Caramel Cake is the recipe that Teresa makes every most deeply Southern-inspired birthday and every most warmly anticipated fall gathering when she wants to create the most completely extraordinary and the most genuinely legendary individual Southern celebration cake — because the most authentic individual Real Deal Caramel Cake is not simply a most vanilla individual cake with caramel individual buttercream but rather the most brilliantly designed individual two-layer celebration cake made entirely around the most deeply caramelized and the most properly complex individual brown sugar in every single most individual component simultaneously.
The most warmly golden individual brown sugar through the most moist individual sour cream cake batter for the most genuinely caramel-flavored individual crumb from within, AND the most breathtakingly extraordinary and the most properly cooked individual Southern-style caramel frosting made by boiling butter, the most generously measured individual brown sugar, and the most heavy cream together until the most precisely right individual softball stage before beating to the most gorgeously thick and the most properly spreadable individual cooked caramel frosting that every most authentic individual Southern baker recognizes as the most genuinely definitive individual caramel cake individual finishing element.
Caramel Cake is the most easy and deeply extraordinary 1-hour 30-minute Southern moist brown sugar sour cream two-layer celebration cake made by creaming butter and brown sugar adding eggs vanilla and sour cream alternating flour and milk baking at 350°F for 28 to 32 minutes and frosting with real cooked Southern caramel frosting. Come follow us on Pinterest where we share beautiful cake recipes and easy Southern favorites from our kitchen every single week.
Table of Contents
Why You Will Love This Caramel Cake Recipe
This Caramel Cake recipe is the most completely extraordinary and the most genuinely authentic individual Southern celebration cake that delivers the most deeply caramelized and the most properly complex individual brown sugar character through the most brilliantly comprehensive brown-sugar-in-every-component approach — brown sugar through the most individual cake layers AND the most authentic individual cooked Southern caramel frosting — creating the most genuinely all-encompassing and the most properly extraordinary individual caramel cake experience.
The most properly cooked individual Southern caramel frosting — boiled to the most precisely correct individual softball stage at 235°F then beaten until the most gorgeously thick — is the single most brilliantly defining and the most completely irreplaceable individual element that makes this the most genuinely Real Deal individual Southern caramel cake rather than the most simply caramel-flavored individual buttercream alternative. Our Banana Cake makes a beautifully equally moist Southern-style and equally celebration-worthy companion for a complete and wonderful Southern cake collection.
Ingredients Needed for This Caramel Cake Recipe
For the Brown Sugar Sour Cream Cake Layers:
- 2½ cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- ½ tsp Baking Soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter, softened
- 1½ cups Packed Dark Brown Sugar
- 4 large Eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
- ¾ cup Sour Cream, room temperature
- ½ cup Whole Milk, room temperature
For the Real Deal Cooked Southern Caramel Frosting:
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter
- 2 cups Packed Dark Brown Sugar
- ½ cup Heavy Cream, plus more as needed
- 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
- ½ tsp Salt
- 2 to 3 cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
How to Make This Caramel Cake Recipe
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line two 9-inch round cake pans.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Beat the softened butter and dark brown sugar on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes until the most light and the most creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, then vanilla. Stir together the sour cream and milk. Alternate adding the flour mixture in three additions with the sour cream-milk mixture in two additions, beginning and ending with flour. Mix just until combined, cara mia.
Divide between the two prepared pans and bake for 28 to 32 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
For the Real Deal Cooked Southern Caramel Frosting, melt the butter in a the most heavy-bottomed medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the dark brown sugar and heavy cream and stir until the most completely combined. Bring to a full rolling boil and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 235°F on a candy thermometer — the most softball stage — approximately 3 to 5 minutes of boiling.
Remove from heat immediately. Stir in vanilla and salt. Allow to cool for 15 minutes — the most mixture should be the most warm but not the most searing hot.
Add the most sifted powdered sugar two cups at a time, beating with a hand mixer until the most smooth and the most spreadable. If the frosting is the most too thick, add the most additional heavy cream one tablespoon at a time. If the most too thin, add more individual powdered sugar. Work the most quickly as the most cooked caramel frosting sets as it cools.
