HomeMade Caramel Cake

This Southern Caramel Cake recipe is made with layers of homemade moist yellow cake with a luscious thick caramel icing made from scratch! It’s rich and delicious, perfect for any special occasion!

Ingredients

Cake

• 2 cups + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour (sifted, plus extra for dusting cake trays)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon soda
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Caramel Icing

• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 1 stick butter
• 1 cup heavy cream
• A pinch of salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch baking sheets.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Add the sugar and whisk until combined.
3. In a saucepan, melt the butter in the water, then bring to a boil. Whisk in the flour and sugar mixture until smooth.
4. Add the soda, milk, eggs, and vanilla to the mixture. Stir until well blended and smooth.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared baking sheets.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes, checking the cake after about 15 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Be careful not to overbake.
7. Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool in the pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Then transfer the layers to parchment-lined racks to cool completely.
8. To make the caramel icing, have two pans ready and a large griddle. In a large saucepan, combine 2½ cups of sugar, butter, cream, and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat until almost boiling.
9. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt 1/2 cup of sugar over medium heat until it turns amber. Do not stir, but shake the pan every few minutes to help distribute the sugar. This is the sugar syrup that you will pour into the other pot.
10. Cook the caramel mixture over medium to medium-high heat while stirring in the sugar syrup. Continue cooking until the mixture reaches the softball stage, or 232°F on a candy thermometer.
11. Remove the pan from the heat, add the vanilla, and let the mixture cool for 15 minutes.
12. Transfer the icing to a large mixer and beat on medium speed, or use a hand mixer, for 15-20 minutes, or until the icing is the consistency of soft ice cream. If the icing sets too quickly or becomes too thick, add a little more cream.
13. Frost the cooled cake layers with the caramel icing. Enjoy!