Caramel cake

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If you’ve been looking for a special cake to impress your friends with then this is it!! Indulgent homemade salted caramel gets drizzled onto FLUFFY vanilla cake layers and mixed into a dreamy Swiss meringue buttercream. This cake has all the textures and salty sweet amazingness to make it a winner!

How to Make a Caramel Cake

1. Pipe a layer of caramel onto the first layer of the cake.
2. Pipe a layer of caramel buttercream on top of the caramel. Add second layer and repeat into the cake is built.
3. Pipe buttercream onto the side and top of the cake.
4. Use a bench scrapper to smooth the side and an offset spatula to smooth the top.
5. Scrape the side using a cake comb. Try to get a neat edge but don’t remove too much buttercream. Chill the cake so the buttercream hardens.
6. Pipe the darker caramel buttercream into the grooves of your chilled cake.
7. Use a bench scraper to smooth the side and an offset spatula to smooth the top.
8. Pipe the caramel onto the top. Smooth and add a few additional drizzles of caramel onto the corner. Don’t add too much as the caramel will continue to drip for a while.
9. Finish the cake with a sprinkling of flaked sea salt around the edge. You could instead pipe dollops for added height if you’d like some added height.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you make fluffy caramel frosting?

Beat the caramel into a meringue-based buttercream like Swiss or Italian for a silky frosting that’s still like in texture and perfect to decorate with! If you haven’t made Swiss buttercream before then you might want to check out my FULL tutorial!

Do you refrigerate caramel cake?

This cake is fine at room temperature over night as long as it’s covered however for longer storage it should be refrigerated.  Allow to come to room temperature before serving for best results.

Want to up your cake decorating game?

If you find cake decorating to be a bit intimidating then check out my How to Decorate a Cake post, it has lots of helpful tips and a full how to video where I cover everything from how to perfectly smooth a cake to what to do when your cake starts collapsing!

Swiss meringue Buttercream is one of my ALL-TIME favorite frostings to make but it can be intimidating if you’re used to American buttercream. I’ve put together a full how to post with a video tutorial here to guide you through the process and turn you into a total frosting pro!

Pro Tips for Making Caramel

• Don’t stir! After the sugar has dissolved you don’t need to stir as it can cause crystals to form and ruin that silky consistency.
• DO brush the side of the pot down with a wet pastry brush. This will help prevent those pesky crystals from forming.
• Watch the color carefully taking the sugar to a deep amber color gives a wonderful flavor but going too dark will make a bitter caramel and that sugar will go from perfect to burnt in an instant!
• Use room temperature butter and cream.
• Caramel keeps for a while in the fridge so you can make this part ahead of time or make a big batch and save some for ice cream, coffee drinks and snacking!
• When adding salt dip your a spoon in, let the caramel cool a bit then taste and add more salt if needed. Be careful that sugar is HOT. You can also sprinkle more salt on at the end for a finishing touch!

Love Caramel? Try some of these desserts!

Caramel Apple cake

Apple hand pies with caramel

Apple Pie Recipe

Caramel Apples

Vanilla Cake Recipe

If you’ve tried this caramel cake recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!

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Caramel Cake

A moist fluffy caramel cake covered in homemade salted caramel and caramel infused Swiss meringue buttercream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings 10 people

Calories 821 kcal

Author John Kanell

Ingredients

For the Cake:

• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour 200g
• 1 tsp baking powder 4g
• 1/4 tsp baking soda 2g
• 1 tsp salt 5g
• 3/4 cup butter 171g room temp
• 1 cup sugar 200g
• 3 eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract 15mL
• 1 cup milk 240mL
• 1 tbsp vinegar 15mL

For the Caramel

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup cream room temp
• 5 tbsp butter unsalted, room temp
• 1/2 salt

For the Frosting

• 5 egg whites large
• 1 1/2 cups sugar 150g
• 1 pound butter room temp 454g
• 1/3 cup caramel

Instructions

For the Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour three 6 inch round pans. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

2. Mix vinegar and milk in a small bowl and set aside.

3. Cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer using a paddle attachment. 

4. Add vanilla and eggs one at a time mixing until incorporated before adding the next. Scrape the bowl down. 

5. Add flour and milk mixtures to the butter in alternating batches. 

6. Bake at 350F for about 30 minutes or until the centers are set and springy.

For the Caramel:

1. Add the sugar and water into a medium saucepan and stir until sugar is dissolved. Place over medium-high heat and brush the inside of the pot with a wet pastry brush so crystals do not form.

2. Cook until sugar mixture becomes a golden amber color, then remove from heat and whisk in the cream vigorously. Add butter and bring back to a medium low heat. Continue whisking and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
   

3. Mix in salt, transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature. Caramel can be made in advance and refrigerated.

For the Frosting:

1. Whisk together egg whites and sugar in a glass bowl. Set over a pot of simmering water making sure the water doesn't touch the bowl.

2. Whisk over hear until a thermometer reads 165F. Transfer mixture to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and mix on high for a few minutes then stitch to medium low until room temp.

3. Switch to a paddle attachment and add butter a tablespoon at a time. Reserve about a cup and a half of the frosting.

4. Add about 1/3 a cup of caramel to the large batch of frosting and another 1/3 a cup to the small batch. You can add more caramel and salt to taste but it is important for the two batches of frosting to have a visible contrast.

For the Assembly:

1. Drizzle caramel onto the fist layer then add a layer of buttercream. Place second layer on top and repeat the process until cake is three layers tall.

2. Cover cake in buttercream and smooth. Use a cake comb to cut grooves into the side then chill the cake.

3. Pipe the darker caramel buttercream into the grooves and smooth so stripes show up.

4. Add a layer of caramel onto the top of the cake and smooth. You can add additional drips onto the side if needed.

5. Sprinkle flaked sea salt onto the top of the cake and serve.

Recipe Notes

For the Caramel:

• Don't stir! After the sugar has dissolved you don't need to stir as it can cause crystals to form and ruin that silky consistency.
• DO brush the side of the pot down with a wet pastry brush. This will help prevent those pesky crystals from forming.
• Watch the color carefully taking the sugar to a deep amber color gives a wonderful flavor but going too dark will make a bitter caramel and that sugar will go from perfect to burnt in an instant!
• Use room temperature butter and cream.
• Caramel keeps for a while in the fridge so you can make this part ahead of time or make a big batch and save some for ice cream, coffee drinks and snacking!
• When adding salt dip your a spoon in let the caramel cool a bit then taste and add more salt if needed. You can also sprinkle more salt on at the end for a finishing touch!

Nutrition Facts

Caramel Cake

Amount Per Serving (126 g)

Calories 821 Calories from Fat 612

% Daily Value*

Fat 68g105%

Saturated Fat 42g210%

Cholesterol 234mg78%

Sodium 831mg35%

Potassium 186mg5%

Carbohydrates 90g30%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 83g92%

Protein 7g14%

Vitamin A 2195IU44%

Vitamin C 0.2mg0%

Calcium 96mg10%

Iron 1.2mg7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.