Deliciously Easy Caramel Lover’s Cake

Who can resist a well-cooked caramel?

You do, of course, need the perfect balance between the sweetness and slight bitterness of the cooked sugar.

This caramel cake recipe is the perfect combination of ingredients to produce a cake that has that characteristic caramel taste, which is brought out by a touch of savory, from the sugar and buttermilk.

The cake batter is thick and smooth and the cake itself melts easily in the mouth.

This is complemented by the thick, sugary frosting.

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Why I Love Deliciously Easy Caramel Lover’s Cake

• A high sugar content means the cake will last well.
• The frosting is thick, light, and fluffy.
• The cake is not too sweet.

Can you leave a caramel cake out overnight?

You can leave your caramel cake out overnight without it affecting the quality and taste. Cover the cake with a cloth or bowl, to protect it from moths and dust.

What happens to caramel if you bake it?

If you bake caramel, it will slowly get thicker and harden and become darker. If it is baked for too long, or at a high temperature, the caramel will burn.

What is the difference between caramel cake and butterscotch cake?

Caramel is usually made from a light sugar, which is heated and melted until it turns a shade of brown. Water, cream or milk can be added. Butterscotch is usually made from heated brown sugar, mixed with butter. Cream is then added.

How to serve a Caramel Lover’s Cake?

Serve a slice of the deliciously easy caramel lover’s cake with a good dollop of whipped cream.

Why not pair a piece of fresh, warm caramel cake with a lovely homemade custard as the perfect dessert.

Cooking Tips:

• Make sure you leave the frosting ingredients in the mixer long enough for it to thicken.
• Don’t be too heavy-handed with the salt.
• Don’t be tempted to use powdered sugar in the frosting.

Variations:

• Add an extra ¼ tsp of salt to the recipe, to create a slightly more salty caramel cake.
• Replace the buttermilk in the recipe with custard to produce a caramel custard cake. You can also add two tablespoons of custard powder to the frosting.
• Swop half the cream in the recipe with melted cooking chocolate to create a choc caramel frosting.

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• All-purpose flour
• Salt
• Granulated sugar
• Butter unsalted
• Water
• Baking soda
• Buttermilk
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract

For the frosting:

• Granulated sugar
• Butter
• Heavy whipping cream
• Pinch salt
• Vanilla extract

How to make Deliciously Easy Caramel Lover’s Cake:

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Step 2. In a mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, salt, and granulated sugar.

Adding the all-purpose flour.

Adding the granulated sugar.

Step 3. In a saucepan on the stove over medium-high heat, bring 2 sticks of butter and 1 cup of water to a boil.

Step 4. Pour the mixture into the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients, and beat until smooth.

Step 5. Add the baking soda, buttermilk, large eggs, and vanilla extract to the mixing bowl, and beat on high until well combined.

Adding the baking soda.

Adding the buttermilk.

Step 6. Pour the batter evenly between two well-greased 9-inch cake pans and bake for 20-25 minutes until cooked through.

Step 7. Set on a baking rack to cool completely before turning out of the tins.

Step 8. Place sugar into a saucepan with heavy whipping cream, butter, and a pinch of salt. Bring just a boil.

Step 9. At the same time, place sugar into a skillet over medium-high heat. Do not stir the skillet, instead, shake the skillet every so often to keep the sugar from burning.

Once the sugar is an amber color, pour it into the mixture in the saucepan just as it begins to boil.

Step 10. Bring the mixture to 232 degrees, remove from the heat, and stir in the vanilla extract for the frosting.

Step 11. Allow the mixture to cool for 15 minutes.

Step 12. Place the frosting mixture into a mixing bowl, and beat on high until a thick frosting has formed. This can take about 15-20 minutes.

Step 13. Spread some frosting between the two layers of cake, and along the top of the cake before serving.

Slice and enjoy!

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How to Store Caramel Lover’s Cake

You can store the cake in an airtight container or a cake tin and leave it in a cool place. You can also keep the cake in the fridge for up to a week. A great way to store the cake for longer is to cut slices, wrap each one in clingwrap and keep them in a deep freeze.

How long does it last in the fridge?

You can quite easily leave a deliciously easy caramel lover’s cake in the fridge for 6 – 7 days. Keep the cake covered – either in a container, or covered with cling wrap.

Can I make it ahead?

This caramel cake recipe includes a lot of sugar, which is a good preservative. You can easily make the cake ahead and keep it for at least a couple of days. I do suggest that you keep the cake in the fridge, though, which will keep it fresher for those few days.

Related Recipes You Might Enjoy:

Caramel popcorn: The combination of butter and brown sugar produces a delicious coating for popcorn that is a great companion to caramel cake for party food.

Caramel sauce: The quick combination of sugar, butter, and cream produces a delicious, runny caramel sauce you can drizzle over a vanilla or chocolate cake.

Caramel choc chip cookies: The caramel gives us a new take on this perennial favorite, as a bitter-sweet companion to caramel cake.