Our Favorite Homemade Salted Caramel Cake | The Best Cake Recipes (2024)

Julie Clark

Posted:

Print RecipeJump to RecipeReview Recipe

Deep, buttery-flavored brown sugar cake is the base of this from-scratch salted caramel cake. Top with homemade salted caramel frosting.

Caramel does not get the credit it deserves. So many times it is paired with chocolate, nuts or pretzels. Which are all fabulous combinations, don’t get me wrong. But we decided that caramel needed a cake all on its own.

Introducing the salted caramel cake. Have a birthday coming up? Move away from chocolate cake and try this beauty for a birthday cake.

Our Favorite Homemade Salted Caramel Cake | The Best Cake Recipes (2)

About this Salted Caramel Cake Recipe:

  • Flavor: This homemade yellow cake has buttermilk which adds to the flavor. There isn’t caramel in the cake itself, but the caramel frosting and salted caramel drizzle packs a punch of caramel flavor.
  • Texture: Buttermilk makes the cake super moist and tender, and the caramel frosting is silky and smooth. It melts in your mouth.
  • Method: This cake bakes in 2 9-inch round cake pans for a pretty layered look.

Recipe Inspiration

In my research on how to make a caramel flavored cake, I realized that in most cases, the caramel flavor comes in with the frosting. So for the cake, I wanted to be sure it had a deep flavor.

I tweaked an old recipe called the “Butter Cup Cake” that I found in this Mennonite cookbook. It is a classic butter cake with white sugar and buttermilk for the ultimate in moistness. I replaced part of the white sugar with brown sugar to deepen the flavor and give it more of a caramel flavor.

Our Favorite Homemade Salted Caramel Cake | The Best Cake Recipes (3)

How to Make Salted Caramel Cake

You’ll find the basic butter cake recipe very easy to make.

  • Simply mix the wet ingredients (minus the buttermilk) and the dry ingredients separately.
  • Then add the flour to the wet egg mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Beat until the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
  • Pour the cake batter evenly between the two cake pans. Make sure you’ve prepared the cake pans by greasing them with butter or shortening, then dusting with flour. Or you can use our homemade cake release recipe. You can also line the pans with parchment paper.
  • Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the center of the cake tests done. You can touch the center and it will bounce back, or test with a toothpick. There can be a few moist crumbs on the toothpick, but no batter.

We baked this cake in two layer pans, but you could easily bake it in a 9×13 baking pan also. Just watch the baking time closely.

Our Favorite Homemade Salted Caramel Cake | The Best Cake Recipes (4)

Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting

Once the cake is baked, top it with salted caramel buttercream. It whips up so easily and is ultra smooth.

Frost the one layer of the cake with an offset spatula, place the other on top, then smooth frosting all over the top and sides of the cake layers.

Then melt additional caramel and drizzle it over the cake. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt for a gorgeous (but crazy easy) presentation. You can melt caramels for this, or make your own homemade salted caramel sauce.

Storage Instructions

  • Room temperature: Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 24 hours.
  • Refrigerator: Store this cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before eating.
  • Freezer: Freeze the cake whole or sliced in an airtight container for up to 2 months.I double wrap by wrapping in plastic wrap, then placing the wrapped pieces in another storage container. Thaw at room temperature before eating.

Salted Caramel Cake

4.31 from 94 votes

Deep, buttery-flavored brown sugar cake is the base of this from-scratch salted caramel cake. Top with homemade salted caramel frosting.

Servings 15

Prep Time 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Print RecipeReview Recipe

Ingredients

For the cake:

For the frosting:

For the caramel drizzle:

  • 5 ounces Kraft caramel bits
  • 3 tablespoons evaporated milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Instructions

Make the cake:

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour 2 9" round cake pans. Or use cake release.

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy.

  • Add eggs and vanilla and beat thoroughly. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.

  • In another bowl, whisk together the baking soda, salt, baking powder and cake flour.

  • Add dry ingredients to the creamed butter alternately with the buttermilk, beating thoroughly after each addition.

  • Pour the cake batter evenly into the prepared cake pans.

  • Bake for 25 minutes or until the center of the cake bounces back when you touch it.

  • Allow the cakes to cool for 10 minutes, then loosen the edges and turn out on a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the buttercream:

  • At least an hour before making the frosting, melt the caramels. Place the caramel bits in a microwave safe bowl and add the evaporated milk. Microwave in 20-30 second intervals, stirring between, until caramels are smooth and completely melted. This will take 2-3 minutes.

  • Allow the caramel to cool completely to room temperature. This is important! If you add the caramel when it is too warm, it will melt the butter in the frosting and it will not set correctly.

  • In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter using a hand mixer until well combined.

  • Add the powdered sugar and the vanilla extract. Beat again.

  • Add the cooled caramel to the frosting and beat for 2-3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.

Frost the cake:

  • Place one cake layer on a cake plate. Frost the top with frosting.

  • Then place the other cake layer on top. Frost the entire outside of the cake with frosting, making it as smooth as possible.

