Delicious Spice Bundt Cake with Caramel Glaze: An Easy Recipe for Cozy Days

There’s nothing quite like the comforting aroma of warm spices filling your kitchen, especially on a crisp autumn evening or a chilly winter afternoon. This exquisite glazed Bundt cake perfectly captures that cozy essence, bringing together rich spice flavors with a luscious caramel glaze. It’s a delightful treat that feels incredibly special, yet is surprisingly easy to prepare, thanks to a few clever shortcuts.

Whether you’re looking for a standout holiday dessert or simply a comforting bake to share with loved ones, this Spice Bundt Cake with Caramel Glaze is an absolute winner. The combination of a convenient box mix with wholesome additions like applesauce and bananas not only makes this spice cake a more accessible option but also contributes to its incredibly moist texture. And while the homemade caramel glaze might not be the “healthiest” part of the equation, as they say, isn’t life all about finding that perfect balance?

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⏲️ How Much Time You’ll Need to Bake This Delicious Bundt Cake

Baking this delightful spice Bundt cake is a straightforward process, making it an excellent choice even for busy bakers. To ensure your butter is perfectly softened for the cake batter, remember to set it out on your countertop about 30 minutes before you plan to begin your preparation. This small step makes a big difference in achieving a smooth, well-combined batter.

The active mixing of ingredients for the cake itself is surprisingly quick, typically taking only a few minutes. Once your batter is ready and in the Bundt pan, it will require approximately 50-55 minutes in the oven to bake through to golden perfection. After baking, it’s crucial to allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 20 minutes. This cooling period helps the cake to set properly, preventing it from breaking apart when you invert it onto a serving plate.

While your cake is baking, you’ll have the perfect window of time to prepare the rich caramel glaze. This ensures the glaze is completely cooled and ready to drizzle over your cake as soon as it’s cool enough to handle. The total hands-on time for this recipe is minimal, with the overall process, including baking and cooling, clocking in at approximately an hour and a half. This calculation does not include the initial time needed to soften your butter, so plan accordingly for that vital step.

🥘 Key Ingredients for Your Spice Cake with Caramel Glaze

Crafting this flavorful spice Bundt cake requires a blend of pantry staples and a few special additions to enhance its taste and texture. Here’s a detailed look at the ingredients you’ll need, separated for the cake and the irresistible caramel glaze.

For the Moist Spice Bundt Cake:

• **Spice Cake Mix:** This forms the convenient base of our cake, providing that signature spiced flavor without the need for numerous individual spices.
• **All-Purpose Flour:** Added to balance the consistency, especially considering modern cake mix box sizes. It helps achieve the perfect crumb structure.
• **Baking Powder:** Works alongside the cake mix’s leavening agents to ensure a light and airy texture.
• **Applesauce:** A wonderful addition that contributes significant moisture and a subtle fruity sweetness, allowing for a slightly “healthier” profile compared to recipes relying solely on oil or butter.
• **Buttermilk:** Essential for a tender crumb and a slight tang that beautifully complements the warm spices. Its acidity also reacts with the baking powder, aiding in leavening.
• **Butter (softened):** Provides richness and helps create that desirable melt-in-your-mouth texture. Softened butter creamed into the batter ensures even distribution.
• **Vanilla Extract:** A foundational flavor enhancer that rounds out the spice profile and adds depth.
• **Eggs (beaten):** Act as a binder, provide structure, and contribute to the cake’s richness and moisture. Beating them slightly before adding helps them integrate smoothly.
• **Mashed Bananas:** A secret ingredient that adds incredible moisture, natural sweetness, and a lovely subtle fruitiness, making the cake exceptionally tender.

For the Decadent Caramel Glaze:

• **Butter:** The base for a rich and creamy caramel.
• **Brown Sugar:** Gives the glaze its deep caramel color and molasses notes, contributing to a richer flavor than white sugar alone.
• **White Sugar:** Helps achieve the perfect sweetness and texture in the glaze.
• **Heavy Whipping Cream:** Creates a smooth, luxurious consistency for the glaze, making it wonderfully pourable and decadent.
• **Vanilla Extract:** A crucial addition that enhances the caramel notes and adds aromatic depth to the glaze.

