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.
Does this cake freeze well after baking?
Hi Brenda-
Yes, you can freeze the layers. Just allow to cool completely per the recipe instructions and wrap each layer in freezer wrap and store in an airtight container. When ready to frost the cake, allow it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Make sure it’s thawed completely before you frost it.
I would not freeze it with the caramel icing on it – I’d suggest freezing the layers as described.
Enjoy! Thanks!
Can you freeze the iced cake?
So my mother in law use to make a cake that looked like this but tasted like Reese’s pieces:) would this be the same recipe?
Hi Barbara,
I’m not sure about what type of cake that was, Barbara. This cake recipe is delicious and my family has loved it for years. Hope you like it too if you give it a try! thanks!
Hi Robyn,
I will be making this cake for my husbands birthday this evening. I’ve looked through the comments first before deciding to ask. What if I don’t have a ducth oven to make the icing? Would a no stick pot be ok?
Thank you!
-iris
Yes – enjoy Iris! Thanks!
I’m sorry you couldn’t access it – here is the link to it. I hope you enjoy it!
I just made this cake and it got rave reviews. I only own 2 9″ cake tins, however, and one reviewer wrote that it didn’t really fill three tins, and so I thought two would work.
Well, that reviewer either didn’t use self-rising flour, or didn’t beat air in the batter like your supposed to, because my two layers came out quite tall — three tins would have worked perfectly.
And so I’m going to buy a third 9″ cake tin for the next time I bake this cake, because I certainly will!
In fact, I have so much caramel frosting left over than I may do it tomorrow.
By the way, I followed the recipe to a T, except that I omitted 1/4 cup of the sugar — I used Baker’s sugar – – and added a teaspoon of almond extract, because I always do. Don’t think it was noticeable, though: this cake is simply a delivery device for the amazing caramel frosting, and doesn’t need to be more than it is: a light (NOT dense!) yellow cake.
Glad you enjoyed the cake Laura! xo
Cannot access the carmel frosting recipe.😞
I’m sorry you couldn’t get the recipe – here is the link to it. Thanks!
Hi Robyn! Greeting from the Philippines! I can’t find self-rising flour in my local grocery so I’m going to make my own self-rising flour according to your DIY recipe. So for 3 cups all purpose flour i will need to add 4 1/2 tsp baking powder plus 3/4 tsp salt? Thank you in advance!
I am going to try this Cake soon, my Aunt was known for her Amazing  Burnt Caramel Cakes, I know she cooked the sugar until it reached a dark brown stage ( Thats why it was called Burnt Sugar) not really burned. Her cakes were just the most delish ever, I need to get the recipe from her Daughter. The icing on the Cake you posted looks like her icing….and I thought the way you frosted it looked like a Pro, you don’t need lessons, you could give them! Thanks for the recipe……????????
I have made this for my son (by request!) for his birthday 2 years in a row. It turned out really well- he loves it! He wants to try making it himself but wants to make it chocolate caramel, have you ever tried adding chocolate to this recipe? Or do you have a chocolate caramel cake recipe? Thank you for the great recipe!
I love that your son loves this so much that he requests it for his birthday!!! I haven’t made it as a chocolate caramel, but that sounds like something I need to do soon! xo