Salted Caramel Cake
If you are looking for the best Salted Caramel Cake then continue reading!
This recipe is a delicious brown sugar layer cake filled and topped with caramel frosting and a drizzle of fresh caramel and a sprinkle of fleur de sel.
This cake is an absolute show stopper and would make an ideal centerpiece for birthday parties or any other events, it's a decadent, delicious, and almost sinful dessert.
Cake brings people together
Layers of brown sugar sponge cake soaked with salted caramel sauce filled with caramel frosting and topped with more salted caramel. Oh my.
Whether it is enjoyed at a special occasion, shared as a source of conversation, or baked and decorated together, cake can help to create a sense of community and connection among those who enjoy it.
When people gather to celebrate a special occasion, they often come together to enjoy a slice of cake. This can help to create a sense of community and togetherness.
History of Salted Caramel
Salted caramel is a flavor that has become increasingly popular in recent years, but it has actually been around for quite some time.
The exact origins of salted caramel are not known, but it is thought to have originated in France.
The combination of sweet caramel and salty flavor is said to have originated in the Brittany region of France, where salted butter is a staple ingredient.
This flavor combination has been used in a variety of sweet and savory dishes, and has gained popularity around the world in recent years.
Today, salted caramel can be found in a wide range of products, including ice cream, chocolates, and other confections.
Substitutions
While this Salted Caramel Cake Recipe is pretty easy and straightforward, and most of the ingredients I use are readily available in any baking store or grocery store. Below are a few substitutions you can use.
- Buttermilk - Milk and Lemon Juice OR Vinegar
- For each cup of buttermilk needed, use 1 tablespoon of lemon juice OR distilled white vinegar plus enough milk to fill up to 1 cup. Stir, then let the mixture rest for at least 5 minutes.
- Heavy Cream - Milk and Butter
- For 1 cup of heavy cream, mix together ¼ cup melted butter and ¾ cup of milk. If you want to make the mixture a bit thicker, you can add a tablespoon of flour.
- Fleur de sel - I also didn't have any of this but I used sea salt and crushed it down into smaller flakes! Kosher salt also works great in this way.
Recipe Tips
A lot of you have made this salted caramel cake recipe and I wanted to share a few points of feedback that may help future bakers make it successfully!
- For more detailed instructions on how to make the caramel sauce, visit Brown Eyed Baker. She's got a great step-by-step tutorial with lots of pictures!
- Also, the cake and frosting recipes are originally from Laura's Sweet Spot.
- The sauce recipe makes more than you actually need for this cake, probably by half.
But the reason why I left this amount in the recipe was because that's how I made it the first time I baked this cake!
If you don't want leftover caramel sauce (but let's be real here, who doesn't want leftover caramel sauce) you could halve the recipe and still have enough. - Because the caramel frosting is made with cream cheese, it is VERY SOFT.
If you live in a hot place, consider keeping this cake cool until serving. - Also, the softness of the frosting could make it difficult to apply to the cake layers.
To ensure it's creamy, but not runny start by adding less a tablespoon at a time until you get a smooth consistency that's not too soft. - Finally - this cake is SO GOOD you may be known as the BEST BAKER EVER after you make it.
So many of you have commented that your friends and family were incredibly impressed after you baked this cake. That makes me so proud!
FAQS
I've been asked a few questions about this recipe so I would like to clarify:
Caramel cake will often only remain fresh for three to four days before losing moisture and becoming dry in texture. However, this cake has frosting on it which helps to preserve the moisture in the sponge, so the cake will keep a little while longer in the fridge.
YES - but wait until it is COMPLETELY cool before freezing!
Around the cake layer's edge, pipe a barrier. This step makes sure that your filling doesn't flow over the cake's edges.
Cake bulges are typically caused by pressure that builds up inside the cake from the time it is baked until it is decorated. Let your cake sit for a while to allow the pressure to subside. Let it cool completely before you even begin to decorate.
More Caramel Recipes
Caramel Recipes
Salted Caramel Layer Cake
Layers of brown sugar cake filled and topped with caramel frosting and a drizzle of fresh caramel & fleur de sel make this Salted Caramel Layer Cake a decadent, delicious and almost sinful dessert!
