Southern Caramel Cake Recipe
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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.
Mine was very dry and crumbly. Any ideas why?
KC, there are a few reasons why it could have turned out dry. If the batter was overworked, it can cause the cake to be drier than it should. Also, if it cooks a little bit too long or the oven temperature is a bit hotter than expected. Another reason is would be if the butter or buttermilk were substituted for something else. This cake needs the full fat of each of those ingredients for the right crumb. Also, if you live at a higher altitude, your cake could be dry. If none of that was an issue, I would suggest checking the cake about 10-15 minutes before the called for baking time as it could be done earlier in your oven or at your elevation.
Thanks so much and I hope these suggestions work!
Looking forward to trying the recipe.
Hope you enjoy!
Is it liquid crisco or crisco in a can?
It is the solid shortening, not the oil, Gail.
Can you substitute the buttermilk with 2% milk?
Alice, this cake needs the full fat of each of those ingredients for the right crumb. The cake could be dry if you substitute milk with less fat.
Robyn,
Thank you for the well wishes on my daughters Birthday
I made it last night for my daughter’s Birthday. I can’t wait to try it tonight.
Happy birthday to your daughter. Hope she enjoys her cake.
Can you make these into cupcakes?
Miranda, I think this recipe is fine as cupcakes. I’ve actually made a cake + another as cupcakes before and it worked out really well.
Why is there no oil in this cake? Because of the butter used?
You don’t need oil in this cake when using butter, McCoy!
Thank you I’m new to baking use to seeing oil is there any advantage or taste difference using self rising v cake flour?
With this recipe, you would need to use self-rising flour instead of cake flour. Cake flour will not have the leavening agents in it that is in the self-rising flour and your cake would not rise appropriately.
good,reallyy good
Thanks for this great recipe. The Carmel frosting is the lead but the cake itself is awesome. Everyone loves a good carmel cake but most are afraid of the frosting,trust me if i can do it anyone can .
This cake and icing is phenomenal!! I had some leftover caramel…any suggestions for how to use it?
You can use it on cookies, cupcakes, graham crackers, as a fruit dip, etc. So glad you liked it, Elizabeth.
This cake was awesome!! only mistake i didn’t double the carmel icing recipe so i had to make two batches.
This cake is one of my mother’s favorite cakes. I’m so glad you liked it, too.