Southern Caramel Cake
Updated Feb. 29, 2024
- Total Time
- 50 minutes, plus cooling
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:10 to 12 servings
- 1cup/225 grams unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened, plus more for greasing the pan
- 3cups/375 grams self-rising flour, plus more for preparing the pan
- 2cups/400 grams granulated sugar
- 4eggs, at room temperature
- 1cup/240 milliliters buttermilk, at room temperature
- 2teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1cup/225 grams unsalted butter (2 sticks)
- 2packed cups/440 grams dark brown sugar
- ½cup/120 milliliters buttermilk, at room temperature
- ½teaspoon kosher salt
- 3cups/305 grams sifted confectioners’ sugar
- 1teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Cake
For the Icing
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)
784 calories; 33 grams fat; 20 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 120 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 96 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 490 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Prepare the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two (9-inch) cake pans. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through.
- Step 2
Add eggs, one at a time, and mix, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add about a third of the flour and mix on low speed until combined. Add about half of the buttermilk and continue to mix until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Continue to add flour and buttermilk in the same way, beginning and ending with the flour.
- Step 3
Add vanilla and combine fully, making sure not to overmix.
- Step 4
Divide batter evenly between pans, and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning the cakes onto wire racks to cool completely.
- Step 5
As the cake bakes, make the icing: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the brown sugar and whisk to combine. Bring to a gentle boil over medium and let the mixture bubble for 5 minutes, whisking constantly. Carefully and slowly add the buttermilk (it will bubble up), stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a full, rolling boil. Remove from heat and add salt. Transfer mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
- Step 6
With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the sifted confectioners’ sugar, mixing until smooth, then add vanilla extract and mix to combine. The icing should look glossy and pour easily from the bowl.
- Step 7
While the icing is still warm, spread about 1 cup icing on one cake, then top with the second cake. Use the rest of the icing on the top and sides of the cake. The icing will set up as it cools. If the icing starts to harden, microwave the icing in 10-second intervals until smooth. (You can also make the icing up to 3 to 5 days in advance, and keep it in the refrigerator in an airtight container.) Serve immediately.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
BobB
Self rising flour is just all-purpose flour with baking powder and salt added. Search for "how to make self rising flour" on the internet. One recipe calls for each cup of all-purpose flour, you will need 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Whisk the all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt together until combined, then use as directed in the recipe in place of the self-rising flour.
Ben S
Try to make the frosting with 2 cups of confectioners sugar rather than 3 to bring out more of the caramel flavor.
Joy Vida
There’s a great bakery in Atlanta where I pay $6 for a slice of their caramel cake. Never again. Since there’s only two of us, I cut the recipe in half and made an 8 inch , one layer cake plus one tester cup cake.
wendy
Great cake! The only obvious difference is don’t make the frosting until the cake is cooled. If you make it while it’s baking you’ll have a hard glob.
Renée
Two notes: 1) cut the confectioners sugar down from 3 cups to 2. Still plenty sweet! 2) do not make the icing until the cakes are done and cooking on the racks. This icing sets FAST.
William
As a Southerner I see one detail not mentioned. In the South when you refer to Self Rising flour you are referring to a brand "White Lily" which is a super soft grind and very low in gluten content which makes much lighter and softer cakes than the one in the picture. The recipes for self rising flour are correct about salt and leavening but the flour should likely best be Cake flour if you cannot get the real South stuff. Cake flour and White lily may need to have 1-2 T extra flour added.
Lucy Cooney
A simple trick to avoid the gaps between layers you have to fill with frosting. Whenever you make a layer cake, no matter how many layers, 2, 3, 4, etc, ALWAYS put the first layer TOP SIDE DOWN. If it's a 2 layer cake just put the next layer TOP SIDE UP. If it's a 3 or more layer cake just put every layer until the last one TOP SIDE DOWN and always place the last layer TOP SIDE UP. The lower layers nestle into each other and the top layer fits right to the bottom side of the one below it
Lisa Lytton
this cake is very close to the one my mother has always made (she's now 88), but she calls it caramel spice cake and adds 1 tsp ground cloves, and 1 tsp cinnamon. The icing is called Easy Penuche Icing. Have no idea the source, but the spice cake is delicious.
Frances
Instead of cutting the dome off a cake, as soon as the cake is out of the oven, lay a double piece of paper towel or clean cloth on top of the cake, then use your hands to gently press the dome down to be even with the rest of the cake. It works nicely and doesn't affect the cake.
Uma
This also works wonderfully in a Bundt pan!
Julie R
Sure, they make it sound so easy. I’m not a baker, so I guess that’s on me, but this was a non-stop bake marathon. Small NYC kitchen, in-between run to store for forgotten brown sugar, finding the hot spot in my oven where I burned a decent corner, cleaning my tools and mixer again for the icing, and lastly, pouring warm caramel icing all down the cake and onto the floor. “Serve immediately”?!? Nope, taking a nap!
