Food Wine Caramel Layer Cake Recipes

APPLE CINNAMON LAYER CAKE WITH GOOEY CARAMEL DRIZZLE

Steps:

• For the apple cinnamon cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with baking spray or line with parchment.
• Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Set aside.
• Beat the butter and granulated sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until smooth and creamy. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, until incorporated.
• Add the vanilla extract and beat until incorporated, then remove the bowl from the mixer.
• Sift the flour and baking powder together in a bowl, then stir into the creamed butter mixture by hand. Mix the milk into the batter until smooth.
• You should have about 6 cups of batter. Pour 1 1/2 cups of the batter (or a quarter of your total batter) into one of the prepared cake pans; add a quarter of the apples and a quarter of the brown sugar mixture, lightly patting the apple mixture into the batter. Gently pour another 1 1/2 cups of the batter over the apple layer; top with another quarter of the apples and brown sugar mixture. Lightly pat the apples into the batter.
• Repeat with the remaining cake pan, batter, apples and brown sugar mixture.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool the cakes slightly, then invert them onto a rack to cool completely.
• For the cinnamon buttercream: Add the butter, confectioners' sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and 1 tablespoon heavy cream to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Turn the mixer on slow to incorporate all the ingredients. If the frosting seems too thick, add the remaining tablespoon heavy cream. Turn the mixer on high and beat until the frosting is lighter and fluffier, 1 to 2 minutes. (You want the frosting to be a spreadable consistency.)
• To assemble the cake: place the first layer of cake on a cake stand. Drizzle with up to 3 tablespoons of caramel. Spread the top of the layer with all of the frosting. Place the other cake layer on top and drizzle with up to 3 tablespoons of caramel. Serve immediately.
• The cake keeps, covered in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.

CARAMEL CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9-inch cake pans.
• Cream white sugar, 1 1/2 cups butter, and eggs together in a bowl. Beat well.
• Combine flour, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add to the sugar mixture alternately with milk. Add vanilla extract. Beat until batter makes ribbons when falling from the whisk or beater. Divide batter among the prepared cake pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool layers on a rack before icing, at least 1 hour.
• Combine brown sugar, 1 cup butter, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until brown sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Add evaporated milk and continue stirring. Bring to a gentle boil and let bubble for about 4 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid sticking. Remove from heat and allow to cool, about 5 minutes.
• Mix confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract into the butter-milk mixture using an electric mixer until icing caramelizes and thickens to the desired consistency.
• Spread icing onto the cooled cake layers. Stack layers; ice top and sides.

LAYER CAKE WITH CARAMEL FROSTING

Steps:

• For cake, cream together shortening and softened butter and sugar until very light and fluffy.
• Add eggs and beat well.
• Combine flour, baking powder and salt, and add dry ingredients alternately with milk (3 additions of dry, 2 of milk).
• Beat only until well blended but do not overbeat.
• Fold in vanilla extract.
• Pour into two well greased and floured 10 inch layer pans (or 3 9 inch pans) and bake in a preheated 350 degree (Fahrenheit) oven for about 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.
• Remove from oven, turn cake pans upside down on counter on waxed paper.
• In a few minutes, remove pans from cake layers and let them cool completely before making the frosting.
• When cake layers have cooled, make frosting. Melt butter in a heavy pan over medium heat.
• Add brown sugar and continue cooking until it melts, stirring and watching carefully.
• After sugar is melted, add 1/3 cup milk and stir in well.
• Turn burner to medium high, and bring to a full boil, stirring constantly. Boil for at least one minute, but not more than two minutes.
• Remove from heat and pour over powdered sugar in a metal or heat proof bowl.
• Beat well for about 10 minutes, adding more milk as needed if mixture is too thick (it will set up and get thicker as it cools).
• Mix in vanilla extract.
• Fill and frost layers immediately before frosting sets and becomes very hard to spread.

