Caramel Cake with Caramel Meringue Buttercream

image

This caramel cake’s pronounced butterscotch flavor is not overly sweet; brown sugar and butter build rich layers echoed by caramel meringue buttercream. While optional, the caramel sauce—either drizzled or applied in a crosshatch pattern (see the Chocolate Cake with Caramel Meringue Buttercream)—adds an extra dimension for the palate and the eye.

MAKES two 9-inch layers; serves 8 to 16

INGREDIENTS

4½ cups (517.5g/18oz) cake flour

1 tablespoon plus 1½ teaspoons baking powder

1½ teaspoons salt

2½ cups (300g/10.6oz) light brown sugar

1 cup (200g/7.1oz) granulated sugar

1½ cups/3 sticks (340g/12oz) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces, at room temperature

7 eggs

1 tablespoon plus 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1½ cups (360g/12.7oz) whole milk

Caramel Meringue Buttercream

½ recipe Caramel Sauce (optional), for drizzling

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper.
  2. In a stand mixer with the paddle, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and both sugars. Mix on low speed for 1 minute.
  3. Add the butter to the mixer bowl all at once. With the mixer on low speed, mix until the mixture looks like wet sand, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl and the paddle.
  4. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, and milk.
  5. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the egg mixture. Mix for 1 minute, until just incorporated. Do not overmix. Remove the bowl and paddle from the mixer. Scrape down the paddle, sides, and bottom of the bowl. Place the bowl back on the mixer, reinsert the paddle, and beat on medium speed for 1 minute.
  6. Evenly divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the tops spring back when touched and a cake tester inserted in the centers comes out clean.
  7. Let the cake cool in the pans for 30 minutes. Transfer the cakes to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  8. To assemble and decorate the cake, place one layer top side up on a cake turner. Use an icing wand to evenly spread 1½ cups buttercream over the surface. Add the second cake layer top side up. Using an icing wand, spread the rest of the buttercream over the top and sides, smoothing with the wand to create smooth sides.
  9. To create the little divots of caramel, as in the photo, press a small icing wand into the buttercream while spinning the cake tuner slowly, pressing and lifting as you go from the outside of the cake to the center, creating divots.
  10. To fill the divots with caramel, place the caramel sauce in a squeeze bottle. Fill each divot with a small amount of caramel.