This easy Bourbon Cake recipe is the stuff dreams are made of! With a Caramel Bourbon glaze, this dessert is decadent and easier to make than you might think thanks to a boxed cake mix! Make this Bourbon Bundt Cake a new Thanksgiving or Christmas tradition.
I love cake mix desserts and am obsessed with this Wine Cake recipe that I make every Christmas. I’ve used the same base recipe for multiple cakes over the years and it never disappoints. You’ll see that this bourbon bundt cake from cake mix is MAGIC!
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Why This Recipe Works
I don’t consider myself a great baker. But I do consider myself a dessert lover. I look for shortcuts and easy recipes that I can modify to make them even better. Which is how this recipe came to be.
After having the whiskey cake at a Whiskey Cake restaurant in Texas, I knew that I needed to have that in my mouth again. But since we don’t have this restaurant near me in CA, I’d have to make it myself.
It’s an easy cake recipe that is perfect for bourbon lovers and people who have a crazy sweet tooth.
For this bourbon cake recipe using cake mix, I use my cake mix/ vanilla pudding base and added a date paste that I found from the actual whiskey cake recipe from the restaurant (thank you internet!).
The date paste gives the cake moisture and flavor. It reminds me of a Sticky Toffee Pudding recipe which I go nuts for.
I top it with my favorite easy caramel sauce that I modified to add bourbon and this dessert is out-of-this-world tasty. And still super easy.
It has a few more steps than I usually use in a dessert (I am a dump cake lover for a reason – EASY). But it’s totally worth it.
Related post: Cinnamon Crumb Rum Cake
This is a show-stopper. A perfect decadent dessert to serve at a holiday party. Or to make it when you are invited to someone’s house. And it’s just about foolproof.
This is not your typical pound cake that sometimes is infused with bourbon. It’s more of a regular cake consistency.
If you’re a bourbon fan, you’ll also want to browse these tasty Bourbon Cocktails for Christmas.
Ingredients
You can use low-fat milk if you have to but whole milk or even heavy cream (which you use in the sauce below) will give it the best flavor.
If you have any dates left over you need to make Bacon Wrapped Dates stuffed with Goat Cheese. Because, YUM!
The caramel recipe is not my own. I have been using Five Heart Home’s Easy Caramel recipe for years (I want to drink it by the glass…) so I knew that had to be the base of my sauce. I simply added bourbon to it.
The bourbon cake recipe using cake mix is great on it’s own. But when you add this caramel it makes it insane!
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions For the Cake
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Step 2
Because you need to let the dates sit to rehydrate you want to do this step first.
Add chopped dates to a bowl. Add 1 cup of boiling water and baking soda. Let sit for 15-20 minutes until softened.
You can begin the rest of the cake while they are softening.
When they are ready, add them to the food processor and make a paste. Should take about 2 minutes.
Step 3
In a large bowl (I love a batter bowl) combine cake mix and vanilla pudding mix (not made – just the powder – just the dry ingredients). Mix together. A rubber spatula or spoon works fine.
Step 4
Add oil, bourbon and milk.
Step 5
Mix with a hand mixer on medium speed to combine. (You can use a stand mixer but I don’t have enough storage in my kitchen for mine so it’s not easy to get to).
Step 6
Then add in one egg at a time, beating with an electric mixer between each.
Step 7
Add the date paste to the cake batter and use a hand mixer on low speed to blend well.
Step 8
Spray a non-stick spray in your cake pan and pour batter in. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl so you get all that goodness.
Step 9
Bake for about 40 minutes, then test with a cake tester.
Step 10
Let the cake cool for 10 minutes in the pan before removing from the pan. Leave at room temperature to cool completely. You can use a wire rack if you have one, but I’m typically too lazy to get it out…
Instructions for the Bourbon Caramel
Step 1
In a small saucepan, melt room-temperature butter over medium heat.
Step 2
Mix in brown sugar and stir for 2 minutes.
Step 3
Mix in heavy cream and stir for another 2 minutes. Adjust the temperature to keep it from boiling, but it can bubble and simmer a little bit.
Step 4
Remove from heat and add vanilla, bourbon and salt. Mix well.
The caramel sauce is pretty thin when it’s done but gets thicker as it cools.
How to Serve the Bourbon Cake
Place the bourbon cake on a serving plate or cake plate with a lip. Pour the bourbon caramel over the warm cake.
You may not need all of the sauce. You can keep any reserved and use as needed when plating.
This is a sweet cake. Something creamy is a great way to cut that a bit. I like to add a bit of whipped cream.
This cake would also be delicious with some vanilla ice cream, especially if you serve it warm!
Equipment
A hand mixer and mixing bowl are pretty standard cake baking tools. For this bourbon cake recipe, you will also need a food processor and a bundt pan.
My food processor is tiny and works just fine for this recipe. You do not need one that holds a lot. You may even be able to use a Magic Bullet or high-speed blender like a Ninja although I haven’t tried it.
Because I prefer to serve bundt cakes because I suck at cake decorating (I have my eye on several.
- Silicone Bundt Pan
- This is my basic Bundt Pan that I use all the time.
