This Caramel Cake recipe is perfect for that die hard caramel fan in your life. Homemade caramel sauce is used in the cake layers, frosting, and the drip!
I am obsessed with how pretty this Caramel Cake turned out. Not only the perfectly smooth cake combed sides, but the caramel drip that was just the right consistency to not drip all the way down and create a hot mess. It’s not often things work out smoothly over here, so I need to celebrate it when it happens!
Before we dive into the decorating of this pretty cake, let’s talk about how to make caramel, in case you’ve never done it before. Spoiler: it’s actually really easy! It just requires some attention to detail.
How to make Caramel
There are a number of different ways you can make caramel, but I’m going to tell you about my favorite way to do it. It requires very few ingredients and just a bit of patience. Please see my tutorial on How to make Caramel for more details. You’ll need the following:
Tools:
- med-large pot
- whisk
- pastry brush
Ingredients:
- granulated sugar
- water
- heavy cream (room temp)
- butter (room temp)
- salt (if making salted caramel)
Once you have your tools and ingredients ready, place the sugar and water into a pot and stir to combine, but do not stir from this point forward. Stirring will cause the sugar to crystallize, and we don’t want that!
Dip a pastry brush into water and brush down the sugar from the sides of the pot (also prevents crystallizing). Place the pot over med-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Occasionally brush down the sides of the pot with water to prevent crystals from forming.
Continue cooking the sugar until it starts to change color. This can take anywhere from 5-10mins depending on the amount of sugar, size of pot, temperature, etc. I recommend watching the sugar the entire time, as once it starts to color it can burn very quickly. I never take my eyes off the pot while it’s cooking. Okay maybe I do for the first couple minutes or so, but I watch it like a hawk after that.
When the sugar starts to caramelize and turn a bit yellow, you can swirl the pot a bit to mix it around. Continue cooking until the sugar is a nice amber color. It will start to smell AMAZING.
Immediately remove the pot from the heat and carefully whisk in the heavy cream (pour slowly, whisk quickly). It will bubble up a LOT, so be prepared. Once all the cream is whisked in, add the butter and whisk until incorporated. Return to heat and simmer for 2mins.
At this point I remove the pot from the heat and set it aside to cool. You could transfer the caramel to a heatproof container and let it cool that way instead. I sometimes place plastic wrap directly on top to prevent a skin from forming, but it’s not critical. If you do this, be careful, as the caramel is hot. The caramel will thicken as it cools.
You can leave it at room temperature overnight or place it in the fridge if storing for longer. If you store it in the fridge, you may need to warm it up a bit in the microwave before using.
Be sure to check out my How to Make Caramel post for a detailed tutorial.
How do I turn this into a Salted Caramel Cake Recipe?
If you’ve gotten this far, it’s really so simple to turn your caramel sauce into salted caramel instead and make a Salted Caramel Cake. All you have to do is add a bit of salt once you’ve finished cooking it.
Add some salt, dip a spoon into the hot caramel, let it cool, taste, repeat as needed. That’s it! How much you add is completely up to you. I don’t like salted caramel (gasp) so I recommend starting with less (1/4 tsp) and adding as needed. Ideally use a good quality sea salt.
A salted caramel sauce will work perfectly well with this Caramel Cake recipe if that’s what you’d prefer.
Important things to note about making Caramel
- You’ll want to use a larger pot than you think you’ll need. The caramel bubbles a LOT when the cream is added. At least 4-5x the volume.
- Brushing down the sides of the pot is important to prevent your sugar from crystallizing — we don’t want a grainy caramel!
- Don’t take your eyes off the sugar. Once it starts to turn color it can burn very quickly.
- Do not attempt to make the caramel with cold cream or butter — they must be at room temperature (see below).
- The caramel will be HOT so handle with care. If you’re making a salted caramel, be sure to let it cool before tasting it! Dip a spoon into the hot caramel, let it cool, taste, add more salt as needed.
It is critical that your cream and butter are completely at room temperature. I’ve made this caramel many times before but I didn’t really pay attention too much to the temps this time. Read: I was too lazy to wait for them to come to room temperature properly and figured it would be fine (bad baker!). My cream was straight out of the fridge, so I nuked it in the microwave to warm it up, but my butter was still a bit cold.
I went with it anyhow, because I figured it gets heated anyway, right?? Well, the end result was a bit of a mess. The caramel looked like it had come together well, but upon cooling it completely split and separated and kinda curdled.