CARAMEL CAKE

Steps:

• Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease two 9-inch round cake pans with solid vegetable shortening, then dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour. Set the pans aside.
• Place the cake mix, milk, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minutes. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. The batter should look well blended. Divide the batter between the prepared pans, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place the pans in the oven side by side.
• Bake the cakes until they are golden brown and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 27 to 29 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 10 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edge of each layer and invert each onto a rack, then invert them again onto another rack to that the cakes are right side up. Allow them to cool completely, 30 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, prepare the Quick Caramel Frosting.
• Place one cake layer, right side up, on a serving platter. Spread the top with the warm frosting. Place the second layer, right side up, on top of the first layer and frost the top and sides of the cake with clean, smooth strokes. Work quickly, as the frosting will set. (If the frosting gets too hard to work with, place the pan back over low heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly, to soften it up.) Once the frosting has set, slice and serve.
• Store this cake, covered in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, at room temperature for up to 1 week or freeze, wrapped in foil, for up to 6 months. Thaw the cake overnight on the counter before serving.
• Place the butter and brown sugars in a medium-size heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir and cook until the mixture comes to a boil, about 2 minutes. Add the milk, stir, and bring the mixture back to a boil, then remove the pan from the heat. Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Beat with a wooden spoon until the frosting is smooth.
• Use immediately (while still warm) to frost the cake of your choice or the frosting will harden. If it does harden while you are frosting the cake, simply place the pan back over low heat and stir until the frosting softens up.

CHOCOLATE CHIP CARAMEL CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 f/ 170c degrees.
• Grease a 9-inch silicone pan.
• Sift the flour, salt, and baking powder together into a large mixing bowl.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, dark brown sugar and superfine sugar until fluffy.
• Mix in the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla.
• Mix in the flour mixture by hand until combined.
• Fold in the chocolate chips.
• Spread the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until set golden brown.
• Set aside to cool.

CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter bottom and sides of two 9-by-2-inch round cake pans. Line pans with parchment paper rounds and butter again. Dust with flour; tap out excess. In a small bowl, sift together flour and cornstarch.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg yolks, vanilla, and 3/4 cup sugar on high speed until thick and pale, about 3 minutes. Transfer egg-yolk mixture to a large bowl. Wash and dry mixer bowl and whisk attachment.
• Combine egg whites and salt in mixer bowl, and whisk on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 1 1/2 minutes. With mixer running, slowly add remaining 6 tablespoons sugar; continue whisking until stiff and glossy, about 1 minute more.
• Fold egg-white mixture into egg-yolk mixture. In three additions, fold reserved flour mixture into egg mixture. Divide batter between prepared pans, smoothing tops with an offset spatula. Bake until light golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
• Transfer pans to wire racks to cool slightly; turn out cakes, remove parchment paper, and let cool completely.
• Using a serrated knife, halve each cake horizontally to form 2 layers. Transfer 1 layer to a serving platter and spread 1 cup frosting evenly on top. Set another cake layer on top, and repeat process with more frosting and remaining cake layers. Spread 1 1/2 cups frosting over entire cake. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Spread remaining 2 1/2 cups frosting over cake, smoothing the top and sides. Use a cake comb to give sides of cake a decorative finish, if desired. Serve immediately, or refrigerate up to 2 days; let cake come to room temperature before serving.

CARAMEL-CINNAMON CREPE CAKE

Steps:

• For the caramels: Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat.
• Reserve 1/2 cup caramels for serving. Put 6 of the remaining caramels on the prepared baking sheet and bake until bubbly and slightly dark around the edges, about 5 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheet, then crush into a fine powder in a food processor; set aside.
• For the filling: Combine the remaining caramels with the milk, salt and 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to just below a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk the cornstarch, egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a large bowl until smooth. While continually whisking, slowly pour in about half of the milk mixture until combined. Transfer the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened like pudding, 2 to 4 minutes.
• Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the surface, and refrigerate until chilled, 2 hours to overnight.
• For the crepes: Puree the milk, flour, granulated sugar, butter, vanilla, salt, cinnamon and eggs in a blender on high speed until well mixed. Let the batter rest in the blender for 1 hour at room temperature or refrigerate up to 24 hours.
• Before cooking, re-blend the batter on high speed for 30 seconds. Wipe 1/2 teaspoon butter on a medium crepe pan or 8-inch nonstick skillet in a very thin layer with a paper towel. Heat the pan over medium until hot.
• Ladle 3 tablespoons batter into the pan. Working quickly off the heat, swirl and shake the pan to evenly coat the bottom. Return to the heat and cook the crepe, reducing the heat if it's browning too quickly, until the edges are light golden, about 2 minutes. Carefully loosen the crepe from the pan and flip it with a spatula. Cook until a few brown spots appear, 15 to 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter, wiping the pan with butter each time. Stack the crepes on the plate as you go (you should have about 20). Let them cool for 10 minutes before filling.
• Finish the filling: Beat the heavy cream and confectioners' sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Stir one-quarter of the cream mixture into the caramel filling, then gently fold in the rest.
• Put 1 crepe on a platter and top with a 1/4 cup filling, spreading it to the edge. Repeat, stacking the remaining crepes and filling, and ending with a crepe. Refrigerate overnight.
• Microwave the reserved 1/2 cup caramels, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted, about 1 minute. Top the cake with whipped cream, drizzle with the melted caramel and sprinkle with the caramel powder.

