Salted Caramel Cake With Buttercream Frosting
This simple Salted Caramel Cake With Buttercream Frosting was a best seller at my bake shop! Now, I'm sharing the recipe with you. This fluffy yellow layer cake is frosted with a homemade caramel buttercream frosting, using my Homemade True Caramel Sauce. There's salted caramel in the layers and all over the top of the cake. This Salted Caramel Cake is perfect for any occasion!
If you love caramel, check out some of my other favorite caramel recipes like Caramel Apple Pie, Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies with Homemade Caramel, Caramel Buttercream Frosting, and Caramel Hot Cocoa.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Salted Caramel Cake with Buttercream Frosting
- Ready In: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Makes: 3 layer 6-inch cake
- Main Ingredients: salted butter, cane sugar, cake flour, caramel
- Flavor Profile: sweet and salty caramel in every bite
- Dietary Info: no seed oils, gluten free swap available
- Difficulty: Medium
- Why You’ll Love It: best selling cake recipe from my bakery!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Sweet & Salty: Learn how to make a homemade Salted Caramel Cake with Buttercream Frosting that is both sweet and salty! I love sweet and salty desserts as they have the perfect balance. This moist and fluffy vanilla cake is filled with homemade organic caramel and finished with creamy caramel buttercream. You can add salt or you can leave it off if you prefer.
- Caramel: Caramel is everyone's favorite (trust me, I owned a bakery for over 10 years, and this was the most ordered cake on the menu!). You simply can't go wrong with caramel. And, if you make it salted caramel, it only makes it better. This caramel cake is sure to be a crowd pleaser!
- Perfect for Any Party: This layer cake is perfect for any party. Whether it's a birthday, a celebration, or even a holiday! This Salted Caramel Cake with Buttercream Frosting will impress all your guests.
- Organic Cake: I use organic caramel sauce and ingredients in this simple caramel cake. This makes it so much better than anything store bought!
Ingredients
- Caramel Sauce: Make sure to make my homemae true caramel sauce ahead of making this layer cake. You can make it a few days in advance if need be.
- Butter: I use Organic Valley Salted Butter as its my favorite, you can use your favorite. Butter really matters in this cake and in the caramel sauce so use a high quality butter.
- Vanilla Extract: Use high quality vanilla extract for this caramel cake. We used Simply Organic at my bakery and it's still my top choice.
- Milk: Use whole milk, and make sure its room temperature. Using room temperature dairy is best for cakes because it ensures the butter won't seize when you add in these ingredients.
- Sour Cream: I use organic sour cream because it adds moisture and a little tang to this caramel cake.
- Cake Flour: I use my Homemade Organic Cake Flour, but store bought also works. The lower protein content in cake flour will create a light and delicate crumb.
- Baking Powder: Make sure to use baking powder, not soda as this is a slow rise bake. Be sure to check out my post the Difference Between Baking Soda and Baking Powder for more info on leavening agents.
*For a full list of ingredients and measurements, visit the recipe card below.
How to Make Salted Caramel Cake with Buttercream Frosting
Step 1
Make sure the Homemade True Caramel Sauce is made ahead of time.
Step 2
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line three 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
Step 3
To make the batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, cane sugar, and vanilla extract and mix no low until combined and there are no chunks of butter. Add the eggs, milk, and sour cream and mix on low until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
In a separate bowl, add the cake flour, baking powder, and sea salt and whisk together. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Continue to mix on low until you don’t see any specs of flour, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Divide the batter evenly into the prepared pans, about 226 grams each.
Step 4
Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the cake pans. (If you're baking at high altitude, be sure to check the Notes at the bottom of the recipe for high altitude baking instructions).
Step 5
To make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the powdered sugar, butter, and caramel sauce. Mix on low until combined, then speed mixer up to high for 1 to 3 minutes or until light and fluffy.
Step 6
To assemble the cake: Place a dollop of frosting on a cake stand or cake spinner and add the first cake layer. Using a cake spatula add a layer of frosting to the top of the cake. Drizzle with caramel sauce and sprinkle it with sea salt. Place the second cake layer on top, and repeat this process to crumb coat the cake completely.
Step 7
Frost the cake with some texture and add caramel sauce all over the top. Sprinkle the top with sea salt.
Recipe FAQ's
If you are pressed for time, or just lazy, and don’t want to make the homemade caramel, you can use store bought. But, I really advise making the recipe I provide for the best flavor.
Homemade salted caramel is made the same way homemade caramel sauce is, but you just add sea salt. Yep, it’s that simple! You can add sea salt into the caramel itself, but I prefer to actually just sprinkle it on top of the caramel when I use it, as that makes it more versatile. Because if I want caramel or salted caramel, then I easily can have both!
Yes, any caramel sauce can be turned into salted caramel. You can add salt into the caramel sauce and stir it up, or you can sprinkle it on top as you use it. The latter is my favorite option and what I always do!
This is best kept in a cake dome, so it doesn’t dry out. You can store it in the fridge, so long as it’s covered or in an airtight container (so it doesn’t dry out). But, this cake does not have to be refrigerated as the caramel is fine to sit out for a few days.
More Caramel Recipes
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Salted Caramel Cake With Buttercream Frosting
Equipment
- Digital Food Scale
- 3-Quart Pot
- Stand Mixer
- Cake Turntable
- Cake Spatula
Ingredients
Batter
- 113 grams salted butter (softened)
- 170 grams cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- ½ cup milk (room temperature)
- 57 grams sour cream (room temperature)
- 170 grams cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Frosting
- 226 grams salted butter (softened)
- 454 grams powdered sugar (sifted)
- 57 grams Caramel Sauce (plus extra for topping)
- fine sea salt
Instructions
- Make sure the Caramel Sauce is made ahead of time.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line three 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
- To make the batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, cane sugar, and vanilla extract and mix no low until combined and there are no chunks of butter. Add the eggs, milk, and sour cream and mix on low until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
- In a separate bowl, add the cake flour, baking powder, and sea salt and whisk together. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Continue to mix on low until you don’t see any specs of flour, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Divide the batter evenly into the prepared pans, about 226 grams each.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the cake pans. (If you're baking at high altitude, be sure to check the Notes at the bottom of the recipe for high altitude baking instructions).
- To make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the powdered sugar, butter, and caramel sauce. Mix on low until combined, then speed mixer up to high for 1 to 3 minutes or until light and fluffy.
- To assemble the cake: Place a dollop of frosting on a cake stand or cake spinner and add the first cake layer. Using a cake spatula add a layer of frosting to the top of the cake. Drizzle with caramel sauce and sprinkle it with sea salt. Place the second cake layer on top, and repeat this process to crumb coat the cake completely.
- Frost the cake with some texture and add caramel sauce all over the top. Sprinkle the top with sea salt.
Notes
Nutrition
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The caramel is literally the icing on top for this one, so good!!