Caramel also does not react well to drastic changes in temperature, so it’s important that the cream and butter are added slowly and are room temperature. I’m sure it didn’t help things that I way overcooked it after I added everything in. Instead of simmering it, I basically boiled it on high for 2 minutes. It was a hot mess, and truly quite disgusting. I should have taken a picture!! Anyhow, I should have followed my own directions, but overconfidence and laziness got in the way and I ended up having to redo the whole thing.
I hope all that didn’t scare you away from making your own caramel sauce at home. It’s really very easy, it just requires a bit of focus and attention for 15mins or so. And actually following directions.
This caramel sauce is seriously SO good and so versatile. You could use it as a topping for other desserts or ice cream or pancakes… the list goes on! You’ll never look to get store bought caramel again after you try this.
How did you decorate this Caramel Cake?
Okay, let’s talk about the decorating of this cake, because I know people are just dying to know and it’s actually really simple. I used a cake comb on the sides. Specifically, I used the right side of the middle comb from this set.
After crumb coating the cake and chilling it for 20mins, I frosted it like any cake except that I used way more frosting on the sides than I normally would. I knew I’d be scraping some of that frosting off and I wanted to make sure there was enough to fill in the indents in the comb.
Once the cake was frosted and smoothed, I placed the cake comb up against the cake, pressed in a bit, and spun my turntable. I did this like I would if I was just smoothing it with a flat scraper. One long, smooth motion. I had to do this about 10 times or so to get rid of the bubbles and make sure everything looked perfect.
As always though, there is a back side to this cake that is less than pretty — specifically where the cake comb started/stopped. I couldn’t completely smooth out the little dent there. Maybe my frosting was a bit soft. If you have any tips on this I’m all ears, I am far from a cake combing expert!
If I were making this a Salted Caramel Cake, I would sprinkle some sea salt over the top of the decorated cake once the drips have set.
Tips for the Caramel Drip
A caramel drip is notoriously difficult to work with. It’s a different consistency than a ganache drip, and doesn’t set as quickly once it hits the cold cake. As such, you actually want it to be thicker than you think you need for the drip.
It’s important that the cake is super chilled too. I chilled mine overnight, but only because I was spacing out my baking. A good hour in the fridge should do. My caramel was a bit on the thicker side because I had that in the fridge as well, so I microwaved a small portion of it (1/4 cup or so) in very small increments (3-5 seconds), until I got something pourable but still thick — a lava-like consistency.
I did a test drip on the back of the cake to see how it looked. I actually thought it was still too thick at this point, but you need to be patient with caramel — it will keep dripping down. What I thought was too thick actually ended up being perfect.
Really, it just takes some practice to know what the right consistency is. Always use a chilled cake though, and make sure your caramel (or ganache) is not warm in any way.
I use a teaspoon to do my drip cakes, but you could use a squeeze bottle if you prefer. I like that I have more control with a teaspoon and can be a bit more heavy handed in areas. I prefer drips that are chunky and spaced randomly.
If you’re a fan of caramel (and who isn’t??) you are going to love this cake! That perfectly delicious caramel flavor shines throughout, and I love that you can actually taste it in the cake layers — I wasn’t sure this would come through, but it does!
This caramel sauce recipe and caramel Swiss meringue buttercream are some of my faves. You’ll want to be eating both with a spoon!!
Looking for more caramel desserts?
- Caramel Cookie Cups
- Caramel Apple Cake
- Maple Caramel Carrot Cake
- Turtles Layer Cake
- Chocolate Dulce de Leche Cake
Tips for making this Caramel Cake Recipe
- The recipe as-is will also work in two 8″ cake pans. For three 8″ pans, 1.5x the recipe.
- To make cupcakes, all you need to do is reduce the baking time — start checking at 15mins or so. The recipe will make 18-24 depending on size.
- For the caramel, it is critical that your cream and butter be at room temperature. Do not attempt to make it with cold cream or butter — it will separate when cooled.
- Be sure to check out my How to Make Caramel post for a detailed tutorial.
- If you prefer Dulce de Leche, you can use that instead in the cake and frosting — it won’t drip as well unless you thin it out somehow.
- For the texture on the sides of the cake, I used the right side of the middle cake comb from this set.
- Be sure your cake is well chilled and your caramel on the thicker side before you attempt the drip.
- I used dark brown sugar in my Swiss meringue buttercream because I wanted more of a caramel color to it. Granulated or light brown sugar will work just fine too.
- Be sure to check my Swiss Meringue Buttercream post for tips and troubleshooting.
- To help ensure your cake layers bake up nice and flat, check out my Flat Top Cakes post!
