A buttery soft vanilla layer cake blanketed with a simple (no candy thermometer needed) caramel icing! This Caramel Cake is a sweet and simple old-fashioned cake recipe that I think you’re going to love. Recipe includes a how-to video!
Oooh, you are going to love this caramel cake. With its layers of tender, buttery vanilla cake that perfectly complements that rich, decadent caramel frosting…
I’m usually more of a chocolate cake person myself, but this recipe has made a convert out of me. Even Zach wanted a second slice, and he hardly has a sweet tooth at all. It’s sweet, but not overly sweet like you might expect. While the icing is definitely super rich, somehow it doesn’t seem overbearingly so when coupled with the cake, which is exactly the balance I was hoping to achieve when I started developing this recipe.
The actual cake layers that I used for this caramel cake recipe are actually adapted from my favorite vanilla cake, only made with the reverse creaming method. Let’s talk a little bit about that, in case you’ve never used this method before…
What is Reverse Creaming?
Reverse creaming simply means that instead of the traditional method of creaming our butter and sugar and other wet ingredients in one bowl and our dry ingredients and another and then combining the two (carefully, of course, so we don’t over-mix), we do things… a little backwards.
We start by combining all of our dry ingredients and sugar in our bowl, then gradually, one tablespoon at a time, beat in the butter until it is incorporated and you have a mixture that looks sandy (see first image, above). We then add our remaining wet ingredients and stir until everything is completely combined. You don’t really have to worry about over-beating our batter the same way we do with traditionally creamed cakes (like the layers in my coconut cake).This method yields a cake with a fine, plush crumb. It was the perfect choice for my caramel cake.
Reverse creaming is not by any stretch my own invention. It’s been around for years and its popularity is mostly attributed to Rose Levy Beranbaum, author of The Cake Bible. I’ve tried this reverse creaming method on many of my existing cake recipes and it works well. While I don’t prefer it for all cakes, it’s actually the only way I make my vanilla cupcakes anymore!
Caramel Frosting
The cake layers are of course an important part of the caramel cake, but when all is said and done it’s really just vanilla cake. Soft, tender vanilla cake with a moist crumb and brown sugar in the batter for a hint of caramel taste, but still. What really makes this recipe a caramel cake is that glorious crown of caramel frosting.
It’s rich, sweet (much sweeter than my stand-by favorite cream cheese frosting), and has true caramel flavor because we start on the stovetop with a real caramel base (it starts much the same way as my caramel sauce). Melt together brown sugar, butter, salt, milk, and cream. Cook until the sugar is dissolved and then bring it to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Now you have your caramel base (first photo, above).
Transfer this hot caramel to a large bowl, add powdered sugar and vanilla extract and beat until you have a spreadable icing consistency (second photo, above). If it’s too thin and dripping off of your cake, just beat it longer. In the video (below the recipe) I was a bit over-ambitious and tried to spread my frosting while it was still just a tad bit too warm, which caused my layers to start sliding a little bit. A little patience goes a long way!
Enjoy!
More Recipes You Might Like:
Are you more of a visual learner? Check out my YouTube channel where I show you exactly how I make this cake and frosting step-by-step in my own kitchen.
Caramel Cake
Ingredients
CAKE
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour (may substitute 3 ⅓ cups or 375g cake flour)
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature cut into Tablespoon-sized pieces
- ¼ cup (60 ml) avocado oil or vegetable oil or canola oil may substitute vegetable oil or other neutral oil
- 1 ¼ cup (295 ml) whole milk room temperature preferred
- 3 large eggs room temperature preferred
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
CARAMEL ICING
- 2 cups (400 g) brown sugar² firmly packed
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter cut into pieces
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) whole milk
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) heavy cream
- 2 cups (250 g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
CAKE
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and lightly grease and flour the sides and bottoms of two 8” round baking pans¹. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl, using an electric mixer), stir together flour, sugars, baking powder, and salt until well-combined.3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour, 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar, ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon salt
- With mixer on low speed, add butter, one tablespoon at a time, until mixture resembles sandy coarse crumbs.¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- Stir in oil until well-combined.¼ cup (60 ml) avocado oil or vegetable oil or canola oil
- In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, and vanilla extract.1 ¼ cup (295 ml) whole milk, 3 large eggs, 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- With mixer on low-speed, gradually pour milk mixture into flour mixture. Once combined, pause to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then gradually increase speed to high and beat for 30 seconds.
