleur de sel?
Carrie Pacini
November 10, 2012 at 2:25 pm@Melissa I’ve purchased it at the grocery store in the baking area where you find the spices and flavorings.
Melissa
November 10, 2012 at 8:15 pmIs there a special brand you recommend? Thanks so much!
Carrie Pacini
November 19, 2012 at 1:10 pm@Melissa, I’ve used whatever I can find BUT if I see Fleur De Sel De Guerande or Fleur De Sel de Camargue – I would buy them in that order!
rena
November 16, 2012 at 2:55 pmI made this cake last night. I have to tell you, this is hands down, the best cake I have ever tasted. In fact, the cake was so good I was hesitant to add the caramel to it – why ruin a great thing.
The sauce is incredibly addictive (I put some in my coffee this morning).
I am unable to get creme fraiche near me so I substituted half greek yogurt and half sour cream.
WOW!
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!!
Carrie Pacini
November 19, 2012 at 1:12 pm@Rena, so happy that you tried the recipe. The substitute with yogurt and sour cream is super smart. I know the caramel is super addictive. I love that you put it coffee! I am going to have to try that next time too :)
Jenn
August 1, 2014 at 10:47 amI’m making this cake today for my daughter’s birthday. I wasn’t able to find creme fraiche so I bought full fat sour cream instead. Can I mix this with fat free greek yogurt or am I better off jus using the sour cream on it’s own as a substitute? Thanks in advance!
Carrie Pacini
August 1, 2014 at 11:17 amHi Jenn, use the full fat sour cream. And Happy Birthday to your daughter!
Christina
November 21, 2012 at 4:30 pmHi, how far in advance can this cake be made WITH the glaze! Is 24 hours too far in advance?
Carrie Pacini
November 25, 2012 at 8:28 am@Christina I’ve always made it the morning of but I believe you can make it the day before. The sauce can be stored in a jar and re-heated as needed.
Allison
November 21, 2012 at 7:37 pmI used version B for the caramel with a variation- whisk the sugar until all the crystals dissolve and it turns amber in color. REMOVE FROM HEAT and immediately drop the butter (sliced into one tablespoon chunks) into the dissolved sugar while whisking constantly. Then add the cream (warmed for 30 seconds in the microwave so that it’s not cold) right after the butter melts and whisk until it is all creamy and wonderful. Worked perfectly!
Carrie Pacini
November 25, 2012 at 8:28 am@Allison, perfect glad one of them worked out for you!
Sarah
November 29, 2012 at 8:50 amThis is absolutely delicious! I followed your directions and everything came out perfectly, including the caramel sauce. Except, I used an angel food cake pan (didn’t have a bundt pan) and had no issues. The same cooking time worked, too. I’ve already had a few people ask for the recipe, I gave them a link to your site. :)
Barbara Geary
December 12, 2012 at 10:42 pmHow many days in advance can I make this cake? I was planning on eating it on xmas eve? Thx!
Carrie Pacini
December 14, 2012 at 12:28 pm@Barbara Geary you could make the cake 1 or 2 days in advance.
Christina
December 17, 2012 at 2:03 pmI’m excited about trying this. I’m wondering if it would work out ok to put baked apples in the middle of the bunt cake (once it’s finished baking…)? Has anyone tried this & do you think it would work out ok? (Beginner baker here!)
Carrie Pacini
December 21, 2012 at 6:28 am@Christina I think you could put baked apples in the middle of the cake and then drizzle the salted caramel over the apples as well. Let me know how it goes!
Barbara Geary
December 23, 2012 at 9:07 pmCan I put the glaze on in advanced too?
Carrie Pacini
December 24, 2012 at 11:10 am@Barbara I would wait to put the glaze on until you are ready to serve. Also I used unsalted butter for the glaze!
Barbara Geary
December 24, 2012 at 10:57 amunsalted butter or salted butter for the glaze? Cake is in the oven:-)))))
Carrie Pacini
December 24, 2012 at 11:11 am@Barbara I used unsalted butter for the glaze!
Barbara Geary
December 24, 2012 at 12:16 pmThank goodness I just checked back I was about to use salted:-(
Thank you!!!
Kayla
January 19, 2013 at 11:09 pmI absolutley love this recipe! This was the first time i attempted making caramel. I tried version B and it turned out wonderful! The only thing is my cake tasted a little like flour but wasnt to bad when the carmel was on top. If you have any suggestions or ways to maybe change it it would greatly appreciate it. Other than that i love this recipe and am happy i found it.
PS: I made homemade whipped cream and also served it on the side of the cake, and it was wonderful :)
Tammy
August 23, 2013 at 11:22 amCarrie have you made the cake with any kind of chocolate; cocoa etc? I love chocolate with salted caramel.
Carrie Pacini
August 23, 2013 at 5:00 pmHi Tammy, I have not but I think it’s worth a try. I would add cocoa to the flour, maybe start off with 1/4 cup of cocoa to see how it bakes.
Thea D
November 24, 2013 at 1:10 amI have made this cake TWICE this week, and both times it was a big hit. Tonight, 9 of us devoured the whole thing!
Thanks for sharing the recipe. It is easy and deeeeelicious!
Carrie Pacini
November 24, 2013 at 9:37 amThanks Thea for your feedback – I am so glad you all enjoyed it!
Meredith
November 28, 2013 at 7:44 amHello. I’m wondering if I can use esprite de sel instead of fleur de sel? I really don’t know what esprite de sel is ?? But the only fleur de sel I found is $15 and I don’t want to spend that to use such a small amt. thanks!
Carrie Pacini
November 28, 2013 at 10:05 amHi Meredith, yes you can use Esprit du Sel.
joyce kelly
December 21, 2014 at 7:02 pmI will .make this for xmas
Carrie Pacini
December 21, 2014 at 8:39 pmIt’s so good especially when warmed :) Merry Christmas!
Laura
April 26, 2015 at 7:06 pmHi Carrie
One ? I do have is that isn’t caramel sauce taste like Carmel?????
I’ve never made this but have heard it’s terrific.
The other question I have is I ALWAYS make my cakes 2-3 weeks in advance and freeze them. The day before having company I take them out of,the freezer let them completely thaw then the the day of I frost or spread the mixture over it. My ? Is could I freeze it in advance then Proceed as mentioned?
Thank you
Carrie Pacini
April 27, 2015 at 12:25 pmHi Laura, This is one of my favorite cakes to make. I like to serve it warm with the caramel sauce over it. I’ve never frozen this cake before BUT I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. You could make the cake then freeze it and the day that you want to serve it make the caramel sauce for it.
Laura
May 24, 2015 at 7:29 amHi Carrie
Thank you our cake went over very well with my guests. I’d too have to say it was the tastiest cake I’ve EVER made.
I did make it a few weeks ahead of time frozen it and removed it the day before to thaw. I made the glaze that morning and kept it in a jar. Right before serving it I warmed the glaze up in the microwave and poured it over the cake. It was out of this world. Definitely a highly recommend cake to make and being able to do it ahead of time made it so easy. I also followed the first instructions on me
Tong the sugar down and it went ever so smoothly. I think the trick with this glaze is constant stirring as it melts. I used a smaller whisk and it went perfectly.
Carrie Pacini
May 28, 2015 at 9:07 amHi Laura, that’s so great to hear!
Julia
August 8, 2018 at 8:42 amHow many ounces is a stick of butter? 2 oz or 4 oz?
Carrie Pacini
August 8, 2018 at 8:54 am1 stick of butter = 4 oz or 1/2 a cup or 113 grams