Recipes and Cooking Buttermilk Caramel Cake 1.0 (1) 1 Review "Now, that is a Southern cake right there," says Belinda Smith-Sullivan, chef, author, and creator of this cake. It's true to the Southern classic--a moist yellow cake with a cooked, fudgelike caramel frosting--but we added some edible blooms for flair on this layer cake recipe. By Belinda Smith-Sullivan Belinda Smith-Sullivan Facebook Instagram Website Belinda Smith-Sullivan is a chef, author, and spice blends entreprenuer. She has written three cookbooks on southern cuisine. Her line of artisan spice blends are carried in supermarkets throughout the southeast. Belinda completed her culinary internship at the SouthPark Marriot Hotel in Charlotte, NC. After graduating from Johnson & Wales she started a personal chef service. It was during that time that she developed and started producing her signature line of artisan spice blends, Chef Belinda Spices. Currently, her full-time business consists of marketing her spice blends and food writing, including cookbooks. Prior to culinary school, Belinda worked in corporate America as a training and development professional. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Published on December 10, 2020 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Carson Downing Hands On Time: 30 mins Total Time: 3 hrs Servings: 12 Jump to Nutrition Facts Ingredients 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon kosher salt 2 teaspoon baking soda 2 ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 3 cup granulated sugar 3 large eggs, at room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 ¾ cup buttermilk, at room temperature 1 ½ cup packed light brown sugar Directions Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat three 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray; line bottoms with parchment. In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer beat 1 cup butter on medium-high until fluffy and a pale yellow (1 minute). Add 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar; beat another 3 minutes, scraping bowl as needed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and beat well. Scrape down sides of bowl. Reduce mixer speed to lowest setting; add flour mixture and 1 1/4 cups buttermilk alternately, beginning and ending with flour. Divide batter evenly among pans. Bake about 25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Transfer to cooling racks and let cool in the pans 10 minutes. Invert layers onto cooling racks, remove paper, and let cool completely. If the layers are rounded on top, trim flat. Place a rack inside a sheet pan lined with parchment. Place a cardboard cake round covered in foil on rack. Invert one cake layer onto round. For frosting: In a 6-quart heavy-bottom pot combine the brown sugar with the remaining 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, 1 1/2 cups butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda. Cook over medium, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Watch carefully; once it comes to a boil, the mixture will foam up. Lower heat as necessary to prevent foaming over. Cook, uncovered, to 235°F degrees on a candy thermometer (30 to 35 minutes). Adjust heat as necessary to maintain a moderate, steady boil across surface. Remove from heat. Using a wooden spoon, beat until creamy, thick, and spreadable (8 to 10 minutes). Mixture will become lighter in color and start to lose its gloss. Working quickly before frosting starts to harden, spread some frosting on top of the cake layer on rack. Top it with a second cake layer and ice it. Place remaining layer on top. Pour frosting over top and allow it to drip down the sides, spreading evenly. If frosting starts to harden, warm over low. Spoon any frosting that pools at the base back over sides. For a smooth finish, dip spatula in hot water and go over the top and sides of cake. Serves 12. Rate it Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 776 Calories 40g Fat 100g Carbs 7g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 12 Calories 776 % Daily Value * Total Fat 40g 51% Saturated Fat 25g 125% Cholesterol 151mg 50% Sodium 463mg 20% Total Carbohydrate 100g 36% Total Sugars 80g Protein 7g Vitamin C 0.6mg 3% Calcium 153mg 12% Iron 1.8mg 10% Potassium 180mg 4% Fatty acids, total trans 2g Folate, total 58mcg Vitamin B-12 0.3mcg Vitamin B-6 0.1mg *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.