Butter Cake with Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting Recipe
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Southern Caramel Cake. It’s just hard to beat it. It is one of my family’s all-time favorite cakes – especially for holidays, birthdays and major celebrations.
You can just count on it appearing to make those special occasions even more special.
Memorable even.
It’s odd to put that much significance on a cake, but you know, that’s just the way it goes around my house.
I’ve talked about this cake before and how much the recipe means to my family.
The original cake will forever be a family-favorite.
Anything used for my baby’s first birthday cake has to be extra special. Don’t you think?
Oh my goodness. Just seeing that photo makes my heart melt.
Where has the time gone?
But thankfully, we weren’t celebrating my baby’s birthday this past weekend. I’m not exactly ready for him to be 11 yet. It was my Mama’s turn.
So, since my Mama has given the world to me, I thought it was only fitting that I make her very favorite cake for her on her birthday. But, I did something we’ve never done in my family. I changed the recipe!
GASP!
I did. I really did.
And I wasn’t struck by lightening.
I went to bed and slept well.
I woke up and pinched myself because I hadn’t gone to…. well, you get the picture.
Before I go on. You really can’t go wrong with the original Southern Caramel Cake recipe that I’ve shared and made a thousand and one times. It’s perfect. No kidding. Perfect.
But, if you want to have a little fun with this cake and change things up a bit, you might just fall in love with this version, too.
So. Here’s what I did.
I made the cake recipe and the frosting recipe both just a touch lighter.
And I mean lighter as in texture, not as in calories. Just to be clear.
Just look at that texture!
Gracious!
Let me just say, no one refused a piece.
And the birthday girl loved it.
Please note that this recipe makes a three layer, 9-inch cake. I used the batter from one of the layers to make my Little Buddy some cupcakes. He couldn’t wait.
Here’s the recipe for my Butter Cake with Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting that I think you should make for your next special occasion.
Like a birthday, anniversary, engagement, shower, or just because it’s Wednesday.
That’ll do, too.
Butter Cake with Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
Butter Cake Recipe
- 3 cups (360 g) flour, all-purpose
- 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) baking soda
- pinch (0.4 g) kosher salt
- 1 cup (226 g) softened butter, 2 sticks
- 2 cups (396 g) sugar
- 4 (200 g) eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup (227 g) buttermilk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (9.4 g) vanilla extract
Salted Buttercream Frosting Recipe
First Stage
- 2 cups (396 g) sugar
- 1 cup (227 g) buttermilk
- 1/2 cup (92 g) shortening
- 1/2 cup (113 g) butter
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) baking soda
Second Stage
- 1/2 cup (113 g) butter
- 1/2 teaspoon (3.25 g) sea salt
- 2 cups (227 g) confectioner’s sugar
Instructions
Butter Cake Recipe
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare 3 9-inch cake pans with shortening and flour.
- Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt with a whisk in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Cream butter until fluffy and then add sugar. Cream together for about 8 more minutes.
- Add eggs, 1 at a time, and cream together after each.
- Add flour mixture and buttermilk, alternately, beginning and ending with flour. Combine each addition of flour and then turn mixer on high to add air into the batter.
- Add vanilla and beat well. Turn mixer on high once vanilla has been incorporated for about 10 seconds to lighten batter.
- Divide among pans and bake for 25-30 minutes until set. You can follow my tips for how to tell when your cake is done.
- Turn out of pans onto cooling racks and allow to cool completely.
Salted Caramel Buttercream Recipe
- Add all ingredients from the first stage of the frosting recipe in a 3-4 quart pot. Stir ingredients with a wooden spoon as cooking over medium-low heat.
- Cook to softball stage (235-245 degrees on a candy thermometer as well as using the cold water test).
- Remove from heat and pour into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Using a whip attachment, whip the caramel until it has cooled enough to touch lightly.
- Add the butter and salt from the second stage of the frosting recipe to the mixing bowl and whip.
- Add confectioner’s sugar in 1/2 cup increments, stopping after each to scrape sides of mixing bowl. Turn mixer onto high for about 10 seconds after each addition to incorporate air into the frosting.
- Adjust the amount of confectioner's sugar to result in a frosting that will hold shape.
- Frost cake and store on a cake plate covered with a dome or an airtight container.
- Best served within 1-3 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
I just made these but as cupcakes. They are excellent!!! I had no problems with the recipe it went smoothly. It made 30 cupcakes. I put the frosting in a zip lock bag with a star tip and piped it on. It looked great. I’m at high altitude so the only thing I changed was the boiling temperature for the soft ball stage in the frosting (2 degrees lower for every 1000 feet in altitude). I didnt change anything with the cake and it turned out great. It’s definitely a keeper. Thank you Robyn : )
I did not see an reply to the Two Women that asked about substituting butter for Crisco/shortening??!!?? I am not a fan of Crisco/shortening….if one is to “go for the Gold”, I’ll head for the Butter!!
I would like to know if there is a scientific reason for not using Butter!
Warmest regards,
Kate
Hi Kate,
You can use butter in equal portion to the shortening.
I made this cake yesterday just to try it out because I have been looking for a yellow butter cake recipe that isn’t dried out. It was GREAT!!! I did a homemade chocolate icing though and my family loved it! thanks so much, my search is OVER!! This one is a KEEPER.
Pinned this recipe for my 6 y/o bday cake. She wanted the salted caramel frosting…This is the best tasteing frosting I have ever made!!! My only concern was that I may have jumped the gun on adding the second stage of ingredients (not sure it was cool enough). The frosting seemed really thick, not air-y at all. Should I have added more confectioners?? Re-whipped it once it cooled?? Any suggestion would be great!!
Just wanted to thank you so much for posting this recipe. When I was growing up, every year for my birthday I got a caramel layer cake from Sanders bakery (out of Detroit area, MI). When I was a teenager, the bakery changed owners and the caramel cake was never the same. I’ve made several recipes but have never found one that even comes close. This recipe is pretty perfect!! Thank you so much, I loved the cake (couldn’t stop eating it) and it brought back great memories of childhood. 🙂
Oh thank YOU so much for sharing that with me, Julie! I am so glad you love the cake and that it brings back special memories. xo
hi we don’t have shortning in Australia can I use samething else thank u
Hi, I made the cake yesterday for my teenage daughter’s 16th birthday party, and I used Copha instead of Crisco. I’ve just now been hiding in the kitchen finishing off the last slice that got overlooked…yum.
Robyn,
I’m generally not one to comment on recipes from the web. However, the Butter Cake with Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting Recipe is the exception. The cake and frosting are wonderful!! The cake batter yielded soft, moist layers that were perfect. The frosting is absolutely delicious. Thank you so much for such an awesome recipe. I will definitely make this cake again.
made it….it was AWESOME! Sent half of the cake to my 94-year-old neighbor, she loved it too. So good I had to share, or I would have eaten it all myself. Best caramel cake recipe I have found on the web. thank you.
Wow!! the frosting looks so adorable, thick, heavy but soft, Only the magicians can arrive at this result!! definitely going to try this!!
Made these last weekend for Mother’s Day (made into cupcakes easier to share) SO delish!