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Caramel Cake
When the book and subsequent movie The Help came out, Southern Caramel Cake became popular all over the country. Everyone wanted to make Minny’s caramel cake recipe—not to mention that chocolate pie! Well, this Southern Caramel Cake recipe is probably pretty darn close to Minny’s fictional cake, based on author Kathryn Stockett’s memories from Jackson, Mississippi. Although there are thousands of variations in caramel cake recipes, most are fairly similar, with a thick, gooey, caramel cake icing over a moist white or yellow cake. There are even variations with different frostings, like this Easy Caramel Cake with Creamy Cream Cheese Frosting. Yum! Southerners love cakes and you’ll find a caramel cake recipe on nearly every list of favorite Southern cakes!Caramel Cake Icing
My brother-in-law’s mother, whom we called Miss Ruby, used to make a caramel cake that everyone raved over. I’ve tried several different caramel cake icing recipes, and Miss Ruby’s is my favorite. With a handful of ingredients and an easy preparation method, it’s almost foolproof…but you might have to practice a few times to get the consistency just right.Tools for Making Southern Caramel Cake
You’ll need a heavy, large saucepan for the caramel cake icing and good cake pans for the caramel cake layers. I love these from Fat Daddio! You also need a candy thermometer like this one, and a wooden spoon. And if you want to save yourself from arm spasms, you’ll want to use a stand mixer for the caramel cake icing.Ingredients for Caramel Cake
- All-purpose flour – I use White Lily for almost all baking
- Salt
- Granulated sugar
- Unsalted butter
- Water
- Baking soda
- Buttermilk – not lowfat
- Large eggs
- Vanilla
Ingredients for Caramel Cake Icing
- Granulated sugar
- Unsalted butter
- Half-and-half, Whole Milk, or Evaporated Milk
- Salt
- Vanilla
How to Make Southern Caramel Cake
**Cook’s Tip: I use either my 3-layer yellow layer cake recipe or the cake from my sheet cake recipe (which is the caramel cake recipe included here) which makes 2 thick or 3 thin layers, and while the layers are cooling, I start the caramel cake frosting. You don’t want to have to worry about your cake layers in the oven while you’re making this frosting because it needs to be stirred continuously.Step 1.
Preheat the oven to 350 and butter and flour, then line with parchment paper, either two 9-inch cake pans for thick layers or three 9-inch cake pans for thinner layers.Step 2.
Sift 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour and salt into large bowl. Add sugar and whisk until blended.Step 4.
Combine butter and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and pour over the flour and sugar. Whisk until blended.Step 5.
Add the soda, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla, and whisk until well-blended and smooth. Pour batter into greased and floured baking pans.Step 6.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, checking cake after about 15 minutes. Cake is done when tester comes out clean but be careful not to overcook. Remove pans from oven and allow to cool on a rack for 15 minutes, then turn layers onto parchment covered racks to cool completely.How to Make Caramel Cake Icing
**Cook’s Tip: It’s important to have all the ingredients measured out and ready, and have your candy thermometer ready. I’m sure Miss Ruby made this without a candy thermometer, but I’m more comfortable using one than trying to guess.Step 1.
In a small skillet, preferably a cast-iron one, place 1/2 cup of sugar and stir in 2 tablespoons of water. Turn the heat to medium. **Cook’s Tip: You don’t need to stir the sugar, although once it starts cooking you can stir just a little in the beginning to help it along. You’ll need to pick the skillet up and gently shake it several times to move the sugar around. It will start to look like this: Sometimes the sugar may look like the next photo below, but don’t worry. It will not stay crystallized but will continue to melt. Just keep shaking the skillet around. I pick up, shake, and set down the skillet multiple times to keep the sugar from getting to hot. The crystals will continue to melt until the sugar looks like this: Watch carefully and let all those sugar crystals melt. You may need to turn the heat down and hold the skillet over the burner, shaking it around gently. And here’s where you have a choice to make. You can remove the sugar from the heat at this point or you can let it cook a little longer until it darkens to an amber syrup. The darker the sugar, the stronger flavor your caramel cake frosting will have. If you go all the way to amber, you’ll have what’s called Burnt Caramel. However, there’s a very short distance from Burnt Caramel to Burned Caramel and if you burn it then the taste will be bitter and bad and your guests will spit it out delicately in your monogrammed napkins. You don’t want spit caramel cake frosting in your monogrammed napkins. It’s a personal preference as to how you want the icing to taste. I usually let mine get a little darker than the photo above but not quite as dark as this picture (and this is how I know about the spitting):Step 2.
While the sugar is melting, you will have a large saucepan going on another burner. Put 2 1/2 cups sugar, 1 stick unsalted butter, 1 cup of half-and-half, and a dash of salt in this saucepan and turn the heat to medium. Go ahead and attach the candy thermometer to the side so you’ll be ready.Step 3.
