Traditional Southern Caramel Frosting Recipes

HOMEMADE CARAMEL FROSTING

Steps:

• Sprinkle 1/3 cup sugar in a shallow, heavy 3½-qt. Dutch oven; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 3 minutes or until sugar is melted and syrup is light golden brown (sugar will clump). Remove from heat.
• Stir together 1 Tbsp. flour and 2½ cups sugar in a large saucepan; add milk, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.
• Gradually pour about one-fourth hot milk mixture into caramelized sugar, stirring constantly; gradually stir in remaining hot milk mixture until smooth. (Mixture will lump, but continue stirring until smooth.)
• Cover and cook over low heat 2 minutes. Increase heat to medium; uncover and cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer reaches 238° (soft-ball stage, about 10 minutes). Add butter, stirring until blended. Remove from heat and let stand, without stirring, until temperature drops to 110° (about 1 hour).
• Pour into bowl of heavy-duty electric stand mixer. Add vanilla, and beat at medium speed (setting 4) with whisk attachment until spreading consistency (about 20 minutes).

TRADITIONAL SOUTHERN CARAMEL FROSTING

Steps:

• Place the first 1/3 cup of sugar in the bottom of a large heavy-bottomed saucepan.
• Stirring frequently, cook over medium heat until it melts and becomes lightly golden brown. This will take about 3 minutes and don't worry if the sugar clumps a bit.
• In a second sauce pan, combine flour, sugar and salt. Whisk in cold milk until combined and any lumps are worked out. Place over medium-high heat and cook until it comes to a boil, stirring constantly.
• Pour 1/4 of the hot milk mixture into the caramelized sugar. Whisk until combined. Slowly add the rest of the hot milk, stirring as you go.
• Cover mixture and cook over low heat for 2 minutes. Uncover and turn heat to medium, without stirring cook until it reaches 238°F (soft ball stage.) This will take about 10 minutes. Add butter and stir until well blended. Remove from heat and let sit for about an hour.
• Pour into stand mixer bowl. Add vanilla and mix on medium for 20 minutes.
• Spread immediately over cake, working quickly as it sets up.

COOKED CARAMEL FROSTING

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a large saucepan, combine ingredients and mix well to blend. Bring to a boil; cover and cook 3 minutes.
• Uncover and cook to 238 F on a candy thermometer or until soft ball forms when dropped in cold water. Cool for 3 minutes.
• Beat until thick and spreadable. It should begin to lose its glossiness.
• Spread on layers and over sides of cake.
• Enjoy.

CARAMEL FROSTING I

Steps:

• In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, and mix in 3 tablespoons milk and brown sugar. Boil vigorously for 1 minute.
• Remove from heat, and beat in 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar. Cool slightly, and beat in the vanilla and remaining 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar. Add more milk if the mixture is too thick.

TRADITIONAL SOUTHERN CARAMEL CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 375'F Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray, line each with a parchment paper round. Spray again over parchment rounds. Set pans aside.
• 2. Beat butter in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add sugar to butter mixture and continue to beat until fluffy.
• 3. Beat syrup into the butter mixture until completely incorporated. Add one egg at a time into batter, completely incorporating each before adding the next.
• 4. In another large mixing bowl, sift flour, salt, and baking powder together.
• 5. In a measuring cup pour out milk. Mix vanilla extract into the milk.
• 6. Gradually add flour mixture into butter mixture, alternating between flour and milk mixture; beginning and ending with flour mixture until both the flour and milk mixtures are complete incorporated into batter.
• 7. Divide batter evenly between pans and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a tooth pick comes our barely clean.
• 8. Cool cake for 10 minutes in pan, then turn out onto wire wrack to finish cooling.
• 9. For Frosting: 1- in a sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter until nutty brown. Be careful not to scorch. Immediately pour butter into a large glass mixing bowl. Let butter cool for 15-20 minutes. 2- With an electric mixer, mix in vanilla and salt. 3- Gradually add confectioner's sugar until completely incorporated. You will have a clumpy mess at this point. 4- With your mixer on low gradually at cream. Add more cream as needed to get desirable creamy frosting texture, but don't over do it, or you'll have a mess.
• 10. Assembly: Level off any doming on the cooled caramel cakes. Place the first cake on a cake platter and frost the top of it. Stack the second on the first and frost entire cake as desired. I chose to garnish with extra caramel syrup.

CARAMEL FROSTING

Steps:

• In a small heavy saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, milk and salt. Cook and stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved. , Increase heat to medium. Do not stir. Cook for 3-6 minutes or until bubbles form in center and syrup turns amber in color. Transfer to a small bowl; cool to room temperature., Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until frosting achieves spreading consistency.