My two favorite cakes are red velvet and caramel. When I’m faced with a choice, I just can’t choose one over the other so I have a small slice of each. Life is too short to pass on my favorite cakes. Thankfully, this caramel cake recipe is easy to make.
When my family gathers for our annual reunion, I can always count on my aunt Jean’s Red Velvet cake. It’s the star of the dessert table. My mom’s cousin always brings a homemade from-scratch caramel cake. It’s also divine.
I keep saying I’m going to get that caramel cake recipe but haven’t succeeded yet. She said she would mail it to me. As soon as I receive it, I’m going to share it.
Until then, I have my own easy caramel cake recipe. I’ll admit. I cheated. I’m using a cake mix for this one. I can also hear my southern ancestors turning over in their grave. They don’t use cake mixes. Oh, well.
There’s nothing wrong with getting a little help from a cake mix. I just gussy it up a little (that’s southern speak for dressing it up). Whenever I use the words gussy up, I think about grandma so that’s why I say it all the time.
I learned a long time ago that I could “gussy up” a cake mix by adding a teaspoon of vanilla. I also add extra eggs and sour cream.
Easy Caramel Cake
This cake begins with a butter golden cake mix. I use Duncan Hines for this recipe.
In a large bowl, mix the cake mix, sour cream, vegetable oil, sugar, water, eggs, and vanilla on low until blended. Turn the mixer to medium speed and beat for 2 minutes. Pour into three greased and floured 9-inch cake pans. Bake at 350º for 25-30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
Caramel Icing
When I was younger, I was intimidated by the very thought of making caramel frosting. I soon found out that it’s not hard at all. There are just a few steps that must be followed exactly in order for the frosting to get to the correct spreading consistency.
Combine 2-1/2 cups sugar, evaporated milk, and butter in a large, heavy saucepan.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.
Meanwhile, brown 1/2 cup sugar in a small, heavy skillet. (I use a non-stick skillet and actually stir the sugar while I’m stirring the milk/sugar/butter mixture.)
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar melts and the syrup is light, golden brown. This takes about 3 minutes and it may have a few clumps. That’s fine.
Add the sugar to the milk mixture, stirring constantly. When the mixture reaches the soft ball stage (230º on a candy thermometer), remove from the heat.
Beat with an electric mixer until the mixture reaches spreading consistency. This may take 10-12 minutes. It might look like it’s not going to thicken up enough to spread on the cake. It will. Just keep on beating.
Once it’s thick enough to spread, stop beating. Spread quickly over the cooled cake layers.
Easy Caramel Cake
This easy caramel cake is so good! You'd never guess it starts with a cake mix. The caramel icing takes this cake to another level. No southern reunion is complete without a caramel cake.
Ingredients
- 1 Duncan Hines Butter Golden Cake Mix
- 1 (8 oz.) container sour cream
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Caramel Icing
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 cup butter
- 3/4 cup evaporated milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F. Grease and flour three 9-inch cake pans.
- In a large bowl, mix the cake mix, sour cream, vegetable oil, 1/4 cup sugar, water and eggs together on low with an electric mixer until incorporated. Turn the mixer to medium speed and beat for two minutes.
- Pour mixture evenly into the three cake pans.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely and frost with caramel icing.
Caramel Icing
Combine 2-1/2 cups sugar, evaporated milk, and butter in a large, heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.
Meanwhile, brown 1/2 cup sugar in a small, heavy skillet. I use a non-stick skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar melts and the syrup is light, golden brown, about 3 minutes.
Add the sugar to the milk mixture, stirring constantly. When the mixture reaches the soft ball stage (230º on a candy thermometer), remove from the heat. Beat with an electric mixer until the mixture reaches spreading consistency (up to 10-12 minutes).
Spread quickly over the cooled cake layers.
Nutrition Information
Yield
12Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 618Total Fat 27gSaturated Fat 13gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 12gCholesterol 110mgSodium 489mgCarbohydrates 92gFiber 1gSugar 75gProtein 5g
How to Store a Caramel Cake
A cake with a high sugar content cooked icing, like this caramel cake, can be stored at room temperature for 2-3 days.
23 comments
This would certainly be a tasty dessert. I know I will love it since I’m a big fan of caramel and cake. I like that it’s easy to make.
What a beautiful, easy caramel cake recipe. It’s the perfect dessert recipe for spring! I want to take a fork and dig right in.
I’ve haven’t had a caramel cake in ages but I love them! I like the gussied up recipe too. That’s something we do in our house a lot. 🙂
OK now, this looks absolutely delicious – who doesn’t like a good caramel cake! This would go down perfectly with a cup of tea.
How did you know caramel if my favorite-everything flavor? Literally, I’m drooling here. I’ll have to learn how to make this cake!
One of my favorites is red velvet cake as well. I can’t wait to try this cake. I’m a huge fan of caramel.
I love this flavor combo! This Caramel Cake look heavenly! I should make it this weekend!
This caramel cake rocks! I love the simplicity of the directions! Caramel is one of my favorites!
That caramel icing is genius! Now I totally want this and am tempted to make it today!
That cake def look delicious and it seems like it is so easy to make too with so little ingredients. I would love to bake one.
First, I love love love the sound of this cake. I have to try it. We did try your lemon tart and it was amazing.
This icing looks amazing. I am a chicken when it comes to making my own frosting. I never get the consistency right.
That cake looks so amazing. I love caramel, so I know I’d love this cake. I’ve never tried a caramel cake before, so I’m very interested in trying this recipe.
I love the cake mix stuff that we can make when it comes to our recipes. I have made some remixes and folks will swear I made it from scratch
I love taking a cake mix and doctoring it up. This looks amazing. And I don’t think I’ve ever had a caramel cake. Sounds yummy!
That looks so delicious! We were just having caramel shakes today and this would be a fun recipe to try. I love all the different components!
wow, this looks so amazing! Thank you for sharing. I’m always looking for a good cake recipe!
This caramel cake recipe looks delicious It’s perfect for entertaining and for parties.
I love eating cake, your recipe looks good and delicious.
Do you have to use 3 pans?
I’ve always used three. My aunt uses four and cuts back on the baking time when she makes this cake. I wouldn’t use less than three.
Ugh! Frustrating recipe! Remade it twice. Flopped both times. Center fell and the cake stuck to the pans terribly. Maybe too much liquid? I don’t usually have any trouble, especially with a cake mix base. Just be warned…
I hate that for you! I have made this cake many times and I’ve never had problems with it sticking or falling.