Caramel Cake (Salted Caramel Cake)
Ingredients
Caramel (make in advance):
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup water
- 225 ml heavy cream room temperature
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 tsp sea salt optional, to taste, for salted caramel
Caramel Cake:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup caramel room temperature
- 1 cup milk room temperature
Caramel Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
- 5 large egg whites
- 1 2/3 cups dark brown sugar packed
- 2 cups unsalted butter room temperature, cubed
- 1/2 cup caramel room temperature
- salt optional, to taste, for salted caramel
Instructions
Caramel (make in advance):
- Place sugar and water into a medium pot, stir to combine, but to not stir from this point forward. Cook over high heat, washing down the sides of the pot with a pastry brush dipped in water as needed to prevent crystals.
- Cook until desired color of caramel is reached (amber) and immediately remove from heat. Very slowly pour in (room temperature) heavy cream while whisking quickly. The mixture will bubble up (a lot) and boil. Add (room temperature) butter, return to heat, and bring back to a boil. Simmer for 2 minutes whisking constantly.
- If you want to make this a salted caramel, add your salt at this point. Whisk it in (start with less than you think you’ll need), dip a spoon into the caramel, let it cool, taste it, add more salt as needed.
- Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature (about 2 hours). Transfer to a container and place in fridge to thicken.*
Caramel Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour three 6″ cake rounds, line with parchment.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer combine butter and sugar. Beat on med-high until pale and fluffy (2-3 mins). Add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla and caramel and mix until incorporated.
- Alternate adding flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk). Fully incorporating after each addition.
- Spread batter evenly into prepared pans and bake for 35-40 mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
- Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.
Caramel Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
- Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.**
- Place bowl over a pot with 1-2″ of simmering water and whisk constantly until the mixture is hot and no longer grainy to the touch or reads 160F on a candy thermometer (about 3mins)
- Place bowl on your stand mixer and whip on med-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl is no longer warm to the touch (approx. 5-10mins)).
- Switch to paddle attachment. Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth.
- Add cooled caramel and whip until smooth.*** Add additional salt if desired if making a salted caramel buttercream.
Assembly:
- Trim cake layers slightly. Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Top with 1-2 Tbsp cooled caramel. Spread evenly pressing into the cake layers so the cake absorbs the sauce. Top with 2/3 cup of frosting, spread evenly. Repeat with remaining layers.
- Frost and smooth the outside with a thin crumb coat. Chill for 20mins.
- Frost and smooth the outside of the cake, generously frosting the sides specifically. Smooth with an icing smoother. Use a cake comb on the sides of the cake. Repeat, scraping off more frosting each time, until smooth.
- Using a small spoon, place dollops of caramel around the top edges of the cooled cake, allowing some to drip down.****
- Fill in the top of the cake with more caramel and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Pipe rosette dollops using a 1M tip with remainder of frosting.
Notes
** Ensure there is NO trace of egg yolks in your whites and that your mixer bowl and whisk is completely grease free or your meringue won’t stiffen.
*** The buttercream may look like it’s curdled at some point. Keep mixing until it is completely smooth.
**** If caramel has thickened too much, microwave in 5-10 second intervals until it’s pourable (but not warm). You want the caramel to be rather thick for the drips. It will continue to drip down.
Hannah says
Hi, I’m planning on making this cake as a sheet cake. What size pan would you recommend using and how long should I bake it? Thank you for the great recipe!
Olivia says
Hi Hannah! Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here’s a site I use as a guideline: http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html
amelia004 says
the recipe is very useful
Olivia says
Thank you!
Rapture says
I tried this except I had store bought caramel. My cakes turned out dense, but I am almost certain the baking powder I used was too old. I am going to get some fresh powder and try again. Also will make the caramel next time.
I followed the frosting making exactly as described. Before adding the butter it was quite ‘stiff.’ It seemed to get a bit too runny after I incorporated the butter, but set up much better once chilled a little. I think after bringing it to 160°F that even after whipping for 10+ minutes it may still be a bit too warm.
Olivia says
Hi Rapture! The cakes will be more on the dense side, but should not be *too* dense. Be sure not to overmix the cake batter. Glad you were able to save the buttercream! 🙂
Clare says
HI there – just wondering if you use UK/Australia ‘cup’ measurements or the US ‘cup’ measurements. Can’t wait to make it! Thanks 🙂
Olivia says
Hi Clare! I’m in Canada, so probably the US ones. There is a metric option at the bottom of the list of ingredients if that’s what you prefer to use!