🌾 Adaptations for Dietary Restrictions and Special Needs

We believe everyone should be able to enjoy a delicious slice of cake, which is why we’ve included some helpful adaptations for common dietary needs. While this recipe is naturally delicious, a few adjustments can open it up to even more guests.

Gluten-Free Adaptation: Finding a dedicated gluten-free spice cake mix can sometimes be a challenge, depending on your local grocery store’s stock. However, don’t despair! A readily available gluten-free yellow cake mix can serve as an excellent base. You can easily transform it into a homemade gluten-free spice cake mix by adding a blend of warm spices. Numerous online resources and blogs, like this guide on making homemade spice cake mix, provide excellent recipes and tips for this conversion. Always ensure to check the specific instructions on your chosen gluten-free yellow cake mix, as different brands may have slightly varied liquid-to-dry ratios.

When making this adaptation, it’s particularly important to pay attention to the total weight of your cake mix. Our original recipe accounts for a specific cake mix box size (which we’ll discuss in detail below). You will be replacing the standard spice cake mix, the additional flour, and baking powder from our recipe with the equivalent of 18.25 ounces of your homemade gluten-free spice cake mix. This will likely require the use of a reliable kitchen scale to accurately measure out the 18.25 ounces of your adapted mix, ensuring the proper balance of ingredients for the best results.

Making your own spice mix for the gluten-free yellow cake base usually involves combining cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and sometimes a hint of ginger. Experiment with ratios to find your favorite blend of warm, inviting flavors.

📋 Step-by-Step Instructions for Baking Perfection

Follow these detailed steps to create your incredibly moist and flavorful Spice Bundt Cake with a luscious Caramel Glaze. Precision and attention to detail ensure a perfect outcome every time.

For the Cake:

1. Prepare Your Pan: Begin by thoroughly greasing and flouring a Bundt pan. This is a critical step to ensure your beautifully baked cake releases cleanly from the pan. You can use butter or a non-stick cooking spray with flour, making sure every crevice is coated. Once prepared, set the pan aside.
2. Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350° F (175° C). Allowing the oven to reach the correct temperature before placing the cake in ensures even baking from the start.
3. Combine Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the spice cake mix, all-purpose flour, baking powder, applesauce, buttermilk, softened butter, vanilla extract, beaten eggs, and mashed bananas. This “dump and mix” method is part of what makes this cake so wonderfully easy!
4. Mix Thoroughly: Using an electric mixer on medium speed, or a sturdy whisk, mix all the ingredients until they are well blended and no dry streaks of flour remain. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to a tougher cake texture. Mix just until combined.
5. Pour and Bake: Pour the prepared cake mixture evenly into your greased and floured Bundt pan. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 50-55 minutes.
6. Check for Doneness: The cake is cooked through when a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.
7. Start the Glaze: As soon as the cake goes into the oven, you can begin preparing your caramel glaze. This allows the glaze ample time to cool to the perfect consistency for drizzling later.
8. Cool the Cake: Once baked, remove the Bundt pan from the oven. Let the cake cool in the pan for exactly 20 minutes on a wire rack. This period is vital for the cake to firm up and pull away from the sides of the pan slightly, making it much easier to invert without damaging its beautiful shape.
9. Invert and Finish Cooling: After 20 minutes, carefully invert the Bundt cake onto a wire rack to cool completely. Allowing it to cool fully before glazing prevents the glaze from being absorbed too much and losing its aesthetic appeal.

For the Caramel Glaze:

1. Combine Ingredients: In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, white sugar, and heavy whipping cream.
2. Bring to a Boil: Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil. It’s crucial to stir constantly during this process to prevent the sugars from scorching and to ensure they dissolve completely.
3. Boil and Thicken: Once boiling, continue to boil the glaze for approximately 1 minute, still stirring constantly. This brief boiling period helps the glaze to thicken slightly.
4. Cool the Glaze: Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the caramel glaze to cool completely. As it cools, it will thicken further to a pourable, yet substantial, consistency.
5. Drizzle and Serve: Once the cake is completely cooled and the glaze has reached room temperature, generously drizzle the cooled glaze over the top of the cake. Let the glaze set for a few minutes before slicing and serving.

