Old-Fashioned Caramel Cake

Buttery, rich, and decadent, this old-fashioned caramel cake is easy to make and guaranteed to please. A basic recipe structure yields a cake with the texture of pound cake that offers hints of luscious caramel flavor without being too sweet or overpowering.

Learn everything you need to know about making caramel cake. Plus, find out how to store it so it's every bit as good on day three as day one.

What Is Old-Fashioned Caramel Cake?

A traditional Southern caramel cake is essentially a yellow cake, though we add rum extract to the batter to give it a bit more caramel-y flavor on its own.

What takes it from simple to special, and from yellow cake to caramel cake, is the Caramel Frosting. And while the cake batter comes together in a flash, the frosting is a bit more finicky; you have to make a caramel on the stove, constant stirring and candy thermometer and all, before beating it with a stand mixer until it reaches the consistency of spreadable frosting.

Caramel Cake Ingredients

Before you get to the frosting, there are a few ingredients you’ll need for the cake itself.

• Sour cream and milk: Whenever there’s sour cream in a cake recipe, it’s a signal that the cake is going to be extra moist and rich. We use it here, in addition to milk, to ensure the cake stands up to the Caramel Frosting.
• Butter, sugar, and eggs: You’ll find these staple cake ingredients in almost every batter.
• Flour, baking powder, and salt: Ditto these dry ingredients. No need to buy cake flour for this recipe; we prefer the all-purpose you already have on hand.
• Vanilla and rum extracts: Vanilla and rum extracts are added to the batter to further enhance the flavor of the cake and help it mesh with the powerfully sweet frosting. 

How To Make Caramel Cake

The full recipe is further below, but here's a basic outline of this caramel cake recipe:

• Step 1. Combine wet ingredients: First, combine the milk and sour cream. Then, cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time.
• Step 2. Add dry ingredients: Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt, and add to the butter mixture alternately with the sour cream mixture. Beat just until blended, then add the extracts. Scoop the batter into greased and flour cake pans.
• Step 3. Bake cake layers: Bake until golden and a pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before adding any type of frosting.

How To Frost Old-Fashioned Caramel Cake 

This part is super important: Your cake must be completely and utterly cool before you begin to frost it. If it’s even a little bit warm, the icing you worked so hard to make is going to slide right off the surface of your cake.

To be extra certain that your frosting won’t melt, you can even cool the cake layers completely, wrap them in plastic wrap, and chill them in the fridge for two hours before you begin to frost.

Once you’re certain your cake layers are cool, place a small dollop of frosting on your serving plate (to hold the cake in place) and place the first layer on top. Cover the top of the cake layer with frosting, then top with the second layer. Then use the rest of your Caramel Frosting to coat the top and sides of the cake.

Can You Make Caramel Cake Ahead?

One way to ensure your frosting won’t melt, plus free up your oven on the day of your party or holiday gathering, is to bake your caramel cake up to a few weeks in advance and freeze the layers.

To do so, cool your cake completely, then wrap each layer in several pieces of plastic wrap followed by a piece of aluminum foil, and pop them in the freezer (don’t forget to label them!).

The day before you plan to serve the cake, transfer your cake layers to the fridge to thaw overnight, then move them to the counter to sit and come to room temperature as you make the frosting.

How To Store Caramel Cake

Any leftover cake can be stored at room temperature up to 3 days or in the fridge up to 1 week. Just be sure to cover the cake with plastic wrap or store in an airtight cake container.

You can also freeze caramel cake, though be aware that caramel frosting may sweat during thawing and become grainy. To freeze caramel cake, wrap the cake (slices are ideal) in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze up to 3 months, and thaw overnight in the fridge. Let come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before eating for the best texture.

Editorial contributions by Alyssa Sybertz.