Make the Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350º F. Spray a 10-inch bundt cake pan with non-stick cooking spray and sprinkle a little flour in it.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together.
3. Cream the butter, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric stand mixer on medium speed.
4. Whisk the bourbon and buttermilk together in a liquid measuring cup. Set aside.
5. Add a third of the dry ingredients to the stand mixer, then add half of the buttermilk/bourbon mixture, alternating the two until everything is incorporated. Try not to overmix the batter.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake in the oven for about 45 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Prepare the Butter Sauce

1. While the cake is baking, prepare the butter sauce. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, sugar, milk, and vanilla extract and cook over medium heat, until the butter is melted and the mixture is fully combined. Be careful not to let the mixture boil.
2. After the cake is done baking, while it’s still warm, use a wooden skewer to poke holes into the cake and spoon the butter sauce over the cake, letting the sauce get down into the holes. Set the cake aside to let it cool and soak up the butter sauce while you make the caramel glaze.

Make the Caramel Glaze

1. In a tall, heavy-bottomed saucepan, mix the sugar and water until combined. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil. Here’s the hard part: don’t touch it! You can swirl the pan periodically to get rid of any hot spots, but don’t stir. Boil the mixture until it becomes a golden amber color, about 8-10 minutes. Be sure to watch it so that it doesn’t get too dark or it’ll be bitter.
2. Warm the cream, butter, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once the caramel reaches a golden amber color, remove it from the heat and slowly add the cream mixture. Be careful – the cream will bubble up violently. Stir the vanilla in.
3. Put the mixture back on medium heat and boil until it reaches 220º F on a candy thermometer or until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Once the cake is cool, remove it from the pan and drizzle the caramel glaze over it. Enjoy!