- Divide batter evenly into prepared pans and bake on 350F (175C) for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Allow cakes to cool for 15 minutes and then invert onto cooling rack to cool completely.
- Prepare caramel icing:
CARAMEL ICING
- Combine brown sugar, butter, salt, milk, and heavy cream in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-heat. Stir frequently until brown sugar is dissolved and mixture comes to a boil.2 cups (400 g) brown sugar², 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, ¼ teaspoon salt, ⅓ cup (80 ml) whole milk, ⅓ cup (80 ml) heavy cream
- Once boiling, cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat and pour into a large heat-proof bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before proceeding.
- Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract and stir with stand mixer or an electric mixer until combined. Increase speed to high and stir until caramel mixture is almost completely cooled and icing reaches a spreadable consistency.2 cups (250 g) powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Spread over cake. If icing is dripping off of cake (especially when icing the sides), let it cool a bit longer before proceeding.
- Allow icing to solidify completely before slicing cake and serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Diane Ferraro
Hi Sam, I’m happy I discover Your caramel cake cause it’s my husband birthday very soon and he just love anything that has to do with caramel,ect ect and I read all the comments and it seem that EVRYTHING is perfect for the kind of cake I like very tasty very moist and fluffy .
Thank you for sharing and for sure I will try it next week end !!💖
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you came across my site too, Diane! I hope that you enjoy this recipe when you try it. 🙂
Darshana
Hi am Darshana from India. Would like to bake a caramel cake , but without layers and would like to pipe with the star nozzle. Donot want to ice it. So can I use caramel sauce in the creamcheese frosting which would not be runny. I have baked your choco cupcakes and orange cupcakes with your vanilla cupcake recipe for gifting. I have also used your cream cheese frosting on cupcakes. Please do let me know as am planning to bake it for our anniversary. Thanks
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much for trying so many of my recipes, Darshana! I am excited for you to try this cake recipe next! If you don’t wish to make a layered cake this recipe will fit nicely in a 9″ x 13″ baking pan or it can be divided to bake in a single 8″ cake pan. As for the icing… I have not tested adding caramel sauce to my cream cheese frosting so you will have to experiment some. Depending on the sauce used will depend if it is running. I think you should be fine, but keep me posted on how it turns out. 🙂
Henna Ayub
Hi! I wanted to make this cake but I don’t have any whole milk, only 2%. Is that okay? I have noticed most of your recipes require whole milk.
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Henna! 2% will work fine. I reccomend using whole milk in baking because the fat from the milk helps with moisture and gives you the best results. 🙂
Faith
Thank you so much, Sam! It is amazing how your recipes never disappoint. The cake was heavenly and the icing was perfect. My sister, who hates caramel, was loving it. What an amazing cake for mother’s day, or any day, actually. I will make it again sometime.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed the cake Faith! 🙂
Jade
Hi Sam !
After yesterday’s successful choc chip muffins I am officially addicted to your recipes, thank you for all the delicious inspiration and speedy feedback ! You have been soo helpful 🙂
I woul love to try out this caramel cake but can’t seem to find dark brown sugar, I am afraid the light brown sugar lack the caramel taste, also I have come across muscovado sugar, can I use this ?
Alsooo, I have A biscuit recipe that calls for about 4-6 tsp coffee but does not state whether I should dissolve the coffee first or not :/ any advice ?
Thank you Sam 🙂 !!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Jade! I am so glad that you loved the muffins and are ready to try another one of my recipes! I think you’re going to love this one. I have not personally tried using muscovado sugar but I think that you SHOULD be fine. It has a lower molasses content, and milder taste so it may not be as rich in flavor as dark brown sugar. If you try it, I’d love to know how it turns out.