Assemble the individual cake layers with a generous layer of the most warm individual caramel frosting between and frost the exterior immediately — the frosting will firm as it cools for the most gorgeous set.
How to Serve This Caramel Cake Recipe
Serve at room temperature for the most beautifully set individual cooked caramel frosting. The most individual cooked caramel frosting firms to the most gorgeously glossy and the most properly set individual surface within one hour of application — the most fully set individual caramel frosting is the most dramatically beautiful and the most most properly Southern individual authentic caramel cake presentation.
For the most completely extraordinary individual Southern celebration, serve each individual warm-temperature slice alongside the most cold glass of iced sweet tea for the most genuinely immersive and the most completely Southern individual caramel cake celebration experience. Our Banana Cake makes a beautifully equally Southern-inspired and equally layered companion for a complete and wonderful Southern celebration cake collection.
How to Store This Caramel Cake Recipe
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days — the most cooked individual caramel frosting maintains the most beautifully firm and the most properly set individual character at room temperature. Refrigerate for up to one week — the most individual caramel frosting becomes the most properly hard when cold, so allow the most full 45 minutes at room temperature before serving from the refrigerator.
Tips to Make This Caramel Cake Recipe
Use a candy thermometer for the most absolutely guaranteed individual success with the most cooked individual caramel frosting — the most precise individual softball stage temperature of 235°F is the single most critical individual measurement that determines whether the most individual frosting achieves the most proper individual thick and the most beautifully spreadable individual consistency. Without a most candy thermometer, the most undercooled individual caramel frosting is the most too soft while the most overcooled individual frosting becomes the most too firm.
Work the most quickly when applying the most cooked individual caramel frosting — the most warm individual caramel frosting spreads the most beautifully and the most smoothly immediately after beating with powdered sugar but firms the most rapidly as it cools. Have the most individual cake layers assembled and the most individual serving platter ready before beginning the most individual frosting process.
Helpful Notes for This Caramel Cake Recipe
Dark brown sugar — rather than light brown — is the most specifically essential individual ingredient for the most deeply caramelized and the most properly complex individual caramel cake character in both the most individual cake layers and the most individual cooked caramel frosting. Light brown sugar produces the most noticeably less deeply caramelized and the most less properly molasses-rich individual result.
If the individual cooked caramel frosting becomes the most too firm before the most entire individual cake is the most completely frosted, microwave the remaining most individual frosting in 10-second increments until the most warm and the most spreadable individual consistency is restored for the most beautifully continued individual frosting application.
Variation of This Caramel Cake Recipe
Maria made a version adding one teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the most individual cake batter alongside the most dark brown sugar for the most completely extraordinary and the most warmly spiced individual cinnamon caramel cake. Teresa tried a salted caramel version — adding an additional half teaspoon of flaky sea salt to the most individual cooked caramel frosting — for the most completely extraordinary and the most properly sophisticated individual salted caramel cake.
For a chocolate caramel version, stir three tablespoons of natural cocoa powder through the individual cake batter for the most completely extraordinary and the most deeply beloved individual chocolate caramel layer cake. Our Cinnamon Apple Cake makes a beautifully equally warmly caramelized and equally Southern fall companion for a complete and wonderful caramel celebration cake collection.
FAQs About This Caramel Cake Recipe
What makes this a Real Deal caramel cake?
The most Real Deal individual Southern caramel cake is distinguished by the most specifically authentic individual cooked caramel frosting — made by boiling butter, brown sugar, and heavy cream to the most precise individual softball stage before beating with powdered sugar — rather than the most simply butter-beaten individual caramel buttercream alternative. The most cooked individual caramel frosting achieves the most genuinely extraordinary and the most properly glossy individual set that cannot be replicated by any individual uncooked caramel frosting method.
Can I use regular caramel sauce for the frosting?
Store-bought individual caramel sauce is the most too thin and the most improperly structured to produce the most properly thick and the most beautifully spreadable individual cooked caramel frosting character. The most precise individual cooking to softball stage creates the most essential individual sugar crystal structure that produces the most properly thick, the most beautifully glossy, and the most genuinely extraordinary individual cooked caramel frosting that every most authentic individual Southern caramel cake deserves.