Caramel Apple Milky Way Cupcakes
Perfect cupcake to transition into Fall! Chocolate cake filled with caramel apples topped with caramel buttercream, caramel sauce and a Caramel Apple Milky Way bar!
Happy baking, my sweet friends! Leave a comment below with your results or your questions. I'd be happy to help you...or just to hear your stories with this recipe!
Salted Caramel Layer Cake
Layers of brown sugar cake filled and topped with caramel frosting and a drizzle of fresh caramel & fleur de sel make this Salted Caramel Layer Cake a decadent, delicious and almost sinful dessert!
Ingredients
Caramel Cake
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- ¾ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups flour, sifted
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
Salted Caramel Sauce
- 2 cups sugar
- 12 tablespoon (¾ cup) unsalted butter, cubed & room temperature
- 1 cup heavy cream, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon fleur de sel (I used sea salt and crushed it down into smaller flakes)
Caramel Frosting
- ½ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 5oz (approx 10 Tbsp) unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 8oz cream cheese, softened
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
Caramel Cake
- Prepare 3 8in cake pans by buttering, lining with parchment paper and flouring.
- Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars for about 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs, one at a time and mix until incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl often.
- Mix in the vanilla.
- Add the flour and buttermilk alternating until just combined.
- In a measuring glass, mix together the baking soda and vinegar then add to the batter. Mix just until incorporated. Do not overmix!
- Separate batter evenly into the three prepared cake pans.
- Bake about 20 minutes or until the top and edges are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool in pans for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Salted Caramel Sauce
- In a very large, heavy saucepan or pot over medium-high heat, pour the sugar in an even layer over the bottom of the pan. Whisk until melted. The sugar will clump up but will eventually completely melt. This will take about 4-5 minutes.
- Once the sugar has melted, stop whisking and cook until the sugar has turned into an amber color and has a nutty aroma. Remove from the heat.
- Add all the butter and whisk until combined. This mixture will bubble up, but keep whisking until all the butter has melted.
- Slowly pour the heavy cream into the mixture and whisk until incorporated.
- Stir in the fleur de sel.
- Cool for about 10-15 minutes before using.
- Store leftovers in a jar with a lid and reheat before using again. Refrigerate up to 2 weeks.
Caramel Frosting
- In a medium, heavy pot, whisk together the brown sugar and 2oz of butter over medium heat until melted. Bring to a boil for no more than 10 seconds. Remove from heat immediately and pour in the heavy cream and whisk until smooth. Cool to room temperature. NOTE: You can use an ice bath and whisk to cool quickly if you don't have time to wait.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the remaining 3oz of butter and cream cheese until smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl several times during this process.
- Mix in the salt.
- Turn the mixer to low and pour in a slow, steady stream the brown sugar mixture. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix on medium speed until completely smooth and incorporated.
- Add the sifted powdered sugar and mix on medium speed until smooth.
- The frosting will feel very soft - so refrigerate it for 10-15 minutes before frosting the cake.
Assembly
- Once the cakes cooled, use a large skewer to poke holes across the top of the cake. Spoon a layer of caramel sauce over the top of the cake and use an offset spatula to spread it evenly.
- Allow the caramel sauce to soak into the cake.
- Repeat this process with a second layer of sauce.
- Once all the caramel has soaked into the cake, place one layer of the cake onto your serving platter.
- Spread a thin layer of frosting over the top of the layer - no more than ½ a cup of frosting.
- Place the second layer on top and spread another thin layer of frosting.
- Place the final layer of cake on top and frost the outside of the cake with the remaining frosting.
- Drizzle the top of the cake with caramel sauce. Using a spatula, in a back and forth pattern, spread the frosting and sauce together until just incorporated and it looks like the caramel is oozing thru the top of the cake.
- Using a disposable piping bag and a very small tip, fill the bag with caramel sauce. Pipe a layer of sauce around the top edge of the cake, stopping every inch or so to squeeze a little more so it drizzles down the side. Sprinkle with fleur de sel.