Once the sugar dissolves and the liquid comes almost to a rolling boil, pour in the sugar syrup from the skillet—carefully, because it will cause the milk to bubble up. You can turn this mixture down on low if need be while you’re waiting on the sugar in the skillet to melt, just keep it simmering slightly.Step 4.
Cook, stirring continuously until about soft ball stage. This means that if you take a spoon and drop a bit of the frosting into a cup of cold water, then you can take your fingers and form a ball with that drop. On your thermometer this should fall between 235°-240°.Step 5.
Remove the saucepan from the heat, pour into the bowl of a stand mixer, stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla, and allow to cool for 10-20 minutes. Then whip on medium until the caramel becomes frosting consistency. This may take 20 minutes depending on your mixer. **Cook’s Tip: The caramel cake icing should dribble from the beater and you should be able to spread slightly on the inside of the mixer bowl. If the frosting starts to separate or gets stiff then add a little more half-and-half or milk—I usually add more after icing the first layer because it will start getting thick by then.Step 6.
Frost the cake immediately using all the caramel cake frosting. It may seem a little runny but will set up as it rests. Pour about 1/2 cup on top of each layer and the rest over the top and let it run down the sides, then smooth a little with an offset spatula.Step 7.
Place the frosted cake in the refrigerator for at least an hour to set the frosting. Serve at room temperature.Tips for Making Southern Caramel Cake
- The caramel cake icing can get quite thick and may need to be thinned with additional milk
- If you want a lot of frosting, you may want to make this recipe twice. I do not recommend just doubling the ingredients.
- You can use whole milk instead of half-and-half. You can also use evaporated milk, although it does change the texture slightly—I love this caramel cake icing made with evaporated milk though! It’s more of a candy-like icing.
Caramel Cake Recipe (Southern Style)
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sifted all-purpose flour, plus flour for dusting cake pans
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 sticks unsalted butter
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla
Frosting:
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1 cup half-and-half, plus a little more when frosting sets up
- Dash of salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour then line with parchment paper in two 9-inch cake pans for thick layers or three 9-inch cake pans for thinner layers.
- Sift 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour and salt into large bowl. Add sugar and whisk until blended.
- Combine butter and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and pour over the flour and sugar. Whisk until blended.
- Add the soda, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla, and whisk until well blended and smooth. Pour batter into greased and floured baking pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes, checking cake after about 15. Cake is done when tester comes out clean but be careful not to overcook. Remove pans from oven and allow to cool on a rack for 15 minutes, then turn layers onto parchment covered racks to cool completely.
Caramel Frosting
- NOTE: You will have two pots going while making this frosting so have everything ready to go and have a large hot pad.
- In large saucepan, place 2 1/2 cups sugar, butter, half-and-half, and a dash of salt. Cook on medium until almost to a rolling boil then pour in sugar syrup that you are making in another skillet. You can turn this pot on low while you're melting the sugar in the other skillet.
- At the same time, in a small skillet, place 1/2 cup sugar with 2 tablespoons water and stir. Melt the sugar on medium until it becomes an amber color. You don't stir this sugar after the first time but you will need to shake the skillet and lift it off the burner every few minutes to help distribute the sugar and keep it from scorching. This is the sugar syrup that you will pour into the saucepan.
- Once you pour the sugar syrup into the milk mixture, cook slowly on medium to medium-high, stirring constantly until soft ball stage or 235-240 on thermometer (thermometers may register differently).
- Remove pot from heat, pour into a large bowl or the stand mixer bowl, stir in vanilla, and allow to cool for about 15 minutes.
- Whip on medium speed or use hand mixer on low-to-medium and whip until the caramel becomes frosting consistency, can be up to 20 minutes.
- If frosting sets too quickly or gets too thick or starts to separate, you can add a little additional half-and-half or milk.
- Pour about 1/2 cup on top of each layer and the rest over the top of the cake. The frosting should run down the sides and you can spread it slightly with an offset spatula (dip in hot water.)
Notes
- Don't start the icing until your cake is out of the oven. The icing needs your full attention.
- It's important to have all the ingredients measured out and ready, and have your candy thermometer ready.
- The caramel cake icing can get quite thick and may need to be thinned with additional milk
- If you want a lot of frosting, you may want to make this recipe twice. I do not recommend just doubling the ingredients.
- You can use whole milk instead of half-and-half. You can also use evaporated milk, although it does change the texture slightly—I love this caramel cake icing made with evaporated milk though! It's more of a candy-like icing.
