Best Southern Caramel Cake Recipes

SOUTHERN CARAMEL CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two (9-inch) cake pans. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through.
• Add eggs, one at a time, and mix, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add about a third of the flour and mix on low speed until combined. Add about half of the buttermilk and continue to mix until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Continue to add flour and buttermilk in the same way, beginning and ending with the flour.
• Add vanilla and combine fully, making sure not to overmix.
• Divide batter evenly between pans, and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning the cakes onto wire racks to cool completely.
• As the cake bakes, make the icing: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the brown sugar and whisk to combine. Bring to a gentle boil over medium and let the mixture bubble for 5 minutes, whisking constantly. Carefully and slowly add the buttermilk (it will bubble up), stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a full, rolling boil. Remove from heat and add salt. Transfer mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
• With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the sifted confectioners' sugar, mixing until smooth, then add vanilla extract and mix to combine. The icing should look glossy and pour easily from the bowl.
• While the icing is still warm, spread about 1 cup icing on one cake, then top with the second cake. Use the rest of the icing on the top and sides of the cake. The icing will set up as it cools. If the icing starts to harden, microwave the icing in 10-second intervals until smooth. (You can also make the icing up to 3 to 5 days in advance, and keep it in the refrigerator in an airtight container.) Serve immediately.

SOUTHERN CARAMEL CAKE WITH CARAMEL WHIPPED CREAM

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment. Butter paper, and flour pans. Beat together butter and sugars with a mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Whisk together flour and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine sour cream and baking soda. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream mixture and starting and ending with flour mixture.
• Divide batter between pans. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Let cakes cool in pans, about 30 minutes. Invert cakes, remove pans and parchment, and let cool completely on a wire rack.
• Make the filling: In a small saucepan, stir together 2 cups sugar, cream, and butter. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
• Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup sugar evenly in a shallow, heavy-bottomed, medium saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until sugar is melted and light golden brown (sugar will clump).
• Slowly add cream mixture to caramelized sugar, stirring constantly. Cook over medium heat, without stirring, until it reaches 238 degrees (soft-ball stage), about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer. Let stand, without stirring, until temperature drops to 200 degrees, about 20 minutes.
• Fit mixer with whisk attachment and whisk on high speed until thickened, about 6 minutes. Add vanilla and beat to combine. Let cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. Divide filling into thirds. Working with one-third at a time, roll out on parchment paper into an 8-inch round; set aside. Repeat process with remaining filling.
• Assemble the cake: Trim tops of cakes with a serrated knife to make level, then cut each cake in half horizontally. Place a bottom layer on a cake stand, and top with one round of filling. Repeat process with remaining cake layers and remaining 2 rounds of filling. Spread entire cake top and sides with caramel whipped cream, smoothing top and sides. Refrigerate cake until firm, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 2 days; if refrigerated, let cake come to room temperature before serving.

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.

SOUTHERN CARAMEL CAKE

Steps:

• Use the first 10 ingredients for the cake.
• Sift cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium sized bowl.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray three 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray OR grease and flour them.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream 1 cup unsalted butter, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, and 2 1/2 cups sugar on high until fully incorporated and light and fluffy, about 5 to 6 minutes.
• Turn mixer to medium speed and mix in eggs and egg yolks one at a time until well incorporated.
• Add in vanilla extract and mix.
• With the mixer on slow speed, alternate adding in flour mixture and sour cream, ending with flour until mixed through.
• Do not overmix.
• Divide batter evenly between prepared pans.
• Bake in preheated oven for 23-30 minutes or until fully baked. (Over-baking will dry these cakes out).
• 11. Place on cooling rack for 10 minutes.
• Remove cakes from pan and cool completely.
• Use last four ingredients for Caramel Icing.
• Add butter, evaporated milk, and 2 cups sugar to saucepan over medium heat until everything has melted together.
• Leave over medium to low heat, stirring periodically, for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours (keeping an eye on it so it doesn't burn) until thickened and caramel has darkened to a golden brown. It should coat the back of a spoon. Reduce heat while cooking if necessary to prevent burning.
• Remove from heat and add vanilla extract.
• Cool for 15 to 20 minutes before icing the cake.

