Caramel Cake

Let us take a moment to discuss one of the most perfect cakes in existence (I say "one of" because I've developed a weakness for coconut cream cakes): the caramel cake. It's a bit of a misnomer because the cake itself can be just about anything, the icing is the key. The traditional combination is with a pound cake, but even I can only eat a tiny bit of that at a time, so I tend to pair it with a lighter, mildly vanilla cake.

When I was a child, my grandmother would always bring a four layer caramel cake made by, I can only assume, the gods themselves when she came to visit and it was an act of extreme fatherly devotion and restraint that I ever managed to get a piece. My aunt, who doesn't even eat sweets, always managed to appear at our house 15 minutes after the cake did. Unfortunately, the woman responsible for this magical confection retired and I've been trying to find an acceptable substitute ever since. Well, today I have. As a warning: I do not recommend making this icing if you live alone and are not planning on taking it to a party immediately... you will eat the whole cake.

I present to you caramel icing that does not require a candy thermometer!

Caramel Cake Icing

Number of servings: enough for 1+ 2-layer cake
Hands-on time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes, includes time for cooling

1/2 pound unsalted butter (2 sticks)
2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup half-and-half, divided
1 1/2 pounds powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a 2-quart saucepan, melt butter. Add brown sugar and salt. Stirring constantly, bring to a full rolling boil and then add 3/4 cups half-and-half. Be careful as mixture will splatter. Bring mixture back to a boil and, stirring constantly, boil for two minutes.

Using a stand mixer, pour the hot mixture into the bowl fitted with the paddle attachment (ideally, though any attachment will do in a pinch, the key is to keep the mixture moving). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (to prevent splattering), and begin mixing on low speed until the mixture cools to room temperature. This will take a while (about 30 minutes), so feel free to take this opportunity to mix up the cake batter.

When the mixture is cool, add the powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until smooth and thick. Add remaining 1/4 cup half-and-half in small amounts until you have a good spreading consistency. Extra frosting can be stored in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before using.

To assemble cake: Place one layer upside down on serving plate. Spread icing over layer, then add second layer, right side up. This gives you a professional looking flat center. Cover top and sides generously with icing.


There you have it, and if you have just the perfect cake recipe to go with it, please send it my way!