Yesterday I shared with you about my Mama’s Chocolate Marble Squares. Well, I had lots of emails and requests for the recipe for the caramel icing to go along with it.
Have I ever told you that you are definitely my kind of people?
You most certainly are! There is nothing like fresh, homemade caramel icing to make the world go ’round.
Cause I really and truly think that it does.
Good caramel icing is an act of love. You truly put your heart and soul into making good southern caramel icing.
My Grandmother Verdie would stand at her stove for what seemed like hours swirling her pan to get the perfect “color” on her sugar. Her hands wrought with arthritis, she held the cast iron dutch oven as tightly as possible as she kept the rhythm of the caramel in her heavy pan. She never used a mixer to make her caramel icing, I always was amazed that she didn’t. The time it had taken her to swirl her pan earlier seemed like seconds compared to watching her beat the icing by hand.
When I married, I learned that my mother-in-law also had a special recipe for a cake topped with southern caramel icing. She’d learned to make it from an aunt of my father-in-law’s when she married into the family. She’d talk about how Aunt T would beat her icing by hand so that it would be just right. While her recipe was slightly different, Aunt T’s and my Grandmother’s method were still the same.
When Little Buddy turned one, I decided it was high time that I made a caramel cake myself. We were living with my husband’s parents as we were building our house at the time. We’d invited all of our family to a dinner to celebrate the big day. I’d worked for weeks planning the menu, creating the perfect invitations, finding just the right color of light blue placemats to match a speck of blue in my mother-in-law’s rug, and thinking about this cake.
It had to be perfect.
The icing had to taste just like the caramel icing from when I was a little girl carefully watching my Grandmother.
I set out to make the icing all by myself. I was determined not to call Grandmother Verdie to help me. The arthritis had even further ravaged her hands by now, but I knew she wouldn’t let that stop her from trying to make it for me.
After three attempts, I finally had a caramel icing I could spread on Little Buddy’s birthday cake. I felt like I had accomplished the world. I’d repeated the dance I’d watched so many times before, swirl and stir, swirl and stir, swirl and stir until I finally found just the right rhythm.
Here’s how I make it.
Southern Caramel Icing
Ingredients
- 2 cups (396 g) sugar
- 1 cup (227 g) buttermilk
- 1/2 cup (92 g) Crisco
- 1/2 cup (113 g) butter
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) baking soda
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in a 3-4 quart cast iron dutch oven and place over medium heat.
- Swirl pan to keep ingredients moving in the pan.
- Cook to softball stage 235º – 245º on a candy thermometer or when tested in a cup of cold water.
- Remove from heat and beat with a wooden spoon until creamy and ready to spread. If using mixer, once your icing has reached the softball stage, whip the icing until it holds to the whisk when you stop the mixer.
- This is a perfect icing for Southern Caramel Cake
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Do you use refined white sugar, or brown sugar for the icing?
I used white refined sugar. is there a better one to use?
Hi! I really would like to make this icing, is it possible to use milk rather than buttermilk or any other substitute? Let me know and thanks for posting!
I could NOT get this to whip. It never fully got to the soft ball stage. I have to say the flavor was amazing but I was not able to apply it as a frosting for the cake (which I made and it was good). Like I said, the flavor was amazing and I used it as an ice cream topper!
hi im from Australia we don’t have Crisco can I use something else? thank u so much
I really enjoyed this frosting =) However, I do have some questions…can I use a 1/2 cup less sugar, but will it still be the same consistency, can I use a hand held mixer instead of the wooden spoon, and what can I use to possibly thin out the frosting (or did I just beat it too much)? Not sure why I can’t rate this recipe but I would give this recipe a solid 4 stars!!! I’m going to try this again and let you know how it turns out….thanks for sharing =)
Look at the tips shared on this frosting recipe as it might help you a little. Thanks! https://addapinch.com/cooking/2012/09/05/salted-caramel-buttercream-frosting-recipe/
Thanks for sharing your lovely cake and frosting; I will soon make it, but cant find crisco in my country; can I double the butter or what do you suggest? Thanks.
how many cups of icing does this recipe make????
Hey,
Since I live In a country where crisco is not available what can I use instead.
I really want to make this icing with your cake so quick let me know.
I have no idea what crisco is.
I have a old family(not everyone in family have this) carmel icing recipe, But it takes about 2 hours to make. My friends say WOW 5 star Would you like it I will share with you If you promise not to post it.
Yum! I made the cake using unsalted butter only, no Crisco. I did add 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Doubled the caramel frosting/icing recipe like you suggested. Turned out beautifully and tasted better! I did use my hands to “form” the frosting around the sides. I found that it did not “stick” to the cake sides very well as it cooled off. Pressing with my hands did the trick and it also smoothed out the cooling/drying frosting. Thanks for sharing. I highly recommend this carmel cake (I live in the south).
PS I too go to France & I love it there.
Made this frosting using only butter (substituted butter for the Crisco as well, as Crisco isn’t available in India). Turned out just fine. Absolutely divine frosting.