Caramel Layer Cake Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup boiling water
• 10 tablespoons (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 recipe frosting, as follows

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat two 9" round cake pans with cooking spray or butter and flour. Place a parchment round in each pan.
2. In a small, heavy saucepan, melt 1/3 cup of the sugar. Whisk the sugar until it is liquefied, then refrain from stirring until it becomes a deep, amber color.
3. Take the caramelized sugar off the heat. Slowly and carefully stir in the boiling water. Set the mixture aside.
4. In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining sugar and the butter. Beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes
5. Add the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition.
6. Stir in 1/4 cup of the caramel syrup. Reserve the remaining syrup to pour onto sliced pieces of the cake.
7. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, and salt.
8. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and beat until combined. Add half the milk and repeat, then half the remaining flour mixture, then the rest of the milk plus the vanilla extract, and finally the rest of the flour mixture. Beat thoroughly.
9. Pour half the batter into each prepared cake pan. Bake the cake layers for 25 minutes or until they are golden at the edges and pass the toothpick test.
10. Remove cake layers from pans and let them cool on a rack until they reach room temperature before frosting with caramel icing.

Caramel Cake Frosting

Make your cake extra special by topping with a great frosting.

Frosting Ingredients

• 1/2 cup caramel pieces or caramel sauce, melted
• 5 egg whites
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar

Frosting Instructions

1. Combine the egg whites and sugar in a heatproof mixing bowl or a double boiler.
2. Set the bowl over a small amount of simmering water in a saucepan. Whisk the mixture until it is uniformly smooth and the sugar has dissolved completely.
3. Place egg whites and sugar in a heatproof mixing bowl.
4. Take the mixture off the heat. Transfer to a stand mixer or beat with a hand-held electric mixer until the frosting is cool and thick, which may take 10 minutes or more.
5. Continue beating the mixture and stir in pats of butter 1 tablespoon at a time. The frosting may begin to look curdled, but don't worry. Keep beating on high speed for up to 15 minutes until the consistency is smooth, thick, and spreadable.
6. Fold in the melted caramel, and use the icing to fill and frost the layer cake.