Recipe: Caramel Cake Recipe with Caramel Icing

Caramel Cake

1 (8-ounce) carton sour cream
1/4 cup milk
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2-3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon rum extract (optional)

Caramel Frosting

Combine sour cream and milk. Cream butter; gradually add sugar, beating well at medium speed of an electric mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix after each addition. Stir in vanilla and, if desired, rum extract.

Pour batter into 2 greased and floured 9-inch round cakepans. Bake at 350 Degrees F. for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Spread Caramel Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake.

Yield: One 2-layer cake

Caramel Frosting

3 cups sugar, divided
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
3/4 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sprinkle 1/2 cup sugar in a shallow heavy 3-1/2 quart Dutch oven; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar melts (sugar will clump) and syrup is light golden brown. Remove from heat.

Combine remaining 2-1/2 cups sugar and flour in a large saucepan, stirring well; add milk, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

Gradually pour about one-fourth of hot mixture into caramelized sugar, stirring constantly; add remaining hot mixture (mixture will lump, but continue stirring until smooth).

Return mixture to heat; cover and cook over low heat 2 minutes. Uncover and cook, without stirring, over medium heat until a candy thermometer reaches 238 Degrees. Add butter, stirring to blend. Remove from heat, and cool, without stirring, until temperature drops to 110 Degrees (about 1 hour). Add vanilla, and beat with a wooden spoon or at medium speed of an electric mixer, until of spreading consistency (about 20 minutes).

Yield: enough for one 2-layer cake

Recipe: Ethelwyn Langston
Birmingham, Alabama

From - Southern Living 1990 Annual Recipes