This Southern Caramel Cake Recipe is a traditional caramel cake made from an heirloom family recipe. It’s delicious topped with homemade caramel icing!
Southern Caramel Cake is one of those desserts that is a true labor of love. So rich and decadent, it’s a cake that surely takes any special occasion to a whole new level and is by far one of my family’s favorite cakes.
We celebrated two birthdays in my family this past weekend – Mama’s and my husband’s. I asked each of them what kind of cake they would like for their birthday and both of them replied, “Caramel Cake!” Any cake that is requested by multiple people in a family the size of mine for their birthday is definitely a cake to make sure you get just right.
It’s a cake to take pride in, even though mine is a far cry from decorator-perfect. Right down to the smudges on the rim of the cake plate. You can surely tell it’s homemade, can’t you?
How to Make Southern Caramel Cake
Ingredients
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
For the caramel cake, you’ll need butter, sugar, eggs, self-rising flour, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and a double recipe of my family’s Southern Caramel Icing.
Room Temperature Ingredients
Make sure your ingredients, especially butter, eggs, and buttermilk, are all at room temperature. This allows them to mix more fully into the cake batter.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep. Preheat oven to 350º F. Prepare three cake pans with butter and flour. Set aside.
Make the cake batter. Cream together the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until combined after each egg. Add the flour and buttermilk, alternating between the two and beginning and ending with the flour.
Bake the cake. Divide the cake batter between the three prepared cake pans and bake until the center springs back to a light touch and the sides of the cake begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. You may enjoy reading all of my tips for how to tell when your cake is done.
Cool the layers. Remove the cake layers from the oven. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes and then turn them out onto wire racks to cool completely.
Make your caramel icing. This is when you’ll have time to make your caramel icing. I’ve previously posted the recipe for Southern Caramel Icing that I use.
Make this cake soon for someone you love, to celebrate something special, or just because. You won’t be sorry.
Southern Caramel Cake Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) butter, room temperature
- 2 cups (396 g) sugar
- 4 large (200 g) eggs, room temperature
- 3 cups (360 g) self-rising flour
- 1 cup (227 g) buttermilk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (9.4 g) vanilla extract
- Southern Caramel Icing Recipe, double the recipe
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat oven to 350º F. Prepare three cake pans with butter and flour. Set aside.
- Make the cake batter. Cream together the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until combined after each egg. Add the flour and buttermilk, alternating between the two and beginning and ending with the flour.
- Bake the cake. Divide the cake batter between the three prepared cake pans and bake until the center springs back to a light touch and the sides of the cake begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. You may enjoy reading all of my tips for how to tell when your cake is done.
- Cool the layers. Remove the cake layers from the oven. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes and then turn them out onto wire racks to cool completely.
- Make the icing. Make double the original recipe for Southern Caramel Icing to have ample icing for this three layer cake.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can these be made as cup cakes?
I made as cupcakes and while the flavor was still great, they didn’t turn out as well – very fragile. I wouldn’t recommend it.
I need the recipe for the caramel icing.
Hey, Janie? Just click the hyperlink in the recipe above it will take you to the icing recipe 😉
At the bottom of the ingredients for the cake it says caramel icing “double the recipe is that referring to the cake ot the icing?
Hi Connie,
It is referring to the icing. Sorry that wasn’t written more clearly! xo
OMG!! I made this recipe and the caramel frosting is the best EVER!!! The cake however was crumbly and very hard to work with but it had a good flavor. The cake got into my frosting and left crumbly appearance. The frosting was maybe too thick. I would definitely make this recipe again and again.
Can this icing be stored? If so, for how long and how do you soften it after its been stored?
love to try this cake recipe thanks for the recipe
Hi,
I was making this cake with the ingriedients listed. As I go thru the steps, it says cream butter, add sugar, then cream, Cream is not listed in the ingriedients, only buttermilk. What am I missing here??
Cream is a verb here. Beat until whipped up and creamy.
LOL
LOL
Trying to subscribe and not having much luck.
Hi Diana,
Once your email is entered, it should send you an email for you to confirm that you would like to subscribe to receive the emails. Once you click to approve to receive the emails, you are all set! Let me know if you still have problems with it! xo
Thanks for the great recipe, can’t wait to try it but I have a quick question. I live in Australia & would like to know what is Crisco, it’s in the icing & I don’t know what an alternative for it would be in Aus. Thanks
Hi
Just read your question and saw it hadn’t been answered! Crisco is available at most cake decorating shops In Australia now. It is Vegetable shortening. Another place to find it online is at the USA food shop in Melbourne.
aka Kremelta in Aus & NZ ☺
I would like the Carmel frosting recipe please.
The link to the icing is in the body of the article, just above the picture of the icing on the mixer.