Why does the cake use dark brown sugar?
Dark brown sugar contains the most significantly higher individual molasses content than light brown sugar — the most individually deep and the most warmly complex individual molasses character of dark brown sugar is the most precisely appropriate individual sweetener for the most authentically Southern and the most genuinely caramel-forward individual cake that most closely approximates the most real individual cooked caramel flavor throughout both the individual cake layers and the individual cooked caramel frosting.
Conclusion
This Caramel Cake is the most completely extraordinary and the most genuinely authentic Real Deal Southern moist brown sugar celebration cake that makes every birthday and every fall gathering feel genuinely and completely magnificent through the most deeply caramelized brown sugar sour cream crumb and the most breathtaking cooked Southern caramel frosting in every single gloriously individual and completely irresistible caramel cake slice.
We hope it brings the same deeply joyful Real Deal Southern caramel cake magnificence and the same completely delighted table to your kitchen that it has always brought to ours. Make it, share it, and come back to tell us all about it. With all our love, Maria, Lucia, and Teresa
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Caramel Cake The Most Easy Moist Southern Brown Sugar Butter Vanilla Sour Cream Cooked Caramel Frosting Celebration Layer Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes including cooling
- Yield: 12 to 14 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
The most extraordinary Southern Caramel Cake made by preheating oven to 350°F greasing and lining two 9-inch pans whisking 2 1/2 cups flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt beating 1 cup softened butter and 1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar medium-high 2 to 3 minutes light and creamy adding 4 room temperature eggs one at a time then 2 tsp vanilla stirring 3/4 cup room temperature sour cream and 1/2 cup room temperature milk alternating flour in 3 additions with sour cream milk in 2 additions beginning and ending with flour just combined dividing between pans baking 28 to 32 minutes cooling then for frosting melting 1 cup butter in heavy-bottomed saucepan adding 2 cups packed dark brown sugar and 1/2 cup heavy cream stirring combined bringing to full rolling boil cooking stirring constantly to 235°F softball stage 3 to 5 minutes removing from heat stirring in vanilla and salt cooling 15 minutes adding 2 to 3 cups sifted powdered sugar two cups at a time beating smooth and spreadable assembling layers with warm caramel frosting between and frost exterior immediately as frosting firms while cooling. A completely perfect moist dark brown sugar sour cream real cooked Southern caramel frosting celebration cake recipe.
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1 cup Unsalted Butter softened
1 1/2 cups Packed Dark Brown Sugar
4 large Eggs room temperature
2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
3/4 cup Sour Cream room temperature
1/2 cup Whole Milk room temperature
1 cup Unsalted Butter for frosting
2 cups Packed Dark Brown Sugar for frosting
1/2 cup Heavy Cream plus more as needed
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract for frosting
1/2 tsp Salt for frosting
2 to 3 cups Powdered Sugar sifted
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F 175°C. Grease and line two 9-inch pans.
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Beat softened butter and dark brown sugar medium-high 2 to 3 minutes light and creamy. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla.
4. Stir sour cream and milk. Alternate flour in 3 additions with sour cream-milk in 2 additions beginning and ending with flour. Mix just combined.
5. Divide between pans. Bake 28 to 32 minutes until toothpick clean. Cool completely.
6. Melt butter in heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add brown sugar and cream. Stir combined.
7. Bring to full rolling boil. Cook stirring constantly to 235°F softball stage 3 to 5 minutes.
8. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and salt. Cool 15 minutes.
9. Add powdered sugar two cups at a time. Beat smooth and spreadable. Add cream or powdered sugar to adjust.
10. Assemble layers with warm frosting between. Frost exterior immediately as it firms while cooling.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 32 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Cake, Southern, Birthday, Celebration
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American, Southern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 640
- Sugar: 68g
- Sodium: 330mg
- Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 20g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 84g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 145mg
Keywords: caramel cake, easy moist Southern caramel cake recipe dark brown sugar sour cream cooked caramel frosting real deal, best Southern caramel cake recipe, moist dark brown sugar sour cream cooked Southern caramel frosting celebration layer cake
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