🍰 Understanding Cake Mix Box Weights: A Baker’s Essential Note

For those who frequently bake with boxed cake mixes, you might have noticed a subtle but significant change over the years: the boxes have gotten smaller! When this recipe was originally developed, standard cake mixes consistently weighed 18.25 ounces per box. This specific weight was factored into the precise liquid-to-solid ratio needed for a perfectly moist and tender cake.

However, in recent years, cake mix manufacturers have reduced the contents of their boxes, with common sizes now hovering around 16 ounces or even as small as 15 ounces. This reduction means that simply using a modern, smaller box of mix might throw off the delicate balance of ingredients in older recipes, potentially resulting in a cake that is too dry or crumbly.

To compensate for this difference and ensure that our spice Bundt cake maintains its intended moisture and texture, we’ve carefully adjusted the recipe. Specifically, for modern cake mixes typically found at 15.25 ounces (the most common size in my area), we have added 11 tablespoons of all-purpose flour (which is approximately ½ cup plus 3 tablespoons) and ½ teaspoon of baking powder. These additions ensure that the overall solid-to-liquid ratio remains consistent with what was originally designed for an 18.25-ounce mix, guaranteeing a successful bake every time.

If your spice cake mix box happens to be a size other than the 15.25 ounces that this recipe has been specifically adapted for, don’t worry! You can easily calculate the exact amount of additional flour you might need. We recommend using a reliable cake mix calculator available online. Simply input the original recipe’s intended weight (18.25 ounces) and the actual weight of your cake mix, and the calculator will provide the precise adjustments needed.

Important: If you are using a cake mix that is a different size than 15.25 ounces, you should OMIT the 11 tablespoons of flour and ½ teaspoon of baking powder explicitly listed in our main recipe ingredients. Instead, use the cake mix calculator to determine the exact amount of flour and baking powder required to bridge the difference between your specific box size and the 18.25-ounce standard. This ensures optimal results and avoids an overly dense or dry cake.

Recipe Card: Spice Cake with Caramel Glaze

Spice Bundt Cake with Caramel Glaze

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Indulge in the rich spice flavors of this delicious glazed Bundt cake, a perfect treat for chilly fall or winter days. This recipe simplifies baking by combining a box mix with applesauce and bananas, offering an easy yet flavorful option for any dessert occasion. The homemade caramel glaze adds a touch of pure decadence – because a little indulgence is essential for balance!

AuthorAuthor: Mary Ann

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Cooling Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 10 servings

Calories 408

Ingredients

  

• 15.25 ounce spice cake mix (see notes for adapting to different sizes)
• 11 tablespoons all-purpose flour (½ cup plus 3 tablespoons)
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup applesauce
• ½ cup buttermilk
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed

For the Caramel Glaze:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons granulated white sugar
• 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

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Instructions

For the Cake:

• Thoroughly grease and flour a Bundt pan to prevent sticking; then set it aside. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the spice cake mix, all-purpose flour, baking powder, applesauce, buttermilk, softened butter, vanilla extract, lightly beaten eggs, and mashed bananas. Mix until all ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth. Avoid overmixing.
• Pour the batter evenly into the prepared Bundt pan and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
• While the cake bakes, begin preparing the caramel glaze so it has adequate time to cool to room temperature.
• Once baked, cool the cake in the Bundt pan for 20 minutes before carefully inverting it onto a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Glaze:

• In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, white sugar, heavy whipping cream, and vanilla extract. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
• Boil for approximately 1 minute, stirring constantly to prevent scorching and ensure a smooth consistency.
• Remove from heat and allow the caramel glaze to cool completely to room temperature. It will thicken as it cools. Once the cake is fully cooled, generously drizzle the caramel glaze over the top.

Notes

Gluten-Free Adaptation:

If you’re aiming for a gluten-free version, a gluten-free yellow cake mix can be used as a substitute for the standard spice cake mix. You can easily make your own homemade spice cake mix from a yellow cake mix by adding a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. Remember, for this recipe, you will need the equivalent of 18.25 ounces of homemade gluten-free spice cake mix to replace the original spice cake mix, flour, and baking powder. Using a kitchen scale for precise measurement is highly recommended when adapting for gluten-free baking.

Understanding Cake Mix Sizes:

This recipe was developed using cake mixes that typically weighed 18.25 ounces. However, most modern cake mixes have reduced in size to around 15 to 16 ounces. Our recipe is specifically adapted for a 15.25-ounce spice cake mix, which is common in many grocery stores today. To compensate for the reduced weight and maintain the ideal solid-to-liquid ratio, we’ve added 11 tablespoons of all-purpose flour (½ cup plus 3 tablespoons) and ½ teaspoon of baking powder.

