Caramel Cake
A two-layer yellow butter cake covered in a thick, glossy, cooked brown sugar caramel icing that sets to a fudgy finish. A Southern bakery and church supper classic.
Don't Make These Mistakes
Cool the cakes completely before you ice them. Warm layers melt the icing and it slides off.
Use a heavy pan for the icing and stir it the whole time it boils. The sugar burns on a thin base and gives a bitter caramel.
If the icing sets before it is spread, warm it in a pan of hot water for a minute and beat in a spoonful of milk until it flows again.
How to Make Caramel Cake
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Heat the oven to 175°C / 350°F (155°C / 310°F fan). Grease and line two 20 cm round cake tins.
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Mix the flour, baking powder and salt. Beat the softened butter with the caster sugar for 4 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the 2 tsp vanilla.
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Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk, until just smooth. Divide between the tins.
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Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out and cool completely on a wire rack for at least 1 hour.
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For the icing, melt the 115 g butter with the brown sugar and evaporated milk in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring. Bring to the boil and boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Take off the heat and stir in the vanilla.
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Beat in the icing sugar with a wooden spoon or electric whisk until the icing is thick, glossy and spreadable. Work quickly, because it begins to set at once.
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Set one layer on a plate and spread with about a quarter of the icing. Top with the second layer and spread the rest over the top and sides in thick swirls. Leave the icing to set before cutting.
Why It Works
Caramel cake is a Southern cake with a reputation. It is a soft yellow butter cake in two layers, and it is covered in a thick, sticky icing that is made by boiling butter, brown sugar and milk together and then beating in icing sugar until it is thick enough to spread. As it cools the icing sets, first to a soft, glossy fudge and then, after a day, to something closer to a soft candy with a slight crust, and the taste is that of butterscotch and toffee. It is a cake of Southern bakeries, family birthdays, church suppers and funerals, and the person who made the best one in a community is remembered for it. The cake is the simple part. A classic butter cake, made by creaming, is mixed and baked in two tins, and cooled completely before it is iced. The icing is the difficult part. It has to be made at the right temperature, stirred with vigour, and spread quickly, because as it cools it hardens and becomes impossible to work. If it sets too fast, warm it gently over a pan of hot water and beat it again, with a splash of milk. Pile the icing on generously and swirl it with the back of a spoon, since the texture of the finished cake is part of its charm. Cut it with a hot, wet knife.
Storage and Reheating
Keeps covered at room temperature for up to 4 days, as the icing forms a soft crust. Freezes for 2 months.
What to Serve Alongside
- Cold milk
- Black coffee
- Vanilla ice cream
Still Wondering?
How long does Caramel Cake take to make?
About 1 hour 35 minutes of hands-on work — 40 minutes of preparation and 55 minutes of cooking — plus 1 hour of Cooling, so allow 2 hours 35 minutes from start to finish. The recipe serves 12.
What are the key tips for making Caramel Cake?
Cool the cakes completely before you ice them. Warm layers melt the icing and it slides off. Use a heavy pan for the icing and stir it the whole time it boils. The sugar burns on a thin base and gives a bitter caramel. If the icing sets before it is spread, warm it in a pan of hot water for a minute and beat in a spoonful of milk until it flows again.
What should I serve with Caramel Cake?
Cold milk; Black coffee; Vanilla ice cream.
Can Caramel Cake be made ahead or frozen?
Keeps covered at room temperature for up to 4 days, as the icing forms a soft crust. Freezes for 2 months.
Is Caramel Cake suitable for a special diet?
This recipe is vegetarian. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.
How many calories are in Caramel Cake?
About 627 kcal per serving, with 6 g protein, 99 g carbohydrate and 23 g fat. The figures are calculated from the ingredient list and are an estimate.
Caramel Cake Nutrition Facts
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.
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Written and tested by Turab
One person, one kitchen — no test kitchen, no team. How every recipe on this site is checked before it goes up.
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