You'll love this Smoked Cake recipe. Not only is it easy to make, but smoked salted caramel cake is also a delicious dessert you can cook right in your smoker! The combination of sweet caramel and a hint of smoky flavor creates a truly epic dessert.
When I tell people I'm making a cake in a cast iron skillet on our Traeger, I usually get some strange looks. But once that smoky scent paired with freshly baked cake hits, they're ready to give it a try.
We served this to friends with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and they said it was one of the top five desserts they'd ever had. I'll take that as a win!
You don't need a cake mix for this one, either. The homemade batter uses simple ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen, and the caramel sauce is easy to make from scratch.
Be sure to try this Smoked Cheesecake and this Smoked Apple Pie for two more fun smoked desserts.
Ingredients
- Brown sugar - Adds sweetness and rich caramel flavor to the homemade caramel sauce.
- Salted butter - Adds richness to both the caramel and cake.
- Heavy cream - Makes the caramel sauce smooth and creamy.
- Smoked salt - Adds another layer of smoky flavor. You can use smoked sea salt, smoked fleur de sel, or another smoked salt you enjoy.
- White sugar - Sweetens the cake batter.
- Vanilla extract - Enhances the caramel and other flavors.
- Eggs - Give the cake structure and help create a fluffy texture.
- Sour cream - Adds moisture and keeps the cake tender.
- Flour - All-purpose flour forms the base of the cake.
- Baking powder - Helps the cake rise. Always make sure yours is fresh.
- Salt - Enhances the other flavors.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Smoked Cake
Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees. Lightly coat a cast iron skillet or baking pan with cooking spray.
Step One: To make the caramel, mix the butter, sugar, and cream in a small pan. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently with a whisk or spoon.
Step Two: Stop stirring, and then let the mixture boil for 2 minutes. You want it to be about 220 on a candy thermometer or instant-read thermometer.
Step Three: Take the pan off the heat and add the salt. You can also sprinkle a little extra smoked salt over the finished cake if you like that sweet and salty combination.
Step Four: Let the mixture cool for 5 minutes.
Step Five: In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Mix in the vanilla and eggs.
Step Six: Add the sour cream and mix well. Add the dry ingredients and mix until incorporated.
Step Seven: Spread the mixture into a greased cast iron skillet.
Step Eight: Drizzle ⅓ of the caramel sauce over the batter. This is about ⅓ of a cup.
Step Nine: Smoke for 60-90 minutes or until set.
Step Ten: Warm up the leftover caramel sauce in the microwave for 30 seconds. Serve with the smoked cake.
Top tip
Grease the cast iron skillet well before adding the batter so the cake is easy to serve. You can also make this in a cake pan or another smoker-safe baking dish if you don't have a cast iron skillet.
Substitutions
- Smoked salt - Regular sea salt or kosher salt works if you don't have smoked salt. You'll still get plenty of smoky flavor from cooking the cake in the smoker.
- Pan - A cake pan or other smoker-safe baking dish can be used instead of cast iron.
Variations
- Chocolate - Drizzle melted dark or milk chocolate over the finished cake. You can also add chopped smoked chocolate or chocolate chips.
- Fruit - The flavor of this smoked cake reminds me a little of pineapple upside-down cake, so fresh pineapple or smoked pineapple would be amazing with it. Smoked bananas would also be delicious.
- Ice cream - A scoop of vanilla ice cream with warm caramel sauce is still my favorite way to serve it.
Equipment
You'll need a smoker or pellet grill, cast iron skillet, small saucepan, rubber spatula, large mixing bowl, and electric mixer.
A candy thermometer or instant-read thermometer is also helpful when making the caramel.
Storage
Let leftover cake cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator.
You can enjoy it cold or warm individual slices in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds. I like to warm the caramel sauce separately and drizzle it over the cake right before serving.
Common Questions
Absolutely. A smoker works a lot like an outdoor oven when you maintain a steady temperature. The big difference is that the cake picks up a subtle smoky flavor while it bakes.
Yes, a Traeger or other pellet grill works really well for smoked cake because you can maintain a steady, low temperature. Preheat it just like you would your oven and place the skillet or baking pan directly on the grill grates.
I prefer the homemade cake batter in this recipe because it's easy and pairs really well with the caramel sauce. If you want to experiment with a boxed cake mix, you could smoke it using the directions and temperature appropriate for that particular mix, but I haven't tested that variation.
Once the cake is set and starting to turn golden, check the center with a toothpick. It should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs but no wet cake batter. Since smoker temperatures can fluctuate, use doneness rather than time alone to decide when to remove it.
The most likely cause is cooking it too long. Start checking around the 60-minute mark since different smokers and pans can change the cooking time. Remove the cake as soon as the center is fully baked.
I'd stick with a mild or slightly sweet wood so the smoke doesn't overpower the caramel. Apple, cherry, pecan, or maple are all good choices.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe
Smoked Cake
Equipment
- Traeger Grill or other smoker
Ingredients
Caramel Sauce
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup salted butter
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon smoked salt
Cake
- 4 oz salted butter softened
- ½ cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 ¾ cups flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Caramel
- Combine the butter, sugar, and cream in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Stop stirring and let boil for 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add salt. Let cool for 5 minutes.
Cake
- Preheat smoker to 225.
- Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla extract and the eggs.
- Add the sour cream and mix well.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly incorporated.
- Spread in a greased cast iron pan.
- Drizzle about ⅓ of the caramel sauce over the batter.
- Smoke for 60-90 minutes or until set.
- Warm up the remaining caramel by microwaving for 30 seconds. Serve the cake warm with extra caramel.
Nutrition
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Originally Published November 4, 2024. Revised and Republished August 18, 2026.
Bill Wolff says
Temperature on Traeger?
Taryn Scarfone says
225
Tim says
This dessert was SO yummy...it literally may be a contender for my favorite dessert. Stop what you're doing and bake this 🙂