If your cake mix box is a size other than 15.25 ounces, you can adjust the added flour and baking powder accordingly. We recommend using an online cake mix calculator to determine the precise quantities. If your mix is different, please OMIT the flour and baking powder mentioned in the main recipe ingredients and use the calculator to find the correct amounts needed to bridge the gap between your box’s weight and the original 18.25-ounce standard.

Nutrition per serving

Serving: 1 sliceCalories: 408 calCarbohydrates: 58 gProtein: 5 gFat: 18 gSodium: 180 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 31 gNet Carbohydrates: 57 g

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🌟 Tips for Success and Variations

To ensure your Spice Bundt Cake with Caramel Glaze turns out perfectly every time, consider these additional tips and ideas for variations:

Achieving the Perfect Bundt Cake:

• Grease and Flour Meticulously: A well-greased and floured Bundt pan is your best friend. Use solid shortening or butter to coat every crevice, then dust generously with flour, tapping out any excess. This ensures a clean release and preserves the intricate Bundt shape.
• Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure your butter, buttermilk, and eggs are at room temperature. This allows them to emulsify better, creating a smoother batter and a finer crumb in the finished cake.
• Don’t Overmix: Mix the batter just until the ingredients are combined. Overmixing can develop the gluten in the flour too much, leading to a tough, dense cake.
• Test for Doneness: Use the toothpick test. Insert a wooden skewer or toothpick into the deepest part of the cake. If it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, your cake is ready. If it’s wet, bake for a few more minutes.
• Patience with Cooling: Resist the urge to invert the cake too early. The 20-minute cooling period in the pan allows the cake to set and firm up, preventing it from crumbling when removed. Completely cooling on a wire rack before glazing is also vital for the glaze to set properly.

Flavorful Variations:

• Nutty Addition: For an added crunch and depth of flavor, fold in ½ cup of chopped pecans or walnuts into the batter before baking.
• Dried Fruit Enhancement: Incorporate ½ cup of dried cranberries, raisins, or chopped dates into the batter for extra texture and sweetness, complementing the spices beautifully.
• Citrus Zest: Add 1-2 teaspoons of orange or lemon zest to the cake batter to brighten the spice flavors and add a fresh, aromatic note.
• Espresso Kick: For a subtle coffee undertone that pairs wonderfully with caramel and spice, dissolve 1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder in the buttermilk before adding it to the mix.
• Alternative Glazes: While the caramel glaze is heavenly, you could also opt for a simple cream cheese glaze, a maple glaze, or a classic vanilla bean glaze for a different flavor profile.

🏡 Storage and Serving Suggestions

Once your glorious Spice Bundt Cake with Caramel Glaze is ready, knowing how to store it and present it can enhance the overall enjoyment.

Storage:

• Room Temperature: This cake, especially with its caramel glaze, can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days. Keep it in an airtight container or covered loosely with plastic wrap to maintain its freshness and prevent it from drying out.
• Refrigeration: If you live in a warm climate or prefer to extend its shelf life, you can refrigerate the cake for up to 5 days. Be aware that refrigeration can sometimes alter the texture of cakes, making them a bit firmer. Allow slices to come to room temperature before serving for the best taste and texture.
• Freezing: For longer storage, slices or the whole cake (unglazed) can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil, and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then bring to room temperature before glazing (if applicable) and serving.

Serving Suggestions:

• Classic with Coffee or Tea: A slice of this spice Bundt cake is a perfect accompaniment to a warm cup of coffee, espresso, or your favorite spiced tea.
• Dessert Platter: Serve it as the centerpiece of a holiday dessert platter, perhaps alongside a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or a dollop of freshly whipped cream.
• Fall Gatherings: Its warm, inviting flavors make it an ideal dessert for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any fall harvest celebration.
• Breakfast or Brunch Treat: While decadent, a small slice can also be a delightful treat alongside your brunch spread.

Enjoy the comforting flavors and moist texture of this easy-to-make Spice Bundt Cake with Caramel Glaze. It’s sure to become a cherished recipe in your baking repertoire!

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