3 Layer Caramel Cake
This 3 layer caramel cake recipe starts with 3 layers of moist buttermilk cake, with fluffy caramel buttercream frosting between each layer. The entire cake is frosted with more caramel buttercream, then garnished with chocolate toffee chips. This cake recipe is perfect to make for any occasion.
3 Layer Caramel Cake
Yes, I’m posting a 3 Layer Caramel Cake just when you’re starting your New Year’s resolutions. I apologize. Just pin this to bring to your next family gathering where you can sample just a sliver and sabotage everyone else’s diet. I’m sure there’s a kale salad on my blog somewhere if you want to move on!
I was watching The Chew about a month ago and Carla Hall baked up a caramel cake with a deep caramel colored icing poured over the top. The co-hosts were moaning with pleasure with every bite. I wanted to tackle this recipe even though the hubby snubs any caramel treat I make. Silly man.
But when I went to their website, those who had attempted this cake had major problems with the icing. Apparently, they found that briefly heating up large quantities of brown sugar and cream doesn’t necessarily make caramel. Duh. Lots of grainy disasters. I’ve had enough of those on my own. Thank.you.very.much. I had to find an alternative.
Caramel Buttercream Frosting
So, I made do. I took a regular buttercream frosting and added some caramel sauce. What do you know? Bill loved it. It wasn’t as caramelly as I would have liked, but it was a success as far as my family was concerned. If The Chew ever amends their recipe, I’ll give it a shot. Bill probably won’t be thrilled, but I still want to pour a non-grainy, caramel icing over my cake so I can swoon, too!
To make the caramel cake recipe, you may need:
- Three (3) 9-inch cake pans
- Frosting spatula (one of my most used kitchen tools!)
Caramel Cake
This 3 layer caramel cake recipe has 3 layers of moist buttermilk cake and fluffy caramel buttercream frosting.
Ingredients
Cake::
- 4 eggs
- 4 egg yolks
- 2/3 cup buttermilk
- 4 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 1/2 cups flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (4 ounces) butter, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup canola oil
- 1 cup heavy cream
Frosting::
- 1/2 cup (4 ounces) butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup caramel sauce, homemade or good quality store-bought
- 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup heavy cream (adjust to reach desired consistency)
- Heath bars, chopped, to garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º. Grease three 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment and grease parchment.
- In a large bowl, add the eggs, vanilla and 2 tablespoons of buttermilk, whisk to combine.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Add the butter, canola oil, and remaining buttermilk and mix to combine. Add the egg mixture in three parts, stirring to combine. Do not over mix.
- In another bowl, whip the cream till it forms soft peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the batter.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pans. Tap cake pans on the counter to release any air bubbles.
- Place in oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top springs back when touched with your finger and cake starts to pull away from the sides of the pan.
- Cool for 10 minutes, then remove the cakes from pans to cooling racks.
- To make the frosting, put butter and caramel sauce in a stand mixer and beat with paddle attachment for a few minutes until lightened
- Slowly add powdered sugar and mix in on low speed.
- Add the vanilla and most of the cream. Beat for a few minutes, adding more of the cream if needed to thin frosting.
- Frost cooled cake. Garnish with Heath bar bits if desired.
Notes
As always, total time does not reflect cooling times.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 699Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 154mgSodium: 436mgCarbohydrates: 110gFiber: 1gSugar: 81gProtein: 8g
Thatskinnychickcanbake.com occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although thatskinnychickcanbake.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe. Also, many recipes on thatskinnychickcanbake.com recommend toppings, which may or may not be listed as optional and nutritional information for these added toppings is not listed. Other factors may change the nutritional information such as when the salt amount is listed “to taste,” it is not calculated into the recipe as the amount will vary. Also, different online calculators can provide different results. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information obtained is accurate.
31 Comments on “3 Layer Caramel Cake”
UMMM I AM ANXIOUSLY AWAITING FOR YOU TO FIGURE OUT THAT CARAMEL ICING!
until then…this cake is pretty darned epic too. luuurve
Lizzy,
My hubby isn’t a fan of caramel either but he ate the homemade caramel I made a while ago. I love caramel and would love this cake too,.
Annamaria
Love the Chew and am so grateful for your more kitchen-friendly frosting. Now, I can add Caramel Cake to my to-do list =)
First of all, this looks amazing. Stunning cake Liz, congrats!
As for the ingredients, Panos adores anything with chocolate, but I prefer caramel. And since we had enough chocolate desserts in the Holidays, it’s time we try something we caramel again (even though last week we sweat to lay off the sweets for a while!) :):)
Thank you for the yummy recipe dear Liz! Pinned!
Have a great week ahead!
Lots of hugs!
xoxoxo
What a gorgeous cake! & the perfect flavor! I know I’ll have to try soon!
Start the year with a double caramel year is just….amazing and good!! It is not because we eat for all the Christmas time that we are stopped now ! so decadent!
I am always leery when a recipe has major issues in reviews. I’m glad you adapted it to make it work because this looks glorious!
I’ve to admit I’m not a fan of caramel, but I love the salted version. Maybe I can replace with salted caramel instead. xoxo
For some reason I’ve been meaning to make caramel cake for some weeks now. This recipe looks amazing Liz, which, of course, comes as no surprise at all! Have a great 2016!
The cake looks beautiful. How can you not like caramel? I guess my hubby is not a big fan of chocolate, go figure. I love the 3 layers for this cake, it makes it look fancy.
What’s wring with men these days!!!?? yours does not like Caramel and mine does not like chocolate!!! can you believe the tortured life I’m having with this man.. If I just knew before marrying him hahahaha. Do not worry, new year resolution or not, there is always room for caramel LOL. Loved the idea of sabotaging others’ diet , my problem is, most probably I will be too greedy to share this beautiful cake …. PINNED FOR FUTURE TORTURE 🙂