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    Posted In: Cakes & Brownies, Desserts, Holiday Recipes
    July 13, 2022 — Updated September 26, 2022 — by Julie — Leave a Comment

    Home » Cakes & Brownies » Classic Caramel Cake

    Classic Caramel Cake

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    This classic caramel cake features two layers of fluffy cake topped with a delicious caramel frosting. The perfect cake for a potluck, fancy party, or holiday gathering!

    a slice of caramel cake with a fork on the side.
    Jump to: hide
    1 Ingredient Notes
    2 Step-By-Step Instructions
    3 For The Frosting…
    4 Top Tips For The Ultimate Caramel Cake
    5 Storage
    6 More Recipes You Might Enjoy
    7 Classic Caramel Cake
    7.1 Cake
    7.2 Caramel Frosting

    This cake is so good and perfect year-round! What makes this extra delicious is the frosting. If you’re in a pinch, feel free to use a yellow cake mix for the cake, but I highly recommend making the frosting from scratch. The caramel frosting is the star! Try this Southern red velvet cake and flourless chocolate cake for more of my favorite cake recipes.

    Ingredient Notes

    • Buttermilk – Use store-bought buttermilk for best results.
    • Brown Sugar – I highly recommend using dark brown sugar as it is the secret ingredient to making the icing super dimensional in flavor. However, if you don’t have dark brown sugar, you can use more light brown sugar in its place.
    • Eggs – Make sure the eggs are at room temperature for even baking.
    • Vegetable Oil – You may use canola oil if you don’t have vegetable oil on hand.
    labeled ingredients for caramel cake.

    Step-By-Step Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray two 9-inch cake pans with baking spray. Place parchment paper in the bottom of the pans.
    2. In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
    3. Using an electric mixer, mix the butter with the oil until combined. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat them together on medium speed for 3 minutes.
    4. Add the eggs one at a time until fully mixed in. Stir in the vanilla extract and add half of the dry ingredients and mix until combined but don’t overmix.
    5. Next, add half of the buttermilk, and stir until combined. Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients and buttermilk, scraping down the sides as needed.
    6. Divide the batter between the two cake pans. Take a spatula and smooth out the top, this will ensure the cakes bake evenly.
    7. Bake for 22-28 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Don’t overbake the cakes. Allow the cakes to cool completely.

    For The Frosting…

    1. While the cakes cool prepare the frosting. Place the light brown sugar, dark brown sugar, butter, and salt into a medium-sized saucepan.
    2. Place the saucepan over medium heat and whisk constantly until the butter and the sugars are melted. Pour in the evaporated milk then the heavy cream, and whisk to combine.
    3. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 4 minutes, it will start to thicken. Immediately pour into a heatproof bowl.
    4. Using an electric hand mixer, add the powdered sugar a little at a time until fully mixed in, and then mix in the vanilla. Mix on high speed for 3-4 minutes. The frosting will be runny but it will set nicely once you frost the cake.
    5. When the frosting is done, we need to work fast to frost the cake while it is still spreadable.
    6. Place one of the cakes top side up onto your serving platter. Add ¾ cup of the frosting and using an off-set spatula or something similar, spread it out over the top of the cake.
    7. Place the other cake top side down on top. Frost the sides and top of the cake as fast as you can before the frosting hardens.
    8. Allow the cake to sit until the frosting completely hardens, about 2 hours before slicing to serve.
    four photo collage showing how to make caramel cake.

    Top Tips For The Ultimate Caramel Cake

    • Make sure the buttermilk and eggs are at room temperature.
    • Frost the cake as quickly as you can. The longer the caramel frosting sits, the harder it will be to spread onto the cake, so keep that in mind.
    • Don’t overmix the cake batter otherwise, your cake will turn out dry.
    • Enjoy this cake with coffee or a cold glass of milk.
    • Don’t overbake the cake, not even for 1 minute! Otherwise, it will become dry and crumbly.
    An entire frosted caramel two layer cake on a cake stand.

    Storage

    Leftovers will keep at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze for up to 3 months. Best eaten at room temperature, let the slices sit out before enjoying leftovers.

    More Recipes You Might Enjoy

    • Salted Caramel Cheesecake
    • Homemade Caramel Sauce
    • Salted Caramel Apple Cake

    Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. And consider following me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

    a slice of caramel cake with a fork on the side.

    Classic Caramel Cake

    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American, Southern
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 28 minutes
    Total Time: 58 minutes
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 714kcal
    Author: Julie Maestre
    This classic caramel cake features two layers of moist cake topped with a delicious caramel frosting. The perfect cake for a potluck, fancy party, or holiday gathering!

    Ingredients

    Cake

    • 2 & 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
    • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
    • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • 3/4 cup light brown sugar
    • 4 large eggs room temperature
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
    • 1 & 1/4 cup buttermilk room temperature

    Caramel Frosting

    • 1 cup light brown sugar
    • 1 cup dark brown sugar
    • 1 cup unsalted butter cut into tablespoons
    • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
    • 1/3 cup evaporated milk
    • 1/3 cup heavy cream
    • 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray two 9-inch cake pans with baking spray. Place parchment paper in the bottom of the pans. 
    • In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
    • Using an electric mixer, mix the butter with the oil until combined. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat them together on medium speed for 3 minutes.
    • Add the eggs one at a time until fully mixed in. Stir in the vanilla extract and add half of the dry ingredients and mix until combined but don't overmix. 
    • Next, add half of the buttermilk, and stir until combined. Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients and buttermilk, scraping down the sides as needed.
    • Divide the batter between the two cake pans. Take a spatula and smooth out the top, this will ensure the cakes bake evenly.
    • Bake for 22-28 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Don't overbake the cakes. Allow the cakes to cool completely.
    • While the cakes cool prepare the frosting. Place the light brown sugar, dark brown sugar, butter, and salt into a medium-sized saucepan.
    • Place the saucepan over medium heat and whisk constantly until the butter and the sugars are melted. Pour in the evaporated milk then the heavy cream, and whisk to combine.
    • Bring to a simmer and simmer for 4 minutes, it will start to thicken. Immediately pour into a heatproof bowl.
    • Using an electric hand mixer, add the powdered sugar a little at a time until fully mixed in, and then mix in the vanilla. Mix on high speed for 3-4 minutes. The frosting will be runny but it will set nicely once you frost the cake.
    • When the frosting is done, we need to work fast to frost the cake while it is still spreadable.
    • Place one of the cakes top side up onto your serving platter. Add ¾ cup of the frosting and using an off-set spatula or something similar, spread it out over the top of the cake.
    • Place the other cake top side down on top. Frost the sides and top of the cake as fast as you can before the frosting hardens.
    • Allow the cake to sit until the frosting completely hardens, about 2 hours before slicing to serve.

    Notes

    • Frost the cake as quickly as you can. The longer the caramel frosting sits, the harder it will be to spread onto the cake, so keep that in mind.
    • Don’t overmix the cake batter otherwise, your cake will turn out dry.
    • Leftovers will keep at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze for up to 3 months. Best eaten at room temperature, let the slices sit out before enjoying leftovers.
    • Don’t overbake the cake, not even for 1 minute! Otherwise, it will become dry and crumbly.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 714kcal | Carbohydrates: 110g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 135mg | Sodium: 318mg | Potassium: 258mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 88g | Vitamin A: 955IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 143mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cookedbyjulie or tag #cookedbyjulie!

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    Filed Under: Cakes & Brownies, Desserts, Holiday Recipes

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    Hi, I'm Julie! I’m extremely fortunate to make a living doing what I truly love – creating and sharing my favorite “can’t live without” recipes with readers from all over the world.

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