Nutrition
More caramel-based recipes:
Homemade Caramel Sauce Caramel CheesecakeUpdate Notes: This post was originally published June 10, 2013, and on October 13, 2018, was updated with one or more of the following: step-by-step photos, video, updated recipe, new tips.
Time Travel to Posts You Might Have Missed:
- One Year Ago: Farro Salad with Arugula
- Two Years Ago: Baked Pork Chops with Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Three Years Ago: Southern Peach Cobbler
I made this cake today and it came out perfect! Even the frosting, just added cream when frosting started to get to stiff to stir. Thank you so much for this recipe:)
I made this cake today and it came out perfect! Even the frosting, just added cream when frosting started to get to stiff to stir. Thank you so much for this recipe:)
Hello Lucy
I made this cake for the first time today and it taste amazing. But I ran into a problem with my caramel. The color is great and so is the taste but when I was whipping the icing it seized, which made it hard to spread. Any ideas on what could have went wrong.
Hi Tiffany,
Probably the icing cooked just a little too long. You could probably have added a little more cream while mixing and it would have been fine. Glad it tasted great!
Thank you Lucy
I’m going to try it again, I’ll keep you posted ☺☺
I want to use this recipe but I’m not clear about the eggs…are we talking about a total of 9 eggs (3 whole eggs, yolks and whites)plus 6 egg yolks?
Hi Wilda,
Yes, it’s 3 whole eggs and 6 yolks-if you’re making the 3-layer yellow cake. I changed the recipe recently to make it a smaller cake though! Thanks!
Hello! I am 23 and this is my first time making a cake! lol It turned out BEAUTIFULLY and tasted DELICIOUS!!! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Hi Danielle,
Thank you so much for visiting my website. I can’t believe you chose this cake for your very first one! That caramel frosting can be a tough one at first! So happy that everything turned out great. Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks for the recipe! I was also looking for something similar to my grandmother’s caramel cake and this seems to be the closest after filling over many other recipes. It’s in the oven baking and I’m hoping it turns out. I did not have whole milk though and used evaporated with a little skim milk mixed in. I really do hope it turns out. I still need to do the frosting. Thanks again!
Hi Latrice,
Hope your cake turned out well. Happy Thanksgiving!
Hello! I am 23 and this is my first time making a cake! lol It turned out BEAUTIFULLY and tasted DELICIOUS!!! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Best caramel cake ever…just like my grandma made for birthday celebrations…brought back many fond memories of my childhood in KY. Blessings! XO
My mother has asked for this cake for her 90th birthday party next month. This must be a Kentucky tradition. I am going to do a test cake this week to find out if I can handle it and make it for her party.
Best caramel cake ever…just like my grandma made for birthday celebrations…brought back many fond memories of my childhood in KY. Blessings! XO
Hello I made the caramel icing, and it was DELICIOUS. This was my first time cooking and stirring but it was enjoyable. I used half and half coffee creamer because that is what I had in the refrigerator; also evaporated milk worked wonderful. your directions were so easy to understand along with the pictures. The only problem I had was frosting the sides, it dried to quickly, and did not look so neat.
Belinda, next time just add a little milk to cream it up a little..
Hello I made the caramel icing, and it was DELICIOUS. This was my first time cooking and stirring but it was enjoyable. I used half and half coffee creamer because that is what I had in the refrigerator; also evaporated milk worked wonderful. your directions were so easy to understand along with the pictures. The only problem I had was frosting the sides, it dried to quickly, and did not look so neat.
Hi Lucy,
Thank you for this recipe. I’ve been researching caramel frosting that would be simple and not overwhelming and scary to try. Yours is the first set of instructions I think I can handle. I’ve done all the measuring, sifting flour, and prep work for this cake, and I will bake tomorrow. I like that you use heavy cream and not buttermilk and real butter and not shortening. I’m lucky I have real Mexican vanilla (not extract), so I know this will be awesome. I’ll keep you posted.
HI Stacey,
I hope your cake turned out well!
Hi Lucy,
Thank you for this recipe. I’ve been researching caramel frosting that would be simple and not overwhelming and scary to try. Yours is the first set of instructions I think I can handle. I’ve done all the measuring, sifting flour, and prep work for this cake, and I will bake tomorrow. I like that you use heavy cream and not buttermilk and real butter and not shortening. I’m lucky I have real Mexican vanilla (not extract), so I know this will be awesome. I’ll keep you posted.
Hi Lucy,
Thanks so much for this recipe. I made this cake yesterday and it was sooo good. I say “was” because it was gone in a flash and I live alone! No, I didn’t eat it all myself. In fact, I only had a small slice, but my Mom, neighbors, friends and coworkers enjoyed it and were asking for more.
