Light and fluffy with a delicious caramel flavor, this Homemade Caramel Cake is a tasty southern inspired recipe that is great for any and all occasions.
Preheat the oven 350°F. Lightly spray 2 9-inch cake pans with baking spray. Place parchment paper in the bottom of the pans. Spray the top of the paper with baking spray. Set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment mix the butter with the oil until combined.
Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat them together on medium speed for 3 minutes.
Next, add the eggs one at a time until fully mixed in. Stir in the vanilla.
Add half of the dry ingredients and stir it in until combined.
Next, add half of the buttermilk, stir until combined. Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients and buttermilk, scraping down the sides as needed.
Divide the batter between the two cake pans. Take a spatula and smooth out the top, this will ensure the cakes bake evenly.
Bake for 22-28 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely in the pan.
When the cakes are cool and you are ready to assemble, cut any doming or uneven parts off the cake if there are any, and then make the frosting.
Place the light brown sugar, dark brown sugar, butter, and salt into a medium-sized saucepot.
Place the pot over medium heat and whisk constantly until the butter and the sugars are melted. Pour in the evaporated milk then the heavy cream, whisk to combine.
Bring to a simmer and simmer for 4 minutes, it will start to thicken. Immediately pour into a heatproof bowl.
Using an electric hand mixer, add the powdered sugar a little at a time until fully mixed in, and then mix in the vanilla.
When the frosting is done, we need to work fast to frost the cake while it is still spreadable.
Place one of the cakes top side up onto your serving platter. Add ¾ cup of the frosting and using an off-set spatula or something similar, spread it out over the top of the cake.
Place the other cake top side down on top. Frost the sides and top of the cake as fast as you can before the frosting hardens.
Let the cake sit until the frosting completely hardens, about 2 hours before slicing to serve.
Notes
You can use a yellow cake mix if you'd like.
This can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
This is a sweet cake but the flavors balance out nicely.
If you don't have dark brown sugar, light brown can be substituted.
This is best eaten at room temperature.
Other toppings can be added, see suggestions above.