Larry says
Hi Liv! Whenever I search for a cake I have in mind, the best looking result is always from your site. After following your recipe, there’s never a doubt it was also the best tasting one too. I’ve made several of your cakes before, and yesterday I made this salted caramel cake for my New Year’s Eve gathering last night. As is true of your other cakes I’ve made, it didn’t disappoint and was a major hit with my guests. Your recipes are so clear and detailed, they’re easy to follow. One issue I did have though was with the caramel drips. My caramel was pourable when I attempted, but I had to coax drips with a spoon, with clunky results. I microwaved remaining caramel for 10 secs, which did the trick. I found a viscosity between maple syrup and honey worked best. Thanks for a great recipe!
Olivia says
Hi Larry! Thanks for the amazingly sweet comment. I’m so happy to hear you loved this one too 🙂
Jen says
Hi Liv!
I have two questions:
Would this cake taste good with cream cheese frosting? Also, can I use store bought caramel? If I can, what brand would you recommend?
Thanks,
Jen
Olivia says
Hi Jen! I think it would go great with CC frosting! Store bought caramel should be fine for the cake and frosting but may be too thin for the drip. I haven’t used any myself so it’s hard for me to recommend a specific brand, but I would try to buy the highest quality one that you can and one that is on the thicker side if possible.
Jen says
Would this caramel work? It’s the stuff that I usually use to dip apples into. It’s fairly thick.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Marzetti-Old-Fashioned-Caramel-Dip-16-0-oz/10308643
What about caramel sauce used on ice cream?
Olivia says
I would go with the thicker one 🙂
Luke Allen says
This was a really good recipe BUT be warned this is a skinny and tall cake, and also you really do have to make the salted caramel before hand.
Olivia says
Hi Luke! If you prefer you can bake the cake in two 8″ pans for a more standard size.
Trisha says
QUESTION:
How far in advance can you make the caramel? I saw that you said “the day before” but can I stretch that out?
Olivia says
Hi Trisha! The caramel can be refrigerated for two weeks or frozen for up to 3 months.
Olivia says
Hello! I was curious if the paddle attachment makes a difference with the frosting? I make frosting all the time and only use my wisk attachment. Do I need to use the paddle? Or will the wisk suffice?
Olivia says
Hi Olivia! For this kind of buttercream, I prefer switching to a paddle because the whisk can incorporate too much air. You can get away with using the whisk though if that’s all you have!
Olivia Eilola says
Great, Thank you!
Melissa Doyle says
I’m going to attempt this cake this week for my daughters engagement party!!! Also it has to be GF which that is under control.
Maybe I’m just not looking properly but what size cake pans did you use? I have found the info on the 8″ pans!
Olivia says
Hi Melissa! I used three 6″ pans but the recipe works for two 8″ pans as well. Let me know how you like it 🙂
melissa doyle says
thanks for that and i will let you know 🙂
Grace says
Hi there, I’m planning to make this cake for a hens do on friday night. I am leaving early Friday morning for a 7 hour drive
My plan was to make cakes Wednesday night along with caramel then decorate Thursday night . I was wondering weather the caramel will be okay over night plus drive in chilly bin or weather I would be better doing last minute decorations at destination . I was just worried about caramel as you mentioned it was okay in fridge over night how will it be after two nights? Thankyou
Olivia says
Hi Grace! That is a long drive with the cake! Are you able to freeze it overnight (Thurs-Friday)? That would help ensure it stayed more stable (but also still put it in the chilly bin). The caramel once set in the fridge gets decently firm, but then it softens again as it comes to room temp. If you can freeze the whole thing I think you’d be ok. Caramel lasts for a good couple weeks in the fridge by the way.
Es says
Will this be good as cupcakes as well and how many cupcakes would this make
Olivia says
Hi Es! Yes, it would work great as cupcakes! It should make 18-24 depending on size.
Danielle Cheffings says
Have made this a few times and it’s it amazing! Tastes just like our wedding cake did 🙂 I’m planning on making it for a birthday this weekend and covering in fondant but with the 6 inch tins it would be too small for the amount of people but I only have 1x 8inch cake tin. Could I do 1.5 quantities but all in one? Thanks! Danni xx
Olivia says
Hi Danielle! So happy you love his one 🙂 This cake recipe as-is works for two 8″ cake pans. I’d recommend getting another couple 8″ cake pans and then doing 1.5x the recipe for three 8″ pans.