- Star Bundt Pan
- Leaves Bundt Pan
- Crown Bundt Pan
- Brilliance Bundt Pan
- Jubilee Bundt Pan
Tips
- You can add a little bit of raw sugar to the prepared pan before adding the batter for a cool slightly crunchy texture on top of the bourbon cake recipe using cake mix.
- If you want the cake to soak up even more caramel sauce you can poke holes in the cake while it’s still warm before adding the bourbon sauce.
- If you want a little bit of crunch in the cake, add some chopped pecans! It would pair perfectly with the flavors in this cake.
- Make sure to cook the cake all the way through. If the bundt cake starts to get a little too brown, cover the top with some aluminum foil. You want a gorgeous golden brown color.
- Make it non-alcoholic: If you want to leave out the bourbon, you can. Just replace the bourbon with water or milk in the cake recipe and make the caramel recipe as is just without the bourbon.
Frequently Asked Questions
To store the leftover bourbon cake, simply make sure it’s cooled all the way then keep it in an air-tight container. Store it in the refrigerator (without the caramel sauce on top if you can help it). It will last for 3 days. If you have any leftover caramel that you haven’t used, store that separately. Use it for anything! Will last for a week.
Adding alcohol is a fun way to add flavor and moisture to a cake mix. You don’t have to add it and this cake will still taste amazing. But, as you can tell from all my Boozy Cupcake recipes, I love to add it!
Using the dry vanilla pudding helps to add flavor and also structure to the cake. You can leave it out and because of the cake mix, the cake will still be fine. But I love using it and think it’s a great addition to baking.
When baking a dessert with alcohol, some of the alcohol will cook out but some will remain. When you think about how much you are adding to the batter and how much will end up in a serving, you don’t end up with that much alcohol per piece. The glaze has bourbon, however that won’t get cooked out.
You won’t believe how easy this Bourbon Cake Recipe using cake mix is! And when topped with the bourbon caramel, it’s outrageously delicious!
The bourbon flavor, in the cake and caramel, is not too overpowering and just adds this wonderful complexity.
More easy cake recipes
- This Chocolate Truffle Cake is another great layer cake that looks harder than it really is. It’s perfect for chocolate lovers!
- Another show-stopping dessert is this Pie Cake! Bake cherry pies inside vanilla cake layers for a simple treat that is totally unique.
- Sometimes you just need a cake for yourself. This Pumpkin Mug Cake is next-level delicious and takes just minutes!
- Make this tangy Christmas Cranberry Cake if you’re looking for a holiday brunch dessert.
- Nutmeg Cake is full of flavor and is great as soon as the weather starts to cool down.
- If you love eggnog, you must try this super easy Eggnog Dump Cake recipe.
Bourbon Cake Recipe using Cake Mix
Equipment
- Bundt Pan
Ingredients
Bourbon Bundt Cake
- 15 ounce Yellow Cake Mix
- 3 ounce Vanilla Pudding Mix (not made, just the powder)
- ¼ cup bourbon
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups pitted dates, chopped to ½" pieces
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup boiling water
Bourbon Caramel Sauce
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup bourbon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Place the dates, baking soda and boiling water in a medium bowl.
- Let sit for 15-20 minutes to soften.
- Place the softened dates in a food processor and blend for 2 minutes into a paste.
- In a large mixing bowl add dry cake mix and dry pudding powder. Mix quickly.
- Add oil, bourbon, milk and use a hand mixer to mix well.
- Add in one egg at a time, beating with the hand mixer between each egg.
- Add the date paste to the batter. Use a hand mixer to mix well.
- Spray the bundt pan with non-stick spray.
- Add the batter to the bundt ban and bake for about 40 minutes.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing the bourbon cake from the pan.
For Bourbon Caramel
- In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium heat.
- Mix in brown sugar and stir for 2 minutes.
- Mix in heavy cream and stir for 2 minutes more. Mix constantly. (It may bubble slightly, but don't bring to a full boil).
- Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla, salt and bourbon.
Notes
- You can add a little bit of raw sugar to the sprayed pan before adding the batter for a cool texture on the top of the cake.
- If you want a little bit of crunch in the cake, add some chopped pecans! It would pair perfectly with the flavors in this cake.
- Make sure to cook the cake all the way through. If the bundt cake starts to get a little too brown, cover the top with some aluminim foil.
MJ says
Hello I’m making this recipe but am confused. Do I blend the dates with the water or do I drain? This cake sounds so delicious and I can’t wait to make it.
Michele CR says
This was so delicious. I will admit . . I added the baking soda into step 5 and used a 13 oz package of “baking dates” – as opposed to pureeing. Took to a friend’s house. All were very impressed with my baking skills (of which I have none)!
Sharon Garofalow says
OMG! I love this! I don’t know what baking dates are but now I need to find out. I bet it is a great hack! I always look for steps to make things easier so thank you for sharing! Will you consider rating the recipe on the recipe card? I’d so appreciate it! So glad this recipe worked out for you!
Michele says
This was so delicious. Took to a friend’s house. All were very impressed with my baking skills (of which I have none)!
Michele says
Just came back on here to see if anyone has used this for cupcakes and saw your reply! What do you think? Have you ever done this recipe for cupcakes?