Aunt Mary Ellen's Caramel Cake Recipe
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Ingredients: |
Ingredients: 1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
3 cups cake flour
1 cup milk, room temperature
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
Icing:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup boiling water
1 cup milk
3 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
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Directions: |
Directions:Cake: Cream sugar and butter. Add eggs one at a time, then add vanilla. Alternate milk and flour sifted with baking powder (another of Mike's aunts told me she sifts her flour three times, and I have to tell you, her cakes are very tender). Bake in 3 greased and floured 9"cake pans at 350º for approximately 25 minutes. I add a circle of parchment paper to each of my pans before adding batter, otherwise it's hit or miss with getting the cake out in one piece. Makes three layers.
Icing: Cook 1/4 cup sugar in saucepan or skillet until melted and dark brown (Aunt Mary Ellen uses a heavy iron skillet). Add boiling water to sugar and stir with wooden spoon. Heat remaining ingredients together in a saucepan, then add to caramelized sugar. Boil rapidly, stirring constantly. If using thermometer, boil to 238º. Let cool a few minutes then scrape into a mixing bowl and beat until thick and creamy. When it becomes creamy it's ready to go between the layers. It sets up quickly so you need to work fast, or place the mixing bowl over a pan of warm water to keep it fluid. I ended up with just enough caramel frosting to go between the layers and on top of the cake, leaving the sides rustic and unadorned, which is fine with me. If you want the sides perfectly encased, my advice is to make a second batch of frosting. |
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Personal
Notes: |
Personal
Notes: If you want to play with this recipe for a fancier version, cut each layer in half horizontally to make six layers, then make two batches of frosting, enough to go between the layers and frost the outside.
Or try baking the batter in prepared half-sheet pans and cutting out with cake circles. If you don't have cake circles, just use a sharp paring knife to cut around the edges of a cake pan placed over the finished cake; either way you'll end up with thin, even layers. If you use that method, use whole circles of cake for the top and bottom layers, and half-circles placed together to make whole layers in the middle of the cake.
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