The Best Caramel Cake
Caramel Sauce
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup butter cut in small cubes
4 tbsp water
1 cup whipping cream
Vanilla Cake
1 1/4 cups sifted all purpose flour
1 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons good quality vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
Caramel Frosting
3 1/2 to 4 cups icing sugar (powdered sugar)
1/2 cup butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup caramel sauce
a few tbsp milk
1/2 cup butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup caramel sauce
a few tbsp milk
Directions:
Caramel Sauce:
Begin by mixing the sugar and water in a large saucepan.
NOTE: I use a
large saucepan of about 3 quarts or larger because the sugar foams up
when you add the butter and cream so make sure you have a large enough
pot.
Boil the sugar and water over medium heat until the mixture begins to turn a light to medium amber color. The real skill in making caramel sauce does come with experience and knowing the point at which the color is perfect.
Boil the sugar and water over medium heat until the mixture begins to turn a light to medium amber color. The real skill in making caramel sauce does come with experience and knowing the point at which the color is perfect.
Good advice for beginners is that it is better to be a
little too light in color rather than a little too dark because too dark
a caramel can often taste a little burnt.
It is very easy to burn this
mixture which can happen very quickly once the proper color is achieved,
so have your butter and cream at the ready, as timing is crucial for
this recipe.
Do not stir the boiling sugar, this can cause it to crystallize.
Do not stir the boiling sugar, this can cause it to crystallize.
If you find the sugar starts to crystallize, use a pastry
brush to brush water around the inside edge of the pot as it boils. You
may have to do this several times.
Carefully swirling the pan
occasionally is also helpful to avoid crystallization of the sugar.
When the color is right, quickly add the butter and stir quickly until the butter is melted.
When the color is right, quickly add the butter and stir quickly until the butter is melted.
Remove from the heat immediately and pour in the
whipping cream, stirring constantly until the sauce is uniformly smooth.
Cool completely.
Vanilla Cake:
Grease two 8 or 9 inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Sift together and set aside:
both flours
baking soda
salt
baking powder
In the bowl of an electric mixer beat together well at high speed until light and fluffy :
butter
vanilla
sugar
Slowly beat in:
oil
Beat in, one at a time,
3 large eggs
Fold in the dry ingredients alternately with:
Milk
Begin and end the additions with
the dry ingredients.
Do not over mix the batter.
As soon as it has no
lumps in the batter, pour into the two prepared cake pans.
Bake at 325 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick
inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the
pans for 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool
completely.
Caramel Frosting:
Beat all ingredients together until smooth, fluffy, and a spreadable
consistency.
Use a couple of tablespoons of milk to begin and add more
if need be or of it becomes too thin, just add a couple more tablespoons
of icing sugar at a time.
To construct the cake, cut the two layers into 4.
To construct the cake, cut the two layers into 4.
Reserve about 2/3 cup
of the caramel sauce (1/2 cup for the frosting and the rest to drizzle
on top of the cake.
Divide the remaining caramel sauce in 3 parts and
use it to fill the three inner layers of the cake.
Frost with the
caramel frosting and drizzle with any remaining caramel sauce.
