Salted Caramel Cake

When fall hits its all about the caramel for me. I made this cake for a my cousins wedding shower. It’s decadent, rich and buttery. Layers of the best vanilla cake swirled with rich homemade caramel, topped with dreamy vanilla buttercream covering the cake.

DID YOU MAKE THIS SALTED CARAMEL CAKE?

If you loved this salted caramel cake I would appreciate it so much if you would give this recipe a comment! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #sunlovekitchen and tagging me @sunlovekitchen

Ingredients

For the Caramel

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. salt

For the Cake

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 3 cups cake flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/3 cups buttermilk

Vanilla Buttercream

• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 1.5 lbs powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 4 tbsp. whole milk

Directions

Starting with the caramel, in a heavy bottom sauce pan add in the granulated sugar over medium low heat. Melt down the sugar and gradually swirl it every 20 seconds and let it completely melt until the sugar is a deep golden. It will clump up at first but be patient and don’t walk away.

Once it’s completely melted, remove from the heat and add in the butter, swirl it around until it’s melted in. It will bubble up. Then pour in the heavy cream, vanilla extract and salt. Stir until everything is evenly combined. Pour into a glass jar and let it cool completely before using.

For the cake- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place a parchment round in the bottom of 2 8in cake pans of 3 6in pans, then grease the bottom.

In a large mixing bowl with a whisk attachment, mix together the butter and oil until smooth for about 3 minutes. This will not work if the butter isn’t room temperature. Then gradually add in the sugar and vanilla. Mix until smooth.

Add in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides as you go. Then in a separate bowl sift together the dry ingredients, the flour, salt and baking powder. Then alternating back and forth between the dry ingredients and the buttermilk, with the mixer on low mix into the batter. Ending with the dry ingredients. Making sure to scrape down the sides. Then divide into the prepared pans. Spoon little spoonfuls of caramel throughout the cake and take a knife or tooth pick and swirl the caramel through the cake.

Place on a baking pan and bake for about 30 minutes. Until golden and the center is set. Stick a toothpick in the center to make sure it comes out clean. Let it cool and then remove from the pan and place on a cooling rack. Then into the fridge to cool completely.

For the buttercream, in a large mixing bowl with a whisk attachment, cream the butter until smooth, then add in the powdered sugar, vanilla, salt and milk. Making sure to scrape down the sides. Starting on low so the powdered sugar doesn’t fly everywhere. Mix everything together until it is smooth and fluffy.

Once the cake is cooled, place the first cake on the bottom and pipe a little buttercream along the boarder edge of the cake. Then spoon about 1/2-1 cups of caramel into the center. Place the other cake on top. Pipe a small amount of buttercream around the sides and top of the cake and smooth out with an offset spatula or buttered knife. Place back into the fridge to cool. Then use the rest of the buttercream to finish off frosting the cake. Then spoon a little caramel around the cake and use a knife or offset spatula to smooth it into the buttercream. Finish with flaky sea salt and let it chill again in the fridge. Cut into slices and enjoy!