Caramel Cake

I baked a cake.

No biggie.

Here is a picture of it.

It is already gone.  Not a crumb remains.  Not a smear of caramel to be seen.  The cake stand is washed and waiting to be put away ( I can’t find my step stool).  And I sit here wishing I had made two of them.  

Truth be told, I don’t think I have enjoyed a piece of cake this much in a long time.  I prefer brownies.  However, this cake…well this cake definately scored a few brownie points in my book.  Hmmm….

This isn’t a fancy shmancy cake.  Nothing wild and crazy.  Nope.  Its simple.  It is nothing more than a  butter cake, slathered with a caramel glaze….  Its not a cake that you scarf, its something that you savor, letting each bite just melt in your mouth. 

It is super easy to make too!  Its just a single layer, anyone can do that!  No layering or stacking.  No icing, just pouring of the glaze.  Simple!   And doesn’t it look decadent, like you spent hours in the kitchen?  You can tell people you did…it’ll be our little secret. 

Let’s bake a cake!  (Warning: Tons of pictures)

Cream together the butter and sugar. 

Add the eggs and vanilla to the party.  Remember to scrape the sides of the bowl!

Sift together the dry ingredients….oh and that there is buttermilk in the background, you will need that too – shaken well!

Blend the dry ingredients into the butter,eggs, and sugar alternating with buttermilk. 

Pour the lucious batter into prepared pan …. smooth it out and bake it!

Baked…let this rest for about 10 minutes, then flip it out onto cake stand.

While the cake is cooling, prepare the caramel sauce.  You will need a candy thermometer, butter, brown sugar, cream, and vanilla.  Yum!

When the sauce is ready, and the cake is flipped out, go ahead and poke holes all over the cake.  Go crazy … the more holes the better! 

While the caramel sauce is warm, evenly pour the caramel over the cake and let it drip down the sides.

And if you can resist…let the cake completely cool before digging in! 

Caramel Cake

Servings 8

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 Stick Butter ( 1/2 Cup) – room temperature
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 2 Large Eggs
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 Cup Buttermilk – well shaken

Caramel Glaze ( adapted from Laura Donnelly)

• 1 Stick Butter
• 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• Pinch of salt

 Candy Thermometer

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Butter pans and dust with flour.  Fit a piece of parchment paper into the bottom of the pan – this will make for easy removal!

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated.  Mix in vanilla.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

Into the creamed butter/sugar/egg mixture, mix in the dry ingredients (in thirds), alternating with buttermilk, ( 1/3 flour mixture, 1/2 buttermilk, 1/3 flour mixture, 1/2 buttermilk, 1/3 flour mixture).  Mix just until combined, before each new addition. 

Pour batter into prepared baking pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  ( if the cake begins to get too brown on top, tent with tinfoil, which will stop the browning.)

Remove from oven and place on wire rack and cool for 10 minutes.  Run a knife around edge of pan and then flip cake out onto cake stand, keep the bottom facing up.  With a toothpick or skewer, poke holes all over the cake.

While the cake is cooling, prepare the caramel sauce.  In a medium sauce pan, combine, butter, brown sugar, cream, vanilla, and salt.  Place over medium heat and bring to a boil and continue to heat until caramel reaches 215-218°F on candy thermometer.  ( be careful, caramel is HOT!)  Remove from heat and let bubbles subside, and with a whisk, give it a good stir. 

With caramel sauce still warm/hot, pour over the semi-cooled cake.  Pour from the inside out and do it slowly.  Let the caramel run over the sides, making it all pretty.

Let cool before indulging.

 

Tips:   I would like to cut this cake in half and fill the cake with the caramel glaze and then top it as well…If you choose to do this, then definitely double the caramel glaze. 

This cake actually tasted better on the second day, the caramel glaze soaked into the cake the longer it set. 

Enjoy!