Caramel Cake with Caramelized Butter Frosting (2024)

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Posted: 11/29/2008

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Caramel Cake with Caramelized Butter Frosting – a homemade caramel cake is topped and filled with a homemade caramelized butter frosting.

I can’t believe how time flies and that it’s already time to post another Daring Baker’s Challenge! And once again, I didn’t think I’d get this one done, but I did it in the nick of time – making it on Wednesday, with Thanksgiving on Thursday and my husband and I going out of town for the weekend on Friday. At least I got to it, even if I did procrastinate again!!

Luckily, this one went together without a hitch for me. Otherwise, I don’t know how I could have started over. I’ll just talk briefly about the 3 components:

1 – the Caramel Syrup – this seems to give most people a hard time, and I’m usually one of those that have a hard time with caramel. But luckily – it worked the first time for me! One of my tips, which I think I learned from another blogger is to use the extra fine baker’s sugar when doing caramel. I’ve had much better luck doing that!

2 – the Caramel Cake – since we had limited time to eat this, I made a mini cake, using 2 4 1/2 inch cake pans. I divided the batter evenly, and it cooked up wonderfully. It only took about 17 minutes for both cakes to bake.

3 – the Caramelized Butter Frosting – Yum! Although very sweet, this is delicious. I’ve made a browned butter frosting before, so this wasn’t too unfamiliar, but it was delicious and I’m sure I’ll be making it again! I did add a healthy dose of salt to cut back on the sweetness.

All in all, it was very good. It was very sweet – a very small slice of the mini cake was plenty for me. I’m starting to get very comfortable with making cakes, since I’ve been making so many lately – so maybe that’s why it all went together so easily for me!!

I skipped out on the caramels that were optional this month, but I will be making them at some point, since I love making caramels, and I especially love eating them!

Caramel Cake with Caramelized Butter Frosting

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Author: Deborah Harroun

Course: Dessert

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Caramel Cake with Caramelized Butter Frosting - a homemade caramel cake is topped and filled with a homemade caramelized butter frosting.

Ingredients

Cake:

▢ 10 Tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
▢ 1 1/4 Cups granulated sugar
▢ 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
▢ 1/3 Cup Caramel Syrup see recipe below
▢ 2 each eggs at room temperature
▢ splash vanilla extract
▢ 2 Cups all-purpose flour
▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
▢ 1 cup milk at room temperature

Caramel Syrup:

▢ 2 cups sugar
▢ 1/2 cup water
▢ 1 cup water for “stopping” the caramelization process

Caramelized Butter Frosting:

▢ 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
▢ 1 pound confectioner’s sugar sifted
▢ 4-6 tablespoons heavy cream
▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
▢ 2-4 tablespoons caramel syrup
▢ Kosher or sea salt to taste

Instructions

For the Cake:

Preheat oven to 350F
Butter one tall (2 – 2.5 inch deep) 9-inch cake pan.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth. Add sugar and salt & cream until light and fluffy.
Slowly pour room temperature caramel syrup into bowl. Scrape down bowl and increase speed. Add eggs/vanilla extract a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down bowl again, beat mixture until light and uniform.
Sift flour and baking powder.
Turn mixer to lowest speed, and add one third of the dry ingredients. When incorporated, add half of the milk, a little at a time. Add another third of the dry ingredients, then the other half of the milk and finish with the dry ingredients. {This is called the dry, wet, dry, wet, dry method in cake making. It is often employed when there is a high proportion of liquid in the batter.}
Take off mixer and by hand, use a spatula to do a few last folds, making sure batter is uniform. Turn batter into prepared cake pan.
Place cake pan on cookie sheet or 1/2 sheet pan. Set first timer for 30 minutes, rotate pan and set timer for another 15-20 minutes. Your own oven will set the pace. Bake until sides pull away from the pan and skewer inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool cake completely before icing it.
Cake will keep for three days outside of the refrigerator.

For the Caramel Syrup:

In a small stainless steel saucepan, with tall sides, mix water and sugar until mixture feels like wet sand. Brush down any stray sugar crystals with wet pastry brush. Turn on heat to highest flame. Cook until smoking slightly: dark amber.
When color is achieved, very carefully pour in one cup of water. Caramel will jump and sputter about! It is very dangerous, so have long sleeves on and be prepared to step back.
Whisk over medium heat until it has reduced slightly and feels sticky between two fingers. {Obviously wait for it to cool on a spoon before touching it.}

For the Caramelized Butter Frosting:

Cook butter until brown. Pour through a fine meshed sieve into a heatproof bowl, set aside to cool.
Pour cooled brown butter into mixer bowl.
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, add confectioner’s sugar a little at a time. When mixture looks too chunky to take any more, add a bit of cream and or caramel syrup. Repeat until mixture looks smooth and all confectioner’s sugar has been incorporated. Add salt to taste.

Recipe Notes:

recipe from Shauna Fish Lydon

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Welcome to Taste and Tell. Here you will find easy, fast and family friendly recipes. I am a believer that anyone can cook and that dinner doesn’t have to be complicated. Come join me in my kitchen! Read More

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