- Refrigerate until ready to eat - but remove 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
For more detailed instructions on how to make the caramel sauce, visit Brown Eyed Baker . She's got a great step-by-step tutorial with lots of pictures!
Cake and Frosting recipe originally from: Laura's Sweet Spot
How high are these layers supposed to rise? I have never leavened a cake with a vinegar baking soda mixture. I don’ think I overmixed but these layers did not rise very much and seem rather dense. The baking powder was brand new.
I made this for Easter and it was a hit. I followed the directions exactly, except for one tiny thing: used the "wet" sugar method for making the caramel, which meant adding about 1/2 c. water to sugar before heating. Turned out great. That was the only way I'd ever made caramel, and I've ruined several batches in the past, so I wanted to use a method I'd used before. The cake is great; mine turned out pretty dense but still great texture and not too sweet, which is a great foil for the icing. I might bake it 1 or 2 minutes less next time, just to see what it's like. Icing was delicious, and of course, the CARAMEL. This recipe made a lot of caramel. I think you could halve it and be okay, but then you wouldn't have all that loveliness left over in the fridge. Divine. Thanks for a lovely recipe!!
I made this cake a few weeks ago and everyone that tasted it said it was the BEST cake they had EVER had! I bake a lot and these people have tried lots of my cakes, always with great reviews, so that is really saying something!
I'm going to visit my daughter this weekend at college and am thinking about making these as cupcakes! My plan is to "fill" the cupcakes with caramel sauce, and then pipe the icing on top. I loved the brown sugar/caramel icing but would like to make a firmer icing (for looks and travel). Do you have any ideas? I have made salted caramel icing before by simply adding a bit of caramel sauce to a half American buttercream/half cream cheese frosting. I may go that route. I would love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks for the lovely recipe!!!
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Hi! I’m so excited to try this... I have a question- sorry if it’s dumb - but do I poke holes and soak all three layers? Or just the one? Don’t wanna overdo or underdo this cake!!
All three! 🙂 Good luck and happy baking!
How much caramel sauce do you add to the cake layers for the soak?
Hi there ... about to make this cake and really looking forward to it. Reading the comments I notice a lot of people talk about how runny the icing is. I make cream cheese frosting a lot and actually swap the amounts of butter and cream cheese around - this makes it slightly less runny. The other thing people might be doing is buying own brand cream cheese - it is better to buy a good quality cream cheese. There is something about the chemical reaction of the cheese, butter and icing sugar that makes it really runny if you use the cheaper version of cream cheese ... not sure what it is, but having had my frosting refuse to thicken when I used the cheaper version once - never again!!! Thanks for the recipe.
I made this but added about 1/2 tsp of caramel flavoring to batter. And, because a friend requested it with mocha frosting topped with coarse salt, I had to oblige. Spectacular! Thank you!
Is there any reason why you couldn’t just use some of the left over caramel sauce in the icing, instead of making a new batch of caramel?
I want to make this cake for Thanksgiving, but the problem is we do Thanksgiving in a mountain cabin with no real cooking tools. We get there on Monday, so I'm worried about it being fresh and transporting, so I was planning to make the layers and freeze them ahead of time. Do I go ahead and add caramel before I freeze, do you think? Or should I wait until I thaw? I know the caramel can be made ahead. What about the frosting? Do you think I can make it ahead and store it in frig in Tupperware?
Thanks for any advice!
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Hi. I came across this cake and would love to make it for my son birthday but I am not very good with “cup’ sizes. Do you have the gram or oz equivalent please.
Hi Julie - Check out my baking conversion charts. They're printable! https://javacupcake.com/2014/11/baking-conversion-charts/
You have to subscribe to get this recipe???? Terrible idea. Ive made this dozens of times. Glad I printed it out.
Wait - you don't want to give me your email to to subscribe to get one of my most popular recipes FOR FREE... but you'll give me your email so that you can leave me a comment about how you don't want to give me your email? I too am glad you printed it out. Poof. Be gone. We don't need that negativity here. Byeeeeee.