Caramel Cake Recipe | Takes Just 10 Minutes To Prep

This caramel cake recipe is the best of both worlds. It's a fluffy, sweet cake that's layered and topped with a decadently delicious caramel frosting. And the best part about this Southern caramel cake is how simple it is to make - just a few pantry staples are all you need! Honestly, after you make this recipe once, you'll never want to make a normal cake again!

The Best Caramel Cake Recipe

Caramel cake...do I even need to say anything more?

Seriously, this cake is out-of-this-world good, and if you've never made/had caramel cake before, you're in for a treat.

Rich caramel frosting is layered between two moist cakes, and you'd never guess how easy it is to make given how good it tastes. And, honestly, your friends and family won't either! They'll be convinced you picked this up from your favorite local bakery. 

That's why I love bringing/making this cake to family get-togethers. It just stands out in its presentation and flavor, and everyone always raves about it. It's actually my aunt's favorite Thanksgiving dessert.

Anyway, if you're looking for more equally awesome easy dessert recipes to pair alongside this Southern caramel cake, something on the chocolatey side like this no bake chocolate pie or no bake peanut butter pie are always great choices. Plus, since you'll need the oven for the cake, these no bake desserts come in the clutch, especially during busy holiday season.

Ingredients

So, as I mentioned before, both the cake and frosting are made with all pantry staple baking ingredients.

So, there's a pretty good chance you have all of them at home already! 

Anyway, here's what you'll need to make the Southern caramel cake:

• 3 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1 ½ cup Granulated Sugar
• ½ cup Brown Sugar
• 1 tbsp. Baking Powder
• 1 tsp. Salt
• ¾ cup Unsalted Butter, softened
• ¼ cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 cup Milk
• 3 Eggs
• 1 tbsp. Vanilla Extract

And, for the caramel frosting:

• 2 cups Brown Sugar
• 1 cup Unsalted Butter
• ½ tsp. Salt
• About ¾ cups Heavy Cream
• 2 cups Powdered Sugar

That's it!

Not too bad, right?

Now, this is everything used to make a traditional Southern caramel cake. So, if you trying to keep things as legit as possible, I don't really recommend substituting anything out.

With that said, you can use any milk that you want, and the cake will turn out great.

Also, just so you know, if you want to really double down on the caramel flavor, consider using dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar. Using dark brown sugar will also result in a darker-colored caramel icing which is a nice touch.

Oh, and by the way, you can use a lot of these ingredients to make these caramel rolls and  Italian hangover cake too. So you might want to give those a try next!

How To Make Caramel Cake

Now, if you've never made caramel icing before - or any icing from scratch - don't worry. It's not nearly as hard as it may sound. In fact, you may find that you'll want to make this caramel icing recipe all fall long!

As for the cake, it's pretty much as simple as making the boxed kind. Honestly, it'll be a breeze if you don't have cake baking experience too.

Anyway, let's not waste any more time and get into it!

Step 1: Prep Work

Start by preheating the oven to 350° (180ºC) and line two round cake pans - I used 8 inch ones- with parchment paper and set them aside for later.

Next, in a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, light brown sugar or dark brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Give everything a good mix with a fork or whisk to combine.

Step 2: Making The Cake Batter

Now we are going to combine the wet ingredients into the dry ingredient mixture to make the cake batter.

To do that, add the butter, vegetable oil, milk, eggs, and vanilla extract to the bowl of dry ingredients. Then, mix everything together with an electric mixer until the ingredients combine and are creamy.

Also, just a heads up, the cake batter will start out very grainy, so keep beating until everything is well mixed and you have a smooth batter.

Step 3: Bake The Cake

Now, take out the cake pans you prepared earlier and pour the cake batter evenly into the two pans. And you can smooth out the top of each cake with a rubber spatula to make sure they're even.

Next, put the cakes on the middle rack of the oven and bake for approximately 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I like to start checking on them every 5 minutes at the 30 minute mark just to be on the safe side.

Step 4: Make The Caramel Icing

While the cakes are baking, it's time to make the caramel icing.

Start by melting the brown sugar, unsalted butter, salt, and heavy cream in a pot on medium heat - or medium-high heat - until it bubbles.

Once bubbling, remove the pot from the heat and transfer the caramel icing to a bowl to let it cool.

Then, to finish making the caramel icing, add the powdered sugar to the bowl and mix until you have a smooth icing.

Step 5: Complete The Caramel Cake

Now, once the cakes are done baking, remove them from the pans and let them cool for a minute or two on a wire rack.

Then, using a serrated knife, carefully trim the tops of the cakes to make them even.

After you've got them even, it's time to build out the cake! To do that, just spread a layer of caramel icing on top of one of the cakes, then place the other cake on top of that and cover it completely with the rest of the frosting.

Finally, slice the cake into about 12 slices and enjoy!

How To Store Caramel Cake

So, as I just mentioned, this recipe for caramel cake will make about 12 slices - depending on how you cut it of course.

With that said, if you happen to have any leftover caramel cake, it can be stored in an airtight container and kept in the fridge for about 7 days.

Alternatively, you can freeze the caramel cake for up to 3 months if you'd like to store it longer. Then, whenever you want to enjoy the frozen cake, just take it out of the freezer, let it thaw in the fridge - or at room temperature - and enjoy!

Wrapping It Up

Well, that's how to make caramel cake!

It may look like a lot of steps, but I assure you, you will have no problem making this Southern caramel cake time and time again. 

Honestly, this really is the perfect cake recipe to whip out during the fall season. It's just so moist, rich, and has a deep caramel flavor that everyone will fall in love with.

Anyway, if you gave this Southern caramel cake recipe a try, be sure to leave a comment below and let us know how it went!

And, as always, don't forget to check us out on Youtube, Instagram, and TikTok pages for more easy dessert recipes just like this one!

More Dessert Recipes

Still hungry for more dessert recipes?

We've got you covered! 

Here are some of our fall favorites:

• Strawberry crunch cake
• No bake pumpkin pie
• Pumpkin cream cheese bread
• Old fashioned sweet potato pie
• Sweet potato muffins
• Fireball Fudge
• Mini no bake cheesecake bites

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