Last Updated on December 31, 2023
We have developed a bourbon cake recipe using cake mix. Now, you can make it in less time without having to sacrifice flavor or a luscious texture.
Our cake recipe uses cake mix and pudding mix to help cut down on some costs too. They are easy to use and you don’t even have to prepare them in advance! Overall, you can still have a decadent tender cake texture and rich sweet bourbon flavor.
What You Need To Make This Bourbon Cake Recipe Using Cake Mix
Ingredients for the bourbon cake
- 1 box (15 ounces) yellow or vanilla cake mix
- 1 packed (3 ounces) vanilla pudding mix
- 1/2 cup bourbon
- 1/4 cup milk, room temperature
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
Ingredients for the bourbon salted caramel glaze
- 1 cup brown granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup of water
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, room temperature
- 1/4 cup salted butter
- 3 tablespoons bourbon
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes
Equipment
- Bundt pan
- Non-stick cooking spray (or additional melted butter)
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowls
- Electric or hand mixer
- Rubber or silicone spatula
- Cooling rack
- Medium saucepan
- Cake stand
Step By Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the bourbon cake batter
Preheat your oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Then, line your bundt cake pan with non-stick cooking spray or some melted butter.
Place the yellow cake mix and instant pudding powder into a large mixing bowl. Stir the ingredients to ensure that they are evenly distributed. Then, create a well in the center.
Next, add the milk and vegetable oil to the center of the well. Using an electric mixer, whisk together the ingredients on medium speed until they create a smooth uniform cake batter.
Finally, add one egg at a time and ensure you mix it in well between additions.
Step 2: Bake the cake
Gently pour the bourbon cake batter into your lined bundt cake. Then, bake it for roughly 40 minutes or until a testing needle comes out clean.
Step 3: Cool your baked bourbon cake
Once you have completely baked your cake, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool at room temperature. Leave it inside its bundt pan for about 10-15 minutes before removing it.
Step 4: Make the salted caramel bourbon glaze
While your cake is baking and cooling, make the glaze. Combine the brown sugar and water in a medium saucepan. heat it over medium-high heat until it melts. Do not stir the sugar mixture at all!
Once it has completely melted and reached a dark amber color, you can remove it from the heat.
Immediately, whisk in the heavy cream. The sugar syrup will start bubbling, but this is normal. Finally, whisk in the remaining glaze ingredients until they are well combined.
Step 5: Assemble your bourbon cake with salted caramel glaze
Once your cake and glaze have completely cooled down, you can start assembling them. Depending on the thickness of the glaze, you can either pour it over your cake that’s on a cake stand or over a cooling rack.
For very runny glazes, we recommend doing so over a cooling rack so any excess will drip down. This will help prevent the glaze from pooling at the bottom of the cake.
Otherwise, simply drizzle your thick glaze over the cake.
Expert Tips And Tricks
- When making the bourbon caramel glaze, be very careful with the hot sugar. Its temperature can cause instant blisters and severe burns. So, always concentrate and make sure there are no distractions. Especially when you add the cream to the hot sugar syrup.
- You can adjust the amount of salt you want to add to the salted caramel bourbon glaze. We like a salty glaze, but always add less than too much. You can add more salt, but you can never remove it from the recipe.
- As the glaze cools, it will become thicker in consistency. If you made it in advance, you can simply reheat it over low gentle heat until it becomes runny again.
- If you want a thicker glaze, cook it over very low heat so the moisture can evaporate and the consistency can thicken. But, if you want a runnier glaze, add a touch more cream.
- we love to garnish our bourbon cake recipe using cake mix with something crunchy. Caramel cookies, pretzels, and even Graham crackers all work great!
The Preparations Times And Servings
| Preparation Times | Baking Times | Servings |
| 20 minutes | 40 minutes | 10-12 |
Wrapping Things Up
Our bourbon cake recipe using cake mix is easy and very quick to assemble. Once the batter has been made, the hardest part is over. While the cake bakes, you can quickly make the glaze and allow it some time to cool down.
Naturally, this recipe has a few variations. So, if you tried it at home with your own twist, let us know in the comments below. We would love to hear from you!