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.
I want to make this for my mom’s birthday sooo badly but I’m super new to being domestic so I have a few questions for you, haha!
Can I make the layers taller and have it only be a two layer cake? I only have two! But I can buy more 🙂
Can margarine work instead of butter? Again, all I have.
I make buttermilk myself at I only have skim in the house. Is that ok?
Sorry for so many questions! As I said, I’m pretty new at this and I’d really love to not mess it up!
Mines is in the oven right now 🙂
Thanks for relinking this in Deborah’s Blogger Spotlight about you…this looks so good, Robyn!
Wow. Thank you so much. It has taken a long time to make this today (ahem, the icing) but I know it’s going to be worth it on Father’s Day tomorrow!
After reading about caramel cake in “The Help,” I searched the Internet and came across your site. I made this cake today and it is awesome! I was too impatient to whip the frosting by hand, so I let my kitchen aid do that for me. Thanks for sharing this recipe, I am certainly going to add it to my collection.
I just made this cake and it is amazing! Thank you for this post!
I’m so glad you made it, Rachel! Isn’t it the most delectable cake ever!? Now I’m wanting a slice. 🙂
I made you cake this afternoon. It came out really dry. What did I do wrong?
Hi Carrie,
Oh no! There are a couple of reasons why it could have turned out dry. If the batter was overworked, it can cause the cake to be dryer 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. 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! Keep me posted!
Robyn
Oh thank you, because it was so so good and I want to make it again this weekend for our family party.
I Did use a homemade buttermilk as I had none in the house and the milk was low fat. I also think I worked the batter a little too long. Thank you as I know what to do next, I now must make it again. Thank you so much for getting back to me.
Carrie
does it need to be refrigerated after its done? i am looking for cakes to make for a party that do not need refrigeration because i will be short on fridge space…this sounds deeeeee-licious!
Hi Missy,
This cake does not need to be refrigerated after it is done. It is fine to stay covered with a cake dome or well-wrapped. I hope you enjoy it!
thanks so much! i am looking forward to it!!
I am making your cake right now and my cakes sank in the oven, any tips? I’m sure it will still taste great thanks!
Hi Liz,
Usually a cake that falls in the center either means that the cake batter was a bit overworked before baking or that the oven temperature may have been disrupted. I used to be guilty of ‘checking’ on cakes or cup cakes while they baked. Now, of I have to check, I only crack the door a bit and never all the way. I k ow as soon as I do, the cake will sink in the middle.
I hope it still tasted delicious! On the bright side, it gives you a bigger space to hold all the caramel frosting! 😉
Robyn
I tried your recipe and why does my cake have to cook longer than thirty minutes? It’s been 40 minutes and the top is still very wet
I have to say this cake is truly amazing and your decorating is brill so dont worry – it made me want a slice!
How would you think this recipe would fair as cupcakes? i ask because big cakes dont work well in my house given the lack of people to eat them so cupcakes are easier to share among friends?
thank you for sharing a great recipe 😀 and i love the site
please pop over to mine and say hi xxx
Thank you so very much, Kate. I think it would be fine as cupcakes. I’ve actually made a cake + another as cupcakes before and it worked out really well. Let me know how you like them.
All i have to say is wow! these turned out great (but i did use another icing because the cast iron dutch oven confused me, i didnt know what it was and i was sure i didnt have one!)
but the cakes themselves worked a treat and were just so moist and yummy yet crumbly with a sweet lovelyness 😛
I will be writing a bog post about them soon if that is ok and i will of course link up your site for the recipe because they are so damn yummy!