DELICIOUS CARAMEL LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray, line bottoms with parchment paper. Coat paper with cooking spray and dust with flour.
• Beat sugar and 1/2 cup butter at medium speed until well-blended (about 5 minutes).
• Add eggs and egg white, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt together in a seperate bowl and mix.
• Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with 1 1/4 cups milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla.
• Pour batter into prepared pans, and sharply tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack and remove from pans. Carefully peel off parchment paper and cool completely on wire rack.
• Frosting:.
• Combine brown sugar and next 4 ingredients (brown sugar through salt) in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.
• Reduce heat, and simmer until thick (about 5 minutes), stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
• Add confectioners' sugar and 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla; beat at medium speed until smooth and slightly warm. Cool 2 to 3 minutes (frosting will be thin but thickens as it cools.
• Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spoon 1/2 cup frosting on to cake layer spreading to cover. Top with remaining cake layer, frost top and sides.

CARAMEL LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• To Prepare the Cake:.
• Coat two (9-inch/23cm) round cake pans with cooking spray; line bottoms with wax paper or parchment paper. Coat paper with cooking spray; dust with the 1 tablespoon flour.
• Beat granulated sugar and 1/2 cup butter at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs and egg white, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Lightly spoon 2 1/4 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 2 1/4 cups flour, baking powder, and salt; stir well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with 1 1/4 cups milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla.
• Pour batter into prepared pans, and sharply tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350 degrees F (180 C) for 30 minutes* (see note), or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans. Carefully peel off wax paper or parchment paper; cool completely on wire rack.
• *Note: If using non-stick or dark colored cake pans, bake at 325 degrees F (160 C), and bake for 25-27 minutes.
• To Prepare the Caramel Frosting:.
• Combine brown sugar and next 4 ingredients (brown sugar through salt) in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat, and simmer until thick (about 5 minutes), stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Add confectioners' sugar and 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla; beat at medium speed of a mixer until smooth and slightly warm. Cool 2 to 3 minutes (frosting will be thin but thickens as it cools).
• Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spoon 1/2 cup frosting on to cake layer spreading to cover. Top with remaining cake layer. Frost top and sides of cake, and garnish top of cake with pecan halves (optional). Store cake loosely covered in refrigerator.

FOOD & WINE CARAMEL LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• 1. MAKE THE CAKE Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and flour two 10-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. In a bowl, whisk the 4 cups of flour, the baking powder, salt and baking soda. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the 2 sticks of butter with the sugar and vanilla seeds at medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time until incorporated, then beat until very pale and billowy, 3 minutes. At low speed, alternately beat in the dry ingredients and buttermilk until just combined. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake for 35 minutes, until the cakes are golden and a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean. Transfer to a rack; let cool in the pans for 30 minutes. Unmold the cakes, peel off the parchment and let cool. Place 1 cake layer on a cake stand or serving platter. MAKE THE FROSTING In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over moderately high heat. Stir in the sugar, buttermilk, and baking soda. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture foams up and then subsides, 5 to 7 minutes. Continue cooking, stirring steadily, until the caramel mixture is very dark brown and reaches 240° on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes. Carefully pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, add the vanilla and beat at low speed for 3 minutes, until thickened but still pourable. Using a rubber spatula and working quickly, scrape about 1 cup of the frosting onto the cake layer on the stand and spread it to the edge. Top with the second cake layer. Pour the remaining frosting on top. Using an offset spatula, quickly spread the frosting over and around the cake to cover completely. Let the frosting cool for at least 2 hours before serving. MAKE AHEAD The unfrosted cakes can be stored in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 2 days. Once frosted, the cake can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 5 days.