Old Fashioned Caramel Cake Food

OLD FASHIONED CARAMEL CAKE

Steps:

• Beat 1 cup butter at medium speed of an electric mixer until it is creamy; gradually add 2 cups sugar, beating well. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and coca; Stir well. Then add to the butter mixture, alternating with the buttermilk and water, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix after each addition. Stir in 1 tsp vanilla.
• Pour the batter into 2 greased and floured 9-inch round cakepans. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool pans on wire racks for 10 minutes; then remove from pans and let cool completely on wire racks.
• For the frosting, combine 2 cups sugar, 1 cup butter, and 1 cup evaporated milk in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes to wash down the sugar crystals from the sides of the pan.
• Uncover and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches soft ball stage or a candy thermometer registers 234 degrees. Remove from heat and add vanilla (do not stir). Let cool for 10 minutes.
• Beat at medium speed of an electric mixer for 8 to 10 minutes or until the mixture is spreading consistency. Quickly spread the Caramel Frosting between the layers and on the top and sides of the cake.
• Garnish with pecan halves and grated chocolate if desired.

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.

LIZZIE'S OLD FASHIONED COCOA CAKE WITH CARAMEL ICING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and lightly flour two 9-inch cake pans
• For the cake: Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt and set aside. With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Add the flour mixture in stages with 1 1/3 cups water, beginning and ending with the flour.
• Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Turn the layers out onto racks that have been sprayed with cooking spray.
• For the caramel icing: Mix 3 cups of the sugar and the milk in a heavy 3-quart saucepan. Bring slowly to a boil and keep it hot. Caramelize the remaining cup of sugar in an iron skillet. Do this by cooking over medium-high heat and stirring and scraping the pan with a flat-edged spatula as the sugar melts. Continue to cook until the syrup turns to medium or dark brown in color. This occurs at about 320 degrees F to 350 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Do not scorch the syrup. Stream the syrup into the boiling sugar and milk mixture and cook to the soft ball stage, about 238 degrees F. Add the butter, vanilla extract and baking soda.
• Pour the hot mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer and beat as it cools until the icing is creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Watch the icing because it will go from runny to too thick very quickly. Spread on the cake layers while the icing is still warm. If it becomes too stiff, add a few drops of hot water.

SOUTHERN CARAMEL CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two (9-inch) cake pans. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through.
• Add eggs, one at a time, and mix, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add about a third of the flour and mix on low speed until combined. Add about half of the buttermilk and continue to mix until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Continue to add flour and buttermilk in the same way, beginning and ending with the flour.
• Add vanilla and combine fully, making sure not to overmix.
• Divide batter evenly between pans, and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning the cakes onto wire racks to cool completely.
• As the cake bakes, make the icing: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the brown sugar and whisk to combine. Bring to a gentle boil over medium and let the mixture bubble for 5 minutes, whisking constantly. Carefully and slowly add the buttermilk (it will bubble up), stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a full, rolling boil. Remove from heat and add salt. Transfer mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
• With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the sifted confectioners' sugar, mixing until smooth, then add vanilla extract and mix to combine. The icing should look glossy and pour easily from the bowl.
• While the icing is still warm, spread about 1 cup icing on one cake, then top with the second cake. Use the rest of the icing on the top and sides of the cake. The icing will set up as it cools. If the icing starts to harden, microwave the icing in 10-second intervals until smooth. (You can also make the icing up to 3 to 5 days in advance, and keep it in the refrigerator in an airtight container.) Serve immediately.

CARAMEL SPICE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 2 (9 inch) pans. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg, cloves and allspice. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together the shortening, brown sugar and 1 cup white sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with 1 1/2 buttermilk, mixing just until incorporated. Stir in pecans. Pour batter into prepared pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
• To make the frosting: In a large bowl, combine butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla and about 1 cup of the confectioners' sugar. Beat well, then gradually beat in the remaining confectioners' sugar alternately with 1/4 cup buttermilk. Beat until smooth and creamy and spread on cake.