As far as the biscuit recipe that uses coffee that you referenced… unfortunately, I am not certain what the recipe calls for so you may need to reach out to the creator directly with your questions or you’re welcome to try my biscuit recipe instead. It’s one of the most popular recipes on my blog. Good Luck with all your baking! 🙂
Kira
I was searching and stubbled upon her blog. The videos are great! This was a very good recipe and made 2 layers turning them into 4 layers for a birthday. It’s definitely a keeper. I did have a problem with the baking though. I only have 9″ dark pans and the outside cooked but the center had sunk some and soupy. I cooked for 35 minutes before pulling and that ended up being a tad too much after cooling. I don’t know why this happened but was able to salvage due to the icing. Guess I am going to have to get some 8″ pans similar to Sam’s.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you stumbled across my site and have enjoyed the recipes that you have tried so far, Kira! As far as your cakes sinking,
more than likely the temperature of the oven is too high causing the cake to rise too rapidly. This will explain the outside baking quickly and the center being “soupy.” If you have not tested your oven temperature for accuracy, I highly recommend doing so. I recently purchased a new oven and found that it was running 15 degrees hotter than what was indicated. Another thing that comes to mind, is that when making a cake you do not over mix your batter. If you do, too much air can also cause the cake to sink. I hope that helps. 🙂
Katie Rose
I feel like I’ve found my baking heaven! Every recipe that I’ve made from your website has been incredibly delicious and has made me happy to bake again. This recipe has totally exceeded expectations! Thank you for sharing your tips and tricks…my family thanks you as well!
Sam
Thank you so much, Katie! I’m so glad you are enjoying everything. I really appreciate your comment. Happy baking! 😊
Missy Barnes
I made this cake for my family. It was a hit. I am going to make it for my restaurant.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that your family enjoyed it, Missy, I hope that your customers will too! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Missy Barnes
Now I am in search of a great red velvet cake recipe
Sam
It’s something I’m working on 🙂
amy
Can I make this with salted butter?
Sugar Spun Run
Yes, that will be fine, Amy! You will just want to omit any additional salt listed on the ingredient list. 🙂
Jen
Wow, this cake is delicious! I followed the directions to the letter and my cakes came out lush and velvety. I only have 9” pans so I reduced the time as recommended, thanks for including that tip. Also, thanks for including the weights for the ingredients but 2 cups of powdered sugar would be 500gm instead of 250gm.
The frosting was straightforward with the directions and came out rich and sweeeeet. I live in Sweden and the dark and light brown sugars are a little different than in the US so when making this again, I would use all lighter brown sugar to tone it down a bit. But not complaining! It’s tasty, tasty as it is.
Sam
I’m so happy to hear it was such a hit for you, Jen! Thank you so much for commenting! So I just took a look and the measurements listed are correct. A cup of powdered sugar weighs approximately 125 grams and that is the standard that I use for my website. I’m wondering if that is a Swedish/US difference, if the powdered sugar is that much different there? It’s good for me to know, if so! I am so glad you enjoyed the cake though and hope you had a wonderful day!
Maia
Hi, about to make this cake but out of heavy cream.
Is there anything else I could use or not use cream at all?
Thanks, maia
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Maia! You can substitute whole milk for the heavy cream. 🙂
Pam
Loved this cake! Everyone thought it was so delicious!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that everyone enjoyed the cake, Pam! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Emma Nation
My family and I baked this cake together and it was a huge hit!! So fun to make! And super yummy!!! This is the first recipe we’ve found of yours. Looking forward to trying many more!
Sugar Spun Run
Welcome to my blog, Emma! Thank you so much for trying my recipe. I am so glad that you enjoyed it and everyone had fun making it. I appreciate your feedback and can’t wait to hear what recipe you try next! 🙂
Kelly
Hi there just wondering if you could make this in a 9×13 inch pan
Sam
Absolutely, that shouldn’t be a problem. Watch the bake time though as it will vary.
Melissa Transtrum
“Jump to recipe” on this page goes to a new recipe of caramel popcorn instead of skipping down to the recipe.
This cake looks so good! I think I need to make it ASAP!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Melissa! Thanks for the heads up. I just checked the link and it should go directly to the recipe for caramel cake. I hope that you enjoy it. Keep me posted on how it turns out. 🙂