Make the drizzle:

  • Place 5 ounces of caramel bits in a microwave safe bowl and add the evaporated milk. Microwave in 20-30 second intervals, stirring between, until caramels are smooth and completely melted. This will take 2-3 minutes.

  • Allow the caramel to cool completely to room temperature, then drizzle the caramel over the cake.

  • Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt.

  • Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 24 hours, then refrigerate.

Notes

Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.

The calories shown are based on the cake being cut into 15 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of cake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**

Nutrition

Calories: 516kcal | Carbohydrates: 84g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 397mg | Potassium: 177mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 67g | Vitamin A: 565IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 0.5mg

Author Julie Clark

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Calories 516

Keyword easy homemade cake, easy layer cake

Have you tried this recipe?

Share a review below or share on Instagram with the tag #tastesoflizzyt.

Other Caramel Cake Recipes

Cakes

Caramel Apple Eclair Cake

Cheesecake Recipes

Caramel Pretzel Cheesecake

Trifles

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Trifle

Our Favorite Homemade Salted Caramel Cake | The Best Cake Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is caramel cake made of? ›

Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information. For the caramel cake, you'll need butter, sugar, eggs, self-rising flour, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and a double recipe of my family's Southern Caramel Icing.

Can you buy salted caramel sauce? ›

Tesco Finest Salted Caramel Sauce 250G - Tesco Groceries.

What flavours go well with caramel cake? ›

TRY CHOCOLATE

For chocolate lovers, add 3 tbsp cocoa to the cake batter and drizzle over melted and cooled chocolate instead of more caramel. You could also top with chopped nuts, sprinkles or edible flowers depending on who you're making it for.

What flavor pairs well with caramel? ›

The flavor profiles that go best with caramel
  • Apples. This pairing is very well known. ...
  • Coffee. The acidity of coffee is leveled out by the addition of sweet caramel. ...
  • Chocolate. Candy bars, anyone? ...
  • Ginger.
Dec 27, 2019

What's in a Robert Redford cake? ›

Whatever you want to call it, this cake involves chocolate and all kinds of other sweet indulgences that may help explain its name (with apologies, perhaps, to the actor Robert Redford). This is a popular, irresistible chocolate cake dessert with loads of chocolate, caramel topping, candy bars, and whipped topping.

Does a caramel cake need to be refrigerated? ›

Cakes glazed with powdered sugar mixed with milk or other liquids will be fine at room temperature for 3-4 days. Same goes for a high sugar content cooked icing, like the brown sugar icing on a traditional caramel cake.

What is hummingbird cake made of? ›

If you're not familiar, hummingbird cake is a spiced pineapple-banana cake topped with cream cheese frosting and pecans. Maybe it's the pecans that lure me in, or the way the taste fools me into thinking I might just be eating a fancy piece of banana bread with a little cream cheese. Good for you, right?

What is difference between caramel and salted caramel? ›

However, the defining characteristic of salted caramel is the addition of salt – often sea salt or fleur de sel. The salt does not overpower the sweetness but instead provides a delightful contrast. It enhances the caramel's flavour, cutting through the richness and bringing a unique depth to the overall taste.

Why is salted caramel so popular? ›

But the magic goes beyond simply heightened sweetness. Studies suggest that the combination of sweet, salty, and fatty triggers the release of endorphins, natural mood-boosters that leave us feeling happy and wanting more.

Is caramel sauce the same as melted caramels? ›

Caramel sauce results either from cooking sugar until it browns or by thinning melted caramel candies. When a recipe calls for melting caramel candies, you can use a homemade caramel sauce to replace the melted caramels.

What matches with caramel? ›

“Caramel is a very earthy warm shade,” she says. “There are lots of colours that mix well with it in a scheme. Try blush pinks, whites, oranges, tanned and espresso browns.”

What soda goes well with salted caramel whiskey? ›

Add ice to a copper mug or tall glass. Pour 2 oz. of Bird Dog Salted Caramel Whiskey over ice and top with 4 oz. of ginger ale.

What does salted caramel vodka go with? ›

Serve neat on ice as you would an Irish Cream Liqueur. Alternatively, try a vodka affogato, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, topped with a shot of espresso coffee.

What is the point of salted caramel? ›

These are sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami. Salted caramel combines two of these, giving an effect that chefs call “flavour layering”. Salt also acts as an enhancer of flavour (that's why you sprinkle it on your chips, for instance), so that's why it makes caramel taste even better.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Cheryll Lueilwitz

Last Updated:

Views: 6353

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (74 voted)

Reviews: 81% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Cheryll Lueilwitz

Birthday: 1997-12-23

Address: 4653 O'Kon Hill, Lake Juanstad, AR 65469

Phone: +494124489301

Job: Marketing Representative

Hobby: Reading, Ice skating, Foraging, BASE jumping, Hiking, Skateboarding, Kayaking

Introduction: My name is Cheryll Lueilwitz, I am a sparkling, clean, super, lucky, joyous, outstanding, lucky person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.