Best Classic Southern Caramel Cake Recipes

CLASSIC SOUTHERN CARAMEL CAKE RECIPE - (4.2/5)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare three 9-inch cake pans by greasing them and lining the bottom of each cake pan with a circle of parchment paper. The parchment paper makes it easier to get the cake out of the pan. Beat butter until light and fluffy and then add sugar and beat for about 5 more minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, and mix well after each. Add flour and buttermilk, alternately, beginning and ending with flour and mix well after each. Add vanilla and beat well. Divide among pans and bake for 25-30 minutes until set. Turn out of pans onto cooling racks and allow to cool completely. Prepare Southern Caramel Icing as cakes are cooling then frost the cake. FROSTING: Mix all ingredients in a 3-4 quart cast iron dutch oven. Swirl pan to keep ingredients moving in the pan. Cook to softball stage 235º - 245º on a candy thermometer or when tested in a cup of cold water. Remove from heat and beat with a wooden spoon until creamy and ready to spread. No thermometer? Do the cold water test: Take a some of the caramel and drop it into a bowl or cup of cold water. Give it a few seconds to cool. Fish around in the bowl or cup of cold water and try to retrieve the caramel and make a little ball with it. If you stick your fingers into the bowl, pull out a gooey mess and you can't do anything but smear the caramel, you need to boil the caramel some more. There is still too much water in your caramel and the concentration of sugar is too low. The caramel may even form little threads in the water, but if you cannot get the threads to form into a ball, you have some more boiling to do.

CLASSIC SOUTHERN CARAMEL CAKE W/CARAMEL FROSTING

Steps:

• For Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare three 9-inch cake pans by greasing them and adding optional parchment paper. Beat butter until light and fluffy and then add sugar and beat for about 5 more minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, and mix well after each. Add flour and buttermilk, alternately, beginning and ending with flour and mix well after each. Add vanilla and beat well. Divide among pans and bake for 25-30 minutes until set. Turn out of pans onto cooling racks and allow to cool completely. Prepare Southern Caramel Icing as cakes are cooling then frost the cake. For Frosting: Mix all ingredients in a 3-4 quart cast iron dutch oven. Swirl pan to keep ingredients moving in the pan. Cook to softball stage 235º - 245º on a candy thermometer or when tested in a cup of cold water. Remove from heat and beat with a wooden spoon until creamy and ready to spread. No thermometer? Do the cold water test: Take a some of the caramel and drop it into a bowl or cup of cold water. Give it a few seconds to cool. Fish around in the bowl or cup of cold water and try to retrieve the caramel and make a little ball with it. If you stick your fingers into the bowl, pull out a gooey mess and you can't do anything but smear the caramel, you need to boil the caramel some more. There is still too much water in your caramel and the concentration of sugar is too low. The caramel may even form little threads in the water, but if you cannot get the threads to form into a ball, you have some more boiling to do.

CLASSIC SOUTHERN CARAMEL CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two 9-inch cake pans with cooking spray. Insert circles of parchment paper in the bottom and the flip the paper so that both sides have spray on them.
• Mix the buttermilk and baking soda in a small container and allow to stand while you assemble the rest of the cake ingredients.
• Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and toss well with a fork or whisk.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer whip the butter and cream it with the sugar for 5 minutes until it is light a fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating between additions. Add the cornstarch and mix well.
• With the mixer running on low speed, alternate additions of the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture, ending with flour. Stir in the vanilla.
• Spoon the batter into the two cake pans, dividing evenly, and smoothing the tops. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean after inserting in the center of the layers.
• Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack, remove the pan and the parchment paper and allow layers to cool completely before finishing.To Make the Caramel
• Place the sugar into a 3-quart saucepan with a heavy bottom. Combine the water and corn syrup. Place the pan over medium heat and when you begin to smell the sugar toasting, add the liquid mixture and, without stirring, tilt the pan so that the sugar is all moistened. Without stirring, continue to cook over medium heat. The sugar will melt and bubble and eventually it will begin to turn a lovely amber color. It is important to stay right by the pan during these steps as this can happen very abruptly.
• When it turns amber, remove the pan from the heat and add the cold butter, stirring until the butter melts. Slowly pour in the hot cream, using caution as the mixture will boil up and spatter. Add the salt and vanilla and stir until the mixture is smooth if it gets too stiff, return to low heat for a minute until it is pourable. Remove from the pan to two measure cups with pour spouts: in one put 1/3 cup of the caramel and the rest into another cup. Set aside to cool for about 1 hour.To Make the Frosting:
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the larger amount of caramel with room temperature butter until it is very smooth. With the mixer running on low, add the powdered sugar and continue to beat until it completely smooth; raise the speed and whip until light and fluffy.To Assemble the Cake:
• Place one layer of cake on a serving plate bottom side up and spread with about 1/3 cup of the frosting. Center the second layer, top side up, on top of the first and continue to frost the top and sides of the cake. Let stand a few minutes to firm up. If the frosting begins to drip down the sides while you work, chill it for 3 to 5 minutes before continuing.To Garnish:
• Arrange the pecan halves around the top edge of the cake. Stir the kosher salt into the reserved caramel and drizzle it over the edges of the cake. Let the cake cool before serving; if your kitchen is warm, cover lightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator, but bring to room temperature before cutting into wedges to serve.

CLASSIC SOUTHERN CARAMEL CAKE RECIPE - (3.8/5)

Steps:

• CAKE: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease three 9-inch cake pans and add optional parchment paper. Beat butter until light and fluffy. Add sugar and beat for 5 more minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, and mix well after each. Add flour and buttermilk, alternately, beginning and ending with flour, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla and beat well. Divide among pans and bake 25 to 30 minutes until set. Turn out of pans onto cooling racks and allow to cool completely. FROSTING: Mix all ingredients over medium-low heat in a 3- to 4-quart cast iron dutch oven. Swirl pan to keep ingredients moving in the pan. Cook to softball stage, 235ºF to 245ºF on a candy thermometer, or when a drop forms a soft ball in a cup of cold water. Remove from heat and beat with a wooden spoon until creamy and ready to spread.

SOUTHERN CLASSIC CARAMEL CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Prepare three 9-inch cake pans by greasing them and adding optional parchment paper.
• Beat butter until light and fluffy and then add sugar and beat for about 5 more minutes.
• Add eggs, 1 at a time, and mix well after each.
• Add flour and buttermilk, alternately, beginning and ending with flour and mix well after each.
• Add vanilla and beat well.
• Divide among pans and bake for 25-30 minutes until set.
• Turn out of pans onto cooling racks and allow to cool completely.
• Prepare Southern Caramel Icing as cakes are cooling then frost the cake
• Mix all ingredients in a 3-4 quart cast iron dutch oven.
• Swirl pan to keep ingredients moving in the pan.
• Cook to softball stage 235º - 245º on a candy thermometer or when tested in a cup of cold water.
• Remove from heat and beat with a wooden spoon until creamy and ready to spread.