Classic Southern Caramel Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:

2 - cups plus + 2 tablespoons sifted cake flour (sift before measuring)
1 - teaspoon baking powder
3/4 -teaspoon baking soda
1/2 -teaspoon salt
1 - stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 - cup granulated sugar
1 - teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 - large eggs, at room temperature 30 minutes
1 - cup well-shaken buttermilk

Caramel Glaze:

1 - cup heavy cream
1/2 - cup packed light brown sugar
1 - tablespoon light corn syrup
1 - teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Grease and flour a 8-inch round cake pan. You can also place a piece of greased parchment paper (cut into a circle) in the bottom of the cake pan. 

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in vanilla. 

Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. At low speed, beat in buttermilk until just combined (mixture may look curdled). 

Add flour mixture in 3 batches, mixing until each addition is just incorporated. Spread batter evenly in cake pan, then rap pan on counter several times to eliminate air bubbles. 

Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan on a baking rack for 10 minutes, then run a knife around edge of pan.

Invert onto rack and flip cake so it is right-side up and then cool completely, about 1 hour. If using parchment paper make sure to peel it off.

To Make glaze: Bring cream, brown sugar, corn syrup, and a pinch of salt to a boil in a 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Boil until glaze registers 210 to 212°F on a candy thermometer,  (about 12 to 14 minutes) then stir in the vanilla.

Place the cake on a baking rack with a plate underneath and pour hot glaze over top of cake, allowing it to run down sides. Cool until glaze is set, about 30 minutes.

Source: mommyskitchen.net

Classic Southern Caramel Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup butter (2 sticks)
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 cups flour, self-rising
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare three 9-inch cake pans by greasing them and adding optional parchment paper. Beat butter until light and fluffy and then add sugar and beat for about 5 more minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, and mix well after each. Add flour and buttermilk, alternately, beginning and ending with flour and mix well after each. Add vanilla and beat well. Divide among pans and bake for 25-30 minutes until set.

Turn out of pans onto cooling racks and allow to cool completely. Prepare Southern Caramel Icing as cakes are cooling then frost the cake.

Southern Caramel Frosting

2 cups sugar
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup Crisco
½ cup butter
1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a 3-4 quart cast iron dutch oven.
Swirl pan to keep ingredients moving in the pan. Cook to softball stage 235º – 245º on a candy thermometer or when tested in a cup of cold water. Remove from heat and beat with a wooden spoon until creamy and ready to spread.

No thermometer? Do the cold water test:

Take a some of the caramel and drop it into a bowl or cup of cold water. Give it a few seconds to cool. Fish around in the bowl or cup of cold water and try to retrieve the caramel and make a little ball with it.

If you stick your fingers into the bowl, pull out a gooey mess and you can't do anything but smear the caramel, you need to boil the caramel some more. There is still too much water in your caramel and the concentration of sugar is too low. The caramel may even form little threads in the water, but if you cannot get the threads to form into a ball, you have some more boiling to do.

Source: JustRecipes