Nancy
This icing is very sweet! Too sweet for me, like a cube of sugar. I really like the cake, rich and flavorful. Halved the recipe and made it in a glass 8x8 square, cooked for 35 minutes.
John
This was a delightfully tasty cake! Thanks to some great recommendations here I; 1) halved the recipe for an 8x8 square glass pan; 2) made the self-rising flour at home; 3) added 1/2 tsp. each of ground cloves & cinnamon; 4) did not make the icing until the cake was cooled; 5) used 1/3 the amount of powdered sugar in the icing, tasting for optimal sweetness as I added it. The cake is indeed not as moist as usual ("like a soft drop biscuit"), so keep that in mind. Thanks, Millie!
James
Don’t start the icing until the cakes are already out and cooling. Otherwise you’ll be left with icing that’s already cooling (and losing some of its glossiness) with cakes too hot to ice.
victoria
For anyone else like me struggling to make the calculations for 375g of self-rising flour: 355g of AP flour, 12g of baking powder, 8g of salt.
Mary K
Yum! I took a shortcut and made this in a 9x13 and only needed 1/2 the caramel. It would also be delicious with toasted chopped pecans in the caramel.
Jitka E
Help please!!! What happend with that icing after caramel was done i gradually put confetion sugar and mixed it and it become like a ground beef no consistency of icing.I cant find a mistake i follow recipe and i believe i am skilled chef.My hubby chose this cake for birthday which is 2morrow.I dont know if i want it to try it again or just pick icing I am familiar with.thx for your advices
Maggie
I didn't have self-rising flour, so made my own. , also didn't have the 2cps sugar, so sub'd in some brown sugar (maybe 1/4 cp for 1/2 cp regular sugar). I split the batter into three 9" pans. Cake was perfect. Moist, good crumb, mostly flat. I also went with other people's suggestions to only use 2 cups confectioners sugar in the icing and just whipped it until it was thick enough to spread (still warm). It was just the right amount of icing for the three layers. Fantastic authentic tasty.
Name RebeccaW
Ever since I saw the film ‘The Help’ I have wanted to try a southern caramel cake. This fulfilled all my expectations. I used cake flour which I made into self-rising. It was light and fluffy. I had double the amount of frosting that was needed but otherwise a great recipe.
Nicole
This was a big hit during my Thanksgiving dinner. I didn't have self-rising flour so I looked up a substitute online. Otherwise, I followed the directions and ingredients as listed. It turned out good and I would make again, although I set my timer for the cakes for 25 mins, I think they were a tad dry. I'd check them earlier next time. I had a lot of extra icing, I would make half. Sweetness good. I made the icing ahead and let the cake cool over night. Worked out fine for me, no icy bits.
Michael Battle
I used Cake flour instead cake was a hit with for Christmas.
Austin Williams
This is not something I will make again. Like others have said, it is extremely sweet with little flavor to balance the sugar. The cake texture was not right. Maybe I over mixed it. But I wished I had made something else. The icing was difficult to work with. Needed more salt.
bianca
found this to be incredibly dry. makes a decent coffee cake though
Lyne
Absolutely delicious!! Like many reviewers, I change the amount of powdered sugar from 3 to 2 cups.
MM
I’ve never left a comment on one of these but this was SO so sweet it was inedible. My husband, lover of all sweet desserts, wouldn’t finish his slice and we threw the rest out. This was even after I cut the frosting recipe in half
Joshua
Because I hate the idea of assembling a layer cake, I baked all the batter in a single 9”x13” metal baking pan for 40 min until the cake was done. I cut the frosting recipe in half, and it coated my cake nicely. The frosting was easy to pour from the mixing bowl but did firm up quickly, even on a warm-from-the-oven cake. I used a small offset spatula to smooth the frosting out and fill in gaps. The middle of the cake remained quite hot, and the frosting there remained loose.
Sarah
Pretty irresistible! I took advice from others here and cut powdered sugar by one cup. I didn’t set up as well due to that, but the sweetness level was good. It looked a mess, though, with the runny caramel.
Sara Norvell
I waited until cake was cooled before even making the frosting per the suggestion of others. Prior to making this I had not had Caramel cake since my grandmother made it when I was six years old. I am now 61. When I made this frosting I told my son... it tastes exactly as I remembered!! Thanks for this recipe!
Michael Foote, NYC
this is the only thing that pleases my impossible family
Grubs
This cake was delish. I would not reduce the powdered sugar - yes it was sweet, but sweet to die for. Great caramel flavor. Oddly, my icing did not harden, but stayed firm, but soft. Not sure if I missed something. One thing I would point out is that there is plenty of icing - I wasn't sure I had enough, so I went easy on icing the first layer, and put on too little, with a lot of icing left over for the rest of the cake.
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