Caramel Cake
🛒 What You’ll Need
For the Buttery Yellow Cake:
- 3 cups All-purpose flour 🌾
- 2 cups Granulated sugar 🍬
- 1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted butter, softened 🧈
- 4 Large eggs, room temperature 🥚
- 1 cup Whole milk 🥛
- 1 tbsp Vanilla extract 🍦
- 1 tbsp Baking powder & ½ tsp Salt 🧂✨
For the Famous Caramel Frosting:
- 2 cups Granulated sugar 🍬
- 1 cup Light brown sugar, packed 🤎
- 1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted butter 🧈
- 1 cup Evaporated milk 🥛
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract 🍦
- Pinch of salt 🧂
👩🍳 Instructions
- Cake Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two or three 9-inch round cake pans. 🌡️🔥
- Mix the Batter: Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Alternately add the flour (mixed with baking powder/salt) and milk, starting and ending with the flour. Stir in vanilla. 🥣🌪️🍰
- Bake: Divide the batter and bake for 25–30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the layers cool completely before frosting! ⏲️📈❄️
- The Caramel Magic: In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugars, butter, and evaporated milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. 🍯🔥🥄
- Simmer & Set: Reduce heat and simmer for about 15–20 minutes until the mixture reaches a soft-ball stage (or coats the back of a spoon thickly). Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and salt. 📉🕰️✨
- Whip It: Let the caramel cool for about 10 minutes, then beat it with a wooden spoon or hand mixer until it starts to lose its shine and thickens to a spreading consistency. Note: You have to work fast before it sets! 🌪️💨🧤
- Assemble: Pour and spread the warm caramel over the cake layers, letting it swirl beautifully over the sides as seen in the photo! 🍰🍯👑✨
🔥 Pro Tips:
- The “Cooling” Secret: Do not try to frost a warm cake! The caramel is heavy and will slide right off if the cake hasn’t settled. 🍰🛡️💎
- The Consistency Fix: If your frosting gets too hard while you’re working, just add a tiny splash of hot milk and stir until it’s spreadable again! 🥛🪄🎯