I do have a few questions if you don’t mind The cake batter came together, but was thin. My butter was a little on the cold side, but I cut it up and let it beat in my kitchen aid mixer and it was fine. I added the vegetable oil and the mixture was thin. After adding all of the other ingredients the batter was still on the thin side, but did bake into beautiful layers. The frosting was a breeze to make and without my candy thermometer (couldn’t find it), I was still able to get it right.
One other thing, after getting the frosting on, the cake layers slid all over the place. This was with a skewer in the center of the cake! I don’t know what happened. Even with these little glitches, which I’m sure are my fault, this cake was so worth making. It was moist, flavorful and delicious and the icing was to die for.
I found your website by accident. I’d had a delicious caramel cake at a cookout and the woman who baked it wouldn’t share the recipe (so silly). I was determined to find a good recipe that didn’t require 2 hours just to make the frosting and your our recipe certainly fit the bill. It was everything I hoped a good caramel cake would be.
Thanks again.
Hi Natalie,
Thank you so much for your sweet comments. It’s so silly when someone won’t share a recipe, isn’t it? I love sharing recipes and hoping that something my family has enjoyed can bring happiness to someone else’s family.
I’m impressed that you made caramel frosting without a candy thermometer! It’s so persnickety! I don’t know what to tell you about the sliding though. It could be related to heat/humidity depending on where you are. Usually when I make a tall cake like this I’ll try to stick in more than one dowel to help hold it in place. I’m not a professional cake baker so I don’t know all the tricks so if you figure out something that works better, please let me know!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake and hope you continue to visit In a Southern Kitchen.
Your cake is perfect as far as the problem with the sliding 2 teaspoon to 1 Tablespoon of powder sugar will take care of that problem. Instead of pouring on my icing I put it on with a spatula its easier for me and I have more control of the cake and the icing. Dip spatula in ice water to make spreading easier.
Hi Lucy,
Thanks so much for this recipe. I made this cake yesterday and it was sooo good. I say “was” because it was gone in a flash and I live alone! No, I didn’t eat it all myself. In fact, I only had a small slice, but my Mom, neighbors, friends and coworkers enjoyed it and were asking for more.
I do have a few questions if you don’t mind The cake batter came together, but was thin. My butter was a little on the cold side, but I cut it up and let it beat in my kitchen aid mixer and it was fine. I added the vegetable oil and the mixture was thin. After adding all of the other ingredients the batter was still on the thin side, but did bake into beautiful layers. The frosting was a breeze to make and without my candy thermometer (couldn’t find it), I was still able to get it right.
One other thing, after getting the frosting on, the cake layers slid all over the place. This was with a skewer in the center of the cake! I don’t know what happened. Even with these little glitches, which I’m sure are my fault, this cake was so worth making. It was moist, flavorful and delicious and the icing was to die for.
I found your website by accident. I’d had a delicious caramel cake at a cookout and the woman who baked it wouldn’t share the recipe (so silly). I was determined to find a good recipe that didn’t require 2 hours just to make the frosting and your our recipe certainly fit the bill. It was everything I hoped a good caramel cake would be.
Thanks again.
Can I use milk instead of cream?
I would not use milk instead of cream. I think it would change the texture too much and the frosting might not set.
Changing this answer–I’ve made the frosting several more times and it’s really a matter of preference. The original recipe from Miss Ruby calls for milk–and several versions of this recipe in my old cookbooks call for evaporated milk. Either is fine! I’ve actually settled on half-and-half instead of cream or milk.
Can I use milk instead of cream?
Just stumbled upon this recipe today, and your cake looks addictive. I’ve gotta make it. But I have a couple of ?’s. Do I grease the parchment also? And can I use wax paper instead. Is it okay if I use the homemade recipe for cake flour: all-purpose flour and corn starch? Also, does the cake flour get sifted twice–once by itself then again with the baking powder and salt? Sorry for all the ?’s, but I want, no, I need to make this cake! Thanx for your help. And God bless you for sharing this recipe.
Hello carameladdict,
To answer your questions, I do usually lightly spray the parchment paper, but I don’t think it’s absolutely necessary. I would not use wax paper but of course in the old days that’s all they had and it worked. I just find that it can get smoky in the oven so I prefer parchment paper. I would not use the homemade recipe for cake flour. You do not need to sift the cake flour twice. Just sift it once along with the baking powder and salt.
Hope this helps!
I am making this now for Thanksgiving. This is my 1st scratch cake. Will let all know how it turns and and tastes.
Phillip, this is a pretty ambitious cake for your first from-scratch cake! I hope it turned out well and you had a great day!
I lost my recipe for the caramel frosting that my grandmother gave me and have been looking for one like it this recipe sounds identical to hers. Thanks so much! Now
my family can have caramel cake
once again.
P.J….hope your cake turned out great!
Recipe for caramel cake please