Danielle says
Thank you for your quick response 😊 I was going to pick up some 8 inch sandwich pans the other day but they weren’t overly deep – only about 2/3cm – so I didn’t get them as I was worried they’d overflow. Do you think they’d be OK for this recipe? Really looking forward to making again 😍 x
Olivia says
Hi Danielle! You’d need pans that are at least 2″ (about 5cm) tall or the batter will overflow. Mine bake right to the top of my 2″ pans. In the 8″ pans they will be slightly shorter, but not 2/3cm short.
Linda says
I am a new baker. And my cakes never rise. I made your Carmel cake and it didn’t rise either. Any ideas what I am doing wrong? I make great frosting and Carmel but cakes still iilude me
Olivia says
Hi Linda! Have you checked to make sure your baking powder is fresh and not expired? The cakes should rise to be almost 2″ tall. Other than baking powder make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature and don’t overmix the cake batter once you add in the flour.
Linda says
Thank u Olivia. I think I will buy new baking soda and powder. Good advise. Making the chocolate cake right now so will see how it goes
christian says
awesome
Olivia says
Thank you!
Terri Budde says
Hi! I want to make this cake for a friend. I have been baking for a short bit and have a few questions. First, would cake flour be better than AP flour? Can you give me weights instead of cups as that is how I have been baking and lastly, do I store in fridge or at room temp. Thank you
Olivia says
Hi Terri! Cake flour would make for a slightly less dense cake, so you can certainly use that. There is a metric converter below the list of ingredients to get the weights of everything. You can store at room temp for a day or two but otherwise refrigerate.
Lorrie says
Hi,
I made the caramel for the first time and it came out perfect! My question is what do you use to grease the pans
Olivia says
Hi Lorrie! So happy to hear that. These days I use Pam for Baking and line the pans with parchment. Homemade Cake Release works amazingly well too! https://livforcake.com/homemade-cake-release/
Caitlyn Bedard says
I made this for a birthday, and it was a huge success. Thank you! The instructions were very clear and all your tips were so helpful. This was my first time making a swiss meringue buttercream, and so many people raved about it I think it will be my new go-to. 🥳
Olivia says
Hi Caitlyn! Yay for a successful first time SMBC! So happy you loved it 🙂
BOZENA IWUAMADI says
I am attempting to make this cake today. Should the caramel in a cake recipy and for the buttercream be room temperature?
Olivia says
Hi Bozena! Yes, they should be room temperature. I hope you like it!
Bozena Iwuamadi says
I think the metric conversion of caramel is wrong. 35g of caramel is certainly not 1/2 cup
Olivia says
The metric conversions are calculated automatically and I don’t verify the accuracy of the numbers. Thank you for calling that out! It should be about 150g or so, I’ll update the recipe.
Tori says
Hello!
Has anyone tried this with gluten free flour?
Olivia says
Hi Tori! I haven’t myself but as long as you use a proper all-purpose GF flour blend it should work. Cup4Cup comes highly recommended: https://amzn.to/2n9c5bQ
Laura Ashley says
Howdy! I’m considering making this recipe but I am a beginner baker in that while I have used many boxed mixes, I only recently began baking cakes from scratch. Consequently, I am intimidated by Swiss meringue. Can I use pasteurized egg whites in a carton and skip the part where they are brought up to 160 degrees? I’m afraid that I’m just going to make scrambled egg whites. I should add that I’m very visually impaired so watching the pot is not a good way to judge things. Thank you so much for the recipe
Olivia says
Hi Laura! Swiss meringue is really easy, I promise! Just be sure to read all my tips and troubleshooting here before trying it out: https://livforcake.com/swiss-meringue-buttercream-recipe/ I have not had success with carton whites myself — I can never get the meringue to whip up properly. If you try those then be sure to get ones that say Egg White only (to ensure no trace of yolks), those might work better but I can’t guarantee it. It’s really hard to overcook the whites since they’re sitting on a water bath. This step is important to melt the sugar or else you’ll have a grainy buttercream. I just do the touch test — whisk the whites and sugar for 3-5 mins over the pot and dip a finger in to see if the mixture is hot and no longer grainy. Let me know if you try it!!
Amy says
Morning,
I have just made and decorated this cake for tomorrow (I haven’t put the drip on yet) if I was to do this now and put in the fridge will the caramel start to go runny and ruin my cake for tomorrow?
Olivia says
Hi Amy! It should be totally fine in the fridge and won’t ruin the drip. Be sure your cake is very cold and your caramel very thick before you do the drip. I always do a test drip on the “back” first.
Diksha says
I made this cake last week with a few adjustments and it turned out amazing.
Olivia says
Hi Diksha! So glad you liked it 🙂