Looking for a new dessert? Look no further than the mouthwatering Caramel Crunch Cake! This delectable treat is a twist on the classic pound cake, featuring a buttery base and a scrumptious crunch topping that will satisfy your sweet tooth.
I love pound cakes. They are one of my favorite cakes. I love the simplicity of the cakes and the many opportunities you have to make them unique. You can make different flavored glazes, add fruit to the batter for a different flavor, or dust the cake with powdered sugar, which will still taste fantastic.
I decided to take things up a level or two with this Caramel Crunch Cake by adding a crunchy topping from a mix of toffee pieces, shortbread cookie crumbs, and chopped pecans combined to create a rich, crunchy texture. And if that wasn’t enough to tempt you, the cake is finished with a generous drizzle of caramel sauce, adding a sweet and gooey touch to the already decadent dessert.
How to make the crunchy cake topping
I love when cakes have a surprise element, and that is exactly what the topping of this cake does. The topping for this cake is made with:
- Toffee Pieces
- Chopped Pecans
- Crushed Buttery Shortbread cookies
The toffee adds a sugary, crunchy texture, nutty flavor from the pecans, and buttery crunch from the shortbread cookies – the perfect cake-topping combo.
Tips for making a moist pound cake
If a pound cake isn’t moist, there is no point in its existence. To make the cake moist, there are a few techniques and tips that you can use:
Add a dollop of sour cream: The key to all moist cakes is adding sour cream, yogurt, or pudding to the batter to make the cake more tender and soft.
Use cake flour versus all-purpose flour: Cake flour has less protein and is finer than regular flour. You can still use all-purpose flour if you need to. I would sift the flour first.
Bake at the right temperature: This is a critical tip when ensuring your pound cake is moist. I typically bake my pound cakes at 325 degrees for about an hour.
Don’t overmix the batter: If you overmix the batter, the gluten in the flour will become tougher and make for a less moist cake. Once the ingredients are combined, stop mixing.
Commonly Asked Questions
You can make the cake, wrap it in plastic, and freeze it until ready to serve. You must keep the cake at room temperature or set it out overnight to thaw. Once the cake has thawed, add the glaze and the topping.
You can, but if you did that, it would make the cake overly sweet and won’t set.
Similar Recipes
If you like recipes like this homemade caramel cake, you will like the recipes below:
- Candied Pecan and Caramel Mini Cakes
- Strawberry Crunch Cake
- Marble Bundt Cake
- Peach Cobbler Pound Cake
- Louisiana Crunch Cake
- Butter Pound Cake
Items you may need
Standing Mixer
Tube Bundt Cake Pan
Kitchen Utensils
Bundt Cake Pan
mixing bowls
Caramel Crunch Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes (with cooling)
- Yield: 12–14 1x
Description
Indulge in the ultimate dessert with our Caramel Crunch Butter Cake recipe. Buttery pound cake topped with toffee, pecans, shortbread, and caramel drizzle!
Ingredients
Crunch Topping
- 1/4 c. pecan pieces
- 1/4 c. toffee pieces
- 12 Shortbread Cookies, crushed
- 1 1/2 tbsp. Melted butter
Cake Batter
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 c. sugar
- 3 c. cake flour
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 1 tsp. Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. Baking soda
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 1 c. buttermilk
- 2 tsp. Pure vanilla extract
Cake Glaze- for the top of the cake
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1/2 c. light brown sugar
- 3 tbsp. Milk
- 1 c. powdered sugar
- Pinch of salt
Cake Glaze- for the bottom of the cake
- 5 tbsp. Butter
- 3/4 c. sugar
- 2 tbsp. Water
- 1/2 tsp. Vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. Butter flavor (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees, spray a bundt cake pan with baking spray, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the sugar and butter. Use a handheld or stand mixer and mix the sugar and butter until it becomes light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing each one into the cake batter before adding the next. Slowly add the cake flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Finally, slowly pour in the buttermilk and add the vanilla extract.
- Add the cake batter to the sprayed bundt pan and smooth the top. Place in the oven and back in the oven for 45-50 minutes.
- Make the cake glaze for the bottom of the cake by placing the butter, sugar, water, vanilla extract, and butter flavor in a small saucepan on medium heat. Bring the ingredients to a boil and let slightly simmer for 5 minutes.
- Once the cake has baked, allow cooling slightly for 10-15 minutes. Poke holes in the bottom of the cake with a toothpick. Pour the butter glaze on the bottom of the cake. Allow to fully absorb in the cake for 30-45 minutes, up to one hour.
- Combine the toffee pieces, crushed shortbread cookies, and pecan pieces in a medium bowl. Toss together with a spoon, pour the melted butter, and toss evenly. The mixture will begin to look like large coarse crumbs.
- Flip the cake onto a wire rack and allow it to finish cooling. Place a layer of parchment paper until the wire rack collects the crunch-crumb mixture and the glaze.
- To make the glaze for the top of the cake, add the butter and brown sugar in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Mix and bring to a slight boil for about 5 minutes. Add the milk, vanilla extract, butter flavoring, and a pinch of salt. Mix. Remove from heat.
- Sift the powdered sugar to remove clumps, add to the caramel mixture, and whisk until smooth.
- Sprinkle the crunch crumb mixture on the pound cake, pour the cake glaze over the cake, and sprinkle a little more of the crunch on top of the glaze. Allow to set and serve as desired.
Notes
For this cake, use a tube bundt cake pan. If you don’t have one, you can use another style of a bundt pan; just add the crumb on top of the glaze.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Trying to make for 1st time