Brown Sugar Pound Cake with Caramel Glaze
This brown sugar pound cake brings cozy caramel flavor to a classic Bundt shape. Packed light brown sugar flavors both the cake and its glossy glaze, while sour cream helps give the crumb a moist, close texture.
The finished cake is simple to dress up: once it has cooled completely, drizzle on the warm glaze and let it settle over the ridges. A little care with the pan and mixing helps the cake release cleanly and bake up evenly.
Brown sugar and sour cream build a tender crumb
Packed light brown sugar gives the cake its warm, deep sweetness, balanced by granulated sugar. Unsalted butter adds richness, and vanilla powder rounds out those flavors without competing with the brown sugar. Room-temperature eggs and sour cream blend more smoothly into the batter, helping it come together evenly.
Sour cream also contributes to the cake’s soft, close crumb. When you alternate it with the flour mixture, begin and end with flour, and mix only until the ingredients are combined. Working the batter longer than needed can make the texture less tender. Scrape the bowl as you mix so there are no pockets of flour or streaks of sour cream left behind.
Prepare the Bundt pan for an easy release
A Bundt pan’s ridges give the cake its shape, but they also create places where batter can cling. Coat the inside evenly with softened butter, including the center tube and grooves, then dust it with flour. Tap out the excess so the coating stays light and even.
Once the batter is in the prepared pan, smooth the top before baking. After baking, let the cake cool in the pan as directed on the recipe card, then turn it onto a wire rack. A clean release preserves the definition of the ridges and gives the glaze a good surface to follow.
Let the cake cool before adding the caramel glaze
The glaze combines brown sugar, unsalted butter, heavy cream, and fine salt into a warm caramel topping. Stir it as it comes to a gentle boil, following the recipe card’s timing. The salt keeps the sweetness balanced, while the cream and butter give the glaze its rich finish.
Wait until the cake is completely cool before drizzling. If the cake is still warm, the glaze can soak into the crumb instead of staying on the outside. Pour it over the top so it can run naturally down the Bundt ridges, then allow it to set before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this pound cake use sour cream?
Sour cream helps make the cake tender and moist, with the close crumb expected of a pound cake. Bringing it to room temperature also helps it blend into the batter smoothly as you alternate it with the flour mixture.
How do I help the cake release from the Bundt pan?
Grease the pan thoroughly with softened butter, reaching the center tube and ridges, then dust it with flour and tap away the excess. Let the baked cake cool in the pan as directed before turning it onto a wire rack.
When should I glaze the cake?
Glaze the cake only after it has cooled completely. The caramel topping is warm when drizzled, and a fully cooled cake helps it stay on the surface and trace the ridges rather than soaking into the crumb.
Brown Sugar Pound Cake with Caramel Glaze
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy12
servings25
minutes1
hour10
minutes540
kcal2
hours45
minutesThis bundt-style pound cake has a moist, close crumb and a caramel glaze that drips over the ridges. Sour cream keeps the cake tender, while brown sugar flavors both the cake and glaze.
Ingredients
- Cake
1 tbsp softened butter, for greasing the pan
1 tbsp all-purpose flour, for dusting the pan
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp fine salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla powder
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
- Caramel Glaze
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/8 tsp fine salt
Directions
- Heat the oven to 325°F. Grease a 10-inch Bundt pan with the softened butter, dust it with flour, and tap out the excess.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the 3 cups flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- In a large bowl, beat 1 cup softened butter with 1 1/2 cups brown sugar and the granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla powder.
- With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the sour cream in two additions. Begin and end with the flour mixture, mixing just until combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack and cool completely, about 45 minutes.
- To make the glaze, combine 1/2 cup brown sugar, 4 tablespoons butter, heavy cream, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring, and cook for 5 minutes. Drizzle the warm glaze over the cooled cake and let it set for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Let the cake cool completely before glazing so the warm caramel stays on the surface instead of soaking into the crumb.
