Southern Caramel Cake (Sheet Cake-Style!)
This Southern Caramel Cake is deeply moist with a buttery, extra-tender crumb. The brown sugar-infused cake is topped with the most decadent, scratch-made caramel icing. You’ll appreciate the fuss-free nature of this sheet cake-style cake with no layering, too. It’s the perfect treat for the holidays, gatherings, and more!
One of my family’s top favorite cakes in existence is caramel cake. Oftentimes, traditional Southern caramel cake is a layer cake slathered in rich caramel-like icing. It’s every bit decadent and luscious as you would imagine. In the American South, this famed cake is a sweet luxury anytime but especially around the holidays. I know y’all love my desserts, so happy to bring this one to ya!
Southern Caramel Cake 🤎
This cake is a timeless dessert that spans many generations, birthday celebrations, and it’s a significant piece of culinary history. I aimed to develop a caramel cake for you that still had all the bones of the traditional version, but let’s make it in sheet cake form.
With deep brown sugar flavor, a buttery crumb, and a killer caramel icing to finish it off, this cake is so lovely, friends.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card directly below.)
- Cake flour: This flour contributes to the cake’s texture being extra light and tender.
- Baking powder & baking soda: Leavening agents and texture.
- Spices: Salt and ground allspice. The touch of allspice adds a really nice bit of warmth that pairs beautifully in contrast to the caramel icing.
- Butter: For a buttery flavor that you’ll love, swoon.
- Brown sugar & granulated sugar: While I use both, the brown sugar content is in greater amounts and that extra molasses touch is chefs kiss.
- Eggs & oil: Structure and texture, baking essentials.
- Flavor enhancers: Vanilla and almond essence add some depth.
- Buttermilk: Signature tang, and it ensures a moist cake.
How To Make This Southern Caramel Cake Recipe:
(Note: please see the recipe card directly below for the complete written instructions.)
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9×13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray and then line with parchment paper, then set aside.
- Make the caramel cake batter in a large bowl. Then pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan and bake away. After baking, set the cake aside to cool while you prep the caramel icing.
Homemade Caramel Icing, Yum!
I’m so down bad for this caramel icing, gahhh. It’s slick and rich and downright incredible. All you need for this is butter, brown sugar, heavy cream, powdered sugar, and a pinch of salt– dassit. It comes together so quickly, too!
Tips + Tricks & More Recipe Notes:
- Can I use all-purpose flour? I highly recommend using cake flour here for the signature caramel cake texture. However, feel free to use all-purpose flour as a substitute if needed.
- Gluten-free needs? Swap the cake flour for any gluten-free baking flour as a 1:1 ratio (we love Bob’s Red Mill gf flour!).
How To Store Leftover Caramel Cake:
Keep this cake stored, covered, at room temperature on the counter for 3-4 days. Otherwise, keep the cake stored in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Whew, this Caramel Cake is so dang good, peeps. There’s nothing like baking up a bomb cake, and this one is hella bomb! Be sure to tag @butterbeready in your BBR recipe creations, I sure love to see it when you do. Until next time! 🤟🏾
More fantastic sweets:
- Dutch Apple Pie
- Sweet Potato Pound Cake
- Bread Pudding w/ Rum Sauce
- Ginger Molasses Cookies
- The Best Carrot Cake
- Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Southern Caramel Cake (Sheet Cake-Style!)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 15
- Category: Desserts & Sweets
- Method: Stovetop, Baking
- Cuisine: Southern
Description
This Southern Caramel Cake is deeply moist with a buttery, extra-tender crumb. The brown sugar-infused cake is topped with the most decadent, scratch-made caramel icing. You’ll appreciate the fuss-free nature of this sheet cake-style cake with no layering, too. It’s the perfect treat for the holidays, gatherings, and more!
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 ½ cups cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla essence (extract or paste)
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk
For the caramel icing:
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy!
- Pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9×13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray and then line with parchment paper with a little overhang on the sides, then set aside.
- For the cake: In a bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and allspice. Whisk the dry ingredients until well combined, and then set aside.
- Working in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl to work with a handheld electric mixer; combine the butter and both sugars. Beat the mixture until creamy, smooth, and well combined.
- Add the eggs, oil, vanilla essence, and almond extract and continue beating until fully incorporated. Be sure to stop and scrape down the sides/bottom of the bowl as needed. Next, gradually add the flour mixture alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, beating until just combined after each addition- careful not to over-mix.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan and use an offset spatula to smooth the top as needed.
- Bake the cake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. After baking, let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then carefully remove the cake from the pan and transfer the cake to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
- For the caramel icing: In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, brown sugar, and heavy cream. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil and cook for 2-3 minutes. Then remove the mixture from the heat and let it cool for about 5-7 minutes, stirring the mixture every so often to help it cool down a bit. Then add the powdered sugar and a pinch of salt and stir until the frosting is well combined and silky smooth.
- Pour the icing over the cooled cake- I like to use the back of a spoon to create some swoops with the icing. Let the caramel frosting set on the cake for at least 30 minutes before slicing- it will harden a little with a bit of a crackle effect. Then slice the cake into wedges and serve. Enjoy!
- Storing: Keep this cake stored, covered, at room temperature on the counter for 3-4 days. Otherwise, keep the cake stored in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Please read blog post in its entirety for more tips + tricks.
Recipe by: Quin Liburd- Butter Be Ready
Photography by: Ashley McLaughlin