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.

TRADITIONAL SOUTHERN CARAMEL CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 375'F Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray, line each with a parchment paper round. Spray again over parchment rounds. Set pans aside.
• 2. Beat butter in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add sugar to butter mixture and continue to beat until fluffy.
• 3. Beat syrup into the butter mixture until completely incorporated. Add one egg at a time into batter, completely incorporating each before adding the next.
• 4. In another large mixing bowl, sift flour, salt, and baking powder together.
• 5. In a measuring cup pour out milk. Mix vanilla extract into the milk.
• 6. Gradually add flour mixture into butter mixture, alternating between flour and milk mixture; beginning and ending with flour mixture until both the flour and milk mixtures are complete incorporated into batter.
• 7. Divide batter evenly between pans and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a tooth pick comes our barely clean.
• 8. Cool cake for 10 minutes in pan, then turn out onto wire wrack to finish cooling.
• 9. For Frosting: 1- in a sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter until nutty brown. Be careful not to scorch. Immediately pour butter into a large glass mixing bowl. Let butter cool for 15-20 minutes. 2- With an electric mixer, mix in vanilla and salt. 3- Gradually add confectioner's sugar until completely incorporated. You will have a clumpy mess at this point. 4- With your mixer on low gradually at cream. Add more cream as needed to get desirable creamy frosting texture, but don't over do it, or you'll have a mess.
• 10. Assembly: Level off any doming on the cooled caramel cakes. Place the first cake on a cake platter and frost the top of it. Stack the second on the first and frost entire cake as desired. I chose to garnish with extra caramel syrup.

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.

SOUTHERN CARAMEL CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 3 9-inch cakes pans by greasing them and adding optional parchment paper.
• 2. Beat butter until light and fluffy; add sugar and beat for 5 more minutes. Add eggs, one 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 the pans and bake for 25-30 minutes until set.
• 3. Turn out pans onto cooling racks and allow to cool completely. Prepare the southern caramel icing as cakes are cooling and frost the cake.
• 4. For the icing, 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 235-245 deg 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.
• 5. No thermometer? Cold water test: Take some of the caramel and drop it into a bowl or cup of cold water. Give it a few seconds to cool. Retrieve some of the caramel and make a little ball with it. If you pull out a gooey mess, you need to boil longer.

SOUTHERN CHOCOLATE CARAMEL CAKE

Steps:

• Sift together first four cake ingredients in medium bowl, set aside.
• With mixer, beat butter at high speed until smooth. Lower mixer speed and add eggs, one at a time and mix until blended. Add sugar and vanilla and mix at medium speed until smooth and sugar is completely dissolved (no longer grainy).
• At low speed add dry ingredients and buttermilk, alternating. Blend all ingredients just until mixed.
• Spread into two greased and floured 9 inch round cake pans (batter will be thick)
• Bake for 30 minutes in an over preheated to 350 degrees. When done, cool on rack in pan until room temperature. Frost with caramel frosting when completely cooled.
• To prepare frosting, add butter, sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar and salt to a medium saucepan. Bring to boil and cook over medium high heat for two minutes, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat, add extracts, stir and let mixture cool for five minutes.
• Pour into large buttered mixing bowl and beat at medium speed for three minutes until glossy smooth. This should look like melted caramels at this point.
• Add powdered sugar one cup at a time. Be sure to scrape down sides so all powdered sugar is added.
• When frosting cake, be sure to work quickly and be careful that cake does not crumble if frosting becomes too hard. If this happens, pop the frosting bowl back into the microwave for 30 seconds to soften it up and make it spreadable again. If you like, you can microwave it at 30 seconds intervals until it is pourable and pour over your cake. While I frosted it traditionally, I did take the last bit left in the bowl and do this and poured over the top so there was nothing wasted. Enjoy!