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Ingredients
- Antique Caramel Cake
- makes one 8-inch, 2 layer cake (I made an extra layer, just because it was my birthday.)
- recipe adapted from Baked Elements
- for the cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces (that's 1 stick) unsalted, room temperature butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon baking Soda
- 1 Tablespoon white vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
- for the sweet & salty caramel sauce
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup {Note: The original recipe calls for light corn syrup, so you may use that instead.}
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon fleur de sel
- for the frosting
- 1/4 cup firmly packed Dark brown sugar
- 5 ounces (that's 1 1/4 sticks) unsalted, room temperature butter
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar {Note: Have an extra 1/2 cup on hand, just in case.}
Preparation
Step 1
method
Prepare the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter two 8 x 2-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Dust the pans with flour, gently tapping out any excess.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour and salt together. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on med-high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add both sugars and beat again on med-high speed for about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition (about 1 minute per egg). Scrape down the bowl again and add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, dissolve the baking soda in the vinegar and, on low speed, beat it into the batter until just combined.
Divide the batter between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 32-37 minutes, rotating halfway through the baking time, until the cake tops are slightly browned and a thin knife inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean. {Note: Mine were perfectly baked after only 30 minutes.} Transfer the pans to cooling racks and allow the cakes to remain in the pans for 20 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto the racks, remove the parchment, and cool completely. {Note: The cake layers can be made ahead of time and stored, well-wrapped, in the refrigerator for about 2 days.}
Prepare the sweet and salty caramel sauce: Have the heavy cream and sour cream measured out (separately) and ready to use. Have heat-proof bowl on hand for helping the sauce to cool faster once it's cooked.
In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and maple syrup with 1/4 cup water. Let the water soak into the sugar for a few minutes, then gently pat down any remaining dry sugar until most of it is moistened. (Try not to splash too much sugar onto the sides of the pan as you're doing this.) Without stirring, cook the mixture over medium-low heat until the sugar has dissolved. {Note: Swirl the pan around occasionally once the sugar starts to melt.} Once the sugar has dissolved, increase the heat to high and without stirring, cook until the mixture is dark amber in color, or just shy of 350 F. on a candy thermometer (this will take about 6-8 minutes). As soon as the caramel is dark amber, remove the pan from the heat and slowly add the heavy cream (it will hiss, and sputter, and make a noisy fuss, so be careful not to burn your hands or face). Once the heavy cream has been added, whisk in the sour cream and fleur de sel. {Note: If the caramel clumps up in a few spots, return the pan to the stove and, whisking constantly, cook over med-low heat until smooth.} Carefully pour the hot caramel sauce into the heat-proof bowl; Set aside to cool completely. It may take several hours for the caramel to come to room temperature. Try to avoid the temptation of sampling...it's very, very hot! Even if you think it's cool. It's not. Also, do not refrigerate. If the sauce becomes cold, it won't be drizzly enough to pour over the cake.
Prepare the frosting: Once again, have the cream measure out ahead of time, and have a heat-proof bowl on hand. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir together the brown sugar and 2 ounces (1/2 stick) of the butter until melted and combined. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil and cook for 10-15 seconds. Remove from the heat, whisk in the cream, and transfer the mixture to a heat-proof bowl to cool completely.
Place the remaining 3 ounces of butter into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat for about 2 minutes on medium-high speed. Add the cream cheese and salt and continue beating until mixture is smooth. Scrape down the bowl and beat again for about 15 seconds. Turn the mixer to low and stream in the cooled-off brown sugar/butter mixture. Scrape down the bowl again, and gradually add the 2 cups of confectioners' sugar. Once the 2 cups have been added, beat on med-high for about 1 minute. If the frosting looks too thin, slowly add the extra 1/2 cup of confectioners' sugar. If it still looks too loose, refrigerate it for 5-10 minutes.
Assemble the cake! Place one of the cake layers onto a serving platter. If the top is too domed, use a long serrated knife to create a flat surface. Spread about 3/4 cup of the frosting on top and then drizzle the caramel sauce on top of the frosting. {Note: Be sure that the sauce has cooled to room temperature or else it will melt the frosting.} Place the next layer on top, then frost the same way. Frost the sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. Once frosted, drizzle the entire cake with caramel sauce, allowing it to flow down the sides. To set the caramel, refrigerate the cake for about 15 minutes before serving.
Any leftover caramel sauce can be jarred and refrigerated for about 2 days. You may need to leave it out at room temperature before using. Or, if you're like me, just enjoy what's left with a happy spoon! ;)