caramel layer cake

This decadent caramel cake is moist, buttery and full of caramel flavor! Made with homemade caramel, the best vanilla cake ever and a fluffy vanilla buttercream swirled with caramel sauce, you'll love this caramel layer cake!

Caramel Cake

cups sugar

butter, room temperature

heavy cream

salt

cup butter, room temperature

cup oil

sugar

4 eggs, room temperature

vanilla extract

cake flour

teaspoon salt

baking powder

cups buttermilk

cup unsalted butter, room temperature

tablespoon vanilla extract

milk

In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, heat the sugar on medium low heat until its completely melted, swirling the pan gently every 20 seconds or so. The sugar will start to form clumps before melting slowly. Be patient and keep an eye on it to make sure it does not burn.

Once melted, remove from heat immediately and stir in the butter. The mixture will violently bubble. You’re doing it right.

Next, pour in the heavy cream and sea salt. Stir until everything is combined.

Pour into a container and allow to cool completely before using. We recommend doing this step a day in advance so that the caramel is completely cool and easy to work with when you make your caramel cake.

for the caramel

Preheat the oven to 325°F and grease and flour  3 6 inch pans Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the softened butter and oil together until they become homogenous, about 3 minutes. This will not work if your butter is not completely room temperature.

Slowly add the granulated sugar to the oil and butter, beating on high until the mixture is light and fluffy and turns a very pale yellow, about 3 minutes.

Add the eggs in one at time, scraping down the bowl in between each addition. Add the vanilla extract. Beat the mixture on high for 3 minutes more to incorporate as much air as possible.

In separate bowl sift together the cake flour, salt, and baking powder. Alternate mixing in the dry ingredients and the buttermilk in 4 batches, starting with the buttermilk and ending with the dry ingredients. It’s okay if the batter still has a few lumps in it–you don’t want to over mix it.

Split the batter evenly into the prepared pans and back for 30 minutes or until the cake is a lightly golden brown and springs back when pressed. This will depend on your oven. Take out of the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Let the cakes cool completely before using.

for the cake

While the cakes cool, make the buttercream.

 Place the softened butter and powdered sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat the butter and sugar together until combined. The mixture will be thick.

Add the milk, salt, and vanilla extract and turn the mixer on high. Beat for 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl using a rubber spatula. Beat for 2 more minutes until frosting is thick and fluffy.

Transfer the buttercream to a large piping bag and set aside.

for the buttercream

Bring the caramel to room temperature and set aside a half cup of caramel to use on the outside of the cake. Reserve the rest for the filling.

Place the first cake round on a cake stand, then pipe a border around the the top of the cake to create a barrier to hold in the caramel. Pour half of the caramel for the filling on top of the cake, using an offset spatula to spread the filling to the buttercream border. Place the second cake on top and repeat. Place the third layer on top and use the frosting to frost the tops and edges of the cake. Take the reserved 1/2 cup of caramel and use an offset spatula to swirl the caramel into the buttercream or dab it along the sides of the cake, kind of link a paint palette. drizzle the cake with any additional caramel. Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve!

assemble the cake

This looks great! Cannot wait to try. 
There is a typo in your recipe, #6 In for the cake, back should be bake.

Vielen vielen Dank das du auch Gramm angegeben hast so kann ich diese Köstlichkeit nach backen!
Liebe Grüße,
Jesse-Gabriel

Just made this recipe and it was delicious! The caramel was perfect and mixed very well with the buttercream, which was delicious as well. The only reason I gave it 4 stars and not 5 is because I wasn't in love with the vanilla cake. It was slightly dry and just not as flavorful as I wished. It did fit well with the frosting though so overall it was an amazing cake!

The caramel sauce was so easy to make following the instructions!
The cake came out perfect!
I love your recipes!!!!

Hi there! My boyfriend has requested this for his birthday :) if baking it with 2 8 or 9 inch pans, what would you suggest the baking time be? Thanks!

This old fashioned southern Caramel Layer Cake with an easy homemade caramel frosting tastes like a little slice of heaven!

Old Fashioned Southern Caramel Layer Cake

baking soda

buttermilk

butter

shortening

eggs

cornstarch

all-purpose flour

butter ((2 sticks))

brown sugar

evaporated milk

confectioner’s sugar

pecan halves

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans and set aside.

Stir the baking soda and buttermilk together and set that aside.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Cream the butter, shortening and sugar beating until fluffy.

Add the eggs at a time beating well after adding each.

Add the cornstarch to the mixture and beat until well incorporated.

With mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk and soda mixture beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

Add the vanilla extract.

Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until tester comes out clean.

Allow the layers to cool completely (overnight is best) before adding the frosting.

Make the Cake Layers

Sift the confectioner’s sugar and set aside.

Place the butter, brown sugar and evaporated milk in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat and melt the ingredients stirring occasionally.

Once the mixture begins to bubble allow it to boil for approximately two minutes stirring constantly. Watch carefully to avoid burning the mixture.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla and confectioner’s sugar.

Immediately transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until the frosting is smooth and begins to lose its sheen (this often takes as much as 20 minutes to achieve). The frosting is ready to spread when it is still barely warm but holds its shape.

Frost the cake layers adding pecans halves for garnish if you like.

Make the Frosting

I didn’t try the cake recipe but I made the icing today and it was fabulous. 10/10 saving this recipe!

Top 2 caramel layer cake recipes from across the web

The most viewed caramel layer cake recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Caramel Cake

Old Fashioned Southern Caramel Laye...

Top 2 caramel layer cake recipes from across the web

The most viewed caramel layer cake recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Caramel Cake

Old Fashioned Southern Caramel Laye...

The most viewed caramel layer cake recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine