Salted Caramel Cake

I feel like caramel is a solid transitional flavor that is perfect for this time of year when it’s not quite fall yet, but everyone kind of wants it to be. This is a fluffy, soft, salted caramel cake topped with a caramel whipped cream swirled with more caramel, and honestly it’s pretty delightful.

Lately I’ve been really into simple cakes that are just a single layer with a single layer of frosting because honestly they are so easy. This cake can be mixed entirely by hand, and the results are a truly beautiful cake that will make any crowd happy. Let’s get to it!

How to Make Salted Caramel Cake

This cake batter can be mixed entirely by hand and it comes together really easily- starting out by whisking together some melted butter, oil, and brown sugar. I’m using brown sugar in this cake to carry through some of those caramel flavors at every stage. Then we’re adding in an egg and some vanilla extract.

From there, we’ll add in the dry ingredients in alternating additions with some buttermilk, whisking well between each addition, until everything is well combined and you have a smooth cake batter to pour into your baking pan.

Before we bake it, we’re going to swirl in some caramel sauce to the top of the batter, which will create these pretty swirls, but also some sweet little caverns of caramel running through the cake. Optionally, if you want to go the salty route, you can sprinkle some flakey salt on top here as well before baking.

The topping is a whipped cream with caramel sauce beaten right into it, and then more caramel swirled on top. It’s super easy, fluffy, and satisfying as a frosting, but it’s a lot easier to make than a buttercream frosting.

That’s it- then you’ve got a super soft and pillowy caramel cake with a creamy whipped cream frosting and for me, it’s everything I want out of an almost-fall dessert. Enjoy!

Tips and Tricks for the Best Salted Caramel Cake

Here are all my tips and tricks for this easy recipe!

• Do I have to use homemade caramel sauce? No, you can use any caramel sauce you prefer here, though I would recommend going with something on the thicker side. If you want to make your own, I have a great recipe here.
• Whisk the cake batter by hand to avoid over-mixing, and to avoid making more dishes!
• Why does the recipe call for dark brown sugar? I use dark brown sugar exclusively because it offers a stronger molasses flavor, and I prefer that. You can easily swap in light brown sugar if you prefer, but I recommend you try everything that calls for brown sugar with dark brown sugar- I think you’ll like the results!
• What if I don’t have buttermilk? You can use 1 tsp of white vinegar stirred into 1 cup of regular milk to create a buttermilk substitute that works perfectly in cakes.
• Do I need to use flakey salt? If you want a salted caramel flavor, you’ll want to use the flakey salt over the top of the cake before baking, and to top the frosted cake. Totally optional, but super yummy!
• How do I know when the cake is finished baking? You can insert a toothpick in the center of the cake, and it should come out with just a few crumbs sticking to it. Or you can use an instant read thermometer which should read 200 degrees when the cake is ready to come out of the oven.
• My whipped cream separated or became clumpy, can I fix this? This happens when you over-whip cream. You can gently fold in 1-2 tbs of additional cream to the mixture to smooth it out!
• I’m at about 5,000 ft above sea level, and I find that most people who live between about 3,000-7,000 ft above sea level do not need to make any adjustments to my recipes.

Enjoy!

Print

Salted Caramel Cake

Servings 9 servings

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup caramel sauce
• 1-2 tsp. flakey salt optional

For the topping:

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup caramel sauce separated
• 1-2 tsp. flakey salt optional

Instructions

For the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 325, and grease an 8×8 cake pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper for easy removal, and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, melted butter, and canola oil until combined, and then mix in the egg and vanilla extract. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir the flour mixture and the buttermilk into the egg mixture in alternating additions, starting and ending with the flour mixture. You want to mix well between each addition until everything is just combined and you have a smooth batter.
3. Spread the batter evenly into your prepared cake pan. Dollop the caramel sauce over the top, and gently swirl it into the cake. Optionally, sprinkle flakey salt over the top. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out with just a few crumbs clinging to it. Optionally, you can use an instant read thermometer that should read 200 degrees when the cake is done. Cool the cake completely before adding the topping.

For the topping:

1. In a medium bowl, beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Beat in 1/4 cup of the caramel sauce until well combined. Spread the topping over your cooled cake, and dollop the remaining caramel sauce over the top. Use the back of a spoon to swirl the caramel into the cream on top until you have light and pretty swirls all over. Optionally, sprinkle more flakey salt over the top. Slice and serve!

Dough-Eyed

Hello and welcome! My name is Nicole, and Dough-eyed is a food blog for people who want to bake for their family and friends in high-altitude areas. Think of me as a friendly voice there with you in the kitchen, here to give you confidence when you’re baking, and to help you with the struggles of baking at high-altitude. Come back every week for new recipes, tips, and advice on high-altitude baking!