This post may contain affiliate links. Caramel apple cake Caramel Cake is perfect for that die hard caramel fan in your life. Homemade caramel sauce is used in the cake layers, frosting, and the drip! This Caramel Cake recipe is perfect for that die hard caramel fan in your life.
I am obsessed with how pretty this Caramel Cake turned out. Not only the perfectly smooth cake combed sides, but the caramel drip that was just the right consistency to not drip all the way down and create a hot mess. It’s not often things work out smoothly over here, so I need to celebrate it when it happens! Before we dive into the decorating of this pretty cake, let’s talk about how to make caramel, in case you’ve never done it before. It just requires some attention to detail. From Classic Cakes to Holiday favorites and everything in between. How to make Caramel There are a number of different ways you can make caramel, but I’m going to tell you about my favorite way to do it.
It requires very few ingredients and just a bit of patience. Please see my tutorial on How to make Caramel for more details. Once you have your tools and ingredients ready, place the sugar and water into a pot and stir to combine, but do not stir from this point forward. Stirring will cause the sugar to crystallize, and we don’t want that! Place the pot over med-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil.
Occasionally brush down the sides of the pot with water to prevent crystals from forming. Continue cooking the sugar until it starts to change color. This can take anywhere from 5-10mins depending on the amount of sugar, size of pot, temperature, etc. I recommend watching the sugar the entire time, as once it starts to color it can burn very quickly.
I never take my eyes off the pot while it’s cooking. Okay maybe I do for the first couple minutes or so, but I watch it like a hawk after that. When the sugar starts to caramelize and turn a bit yellow, you can swirl the pot a bit to mix it around. Continue cooking until the sugar is a nice amber color. It will start to smell AMAZING. It will bubble up a LOT, so be prepared.
Once all the cream is whisked in, add the butter and whisk until incorporated. Return to heat and simmer for 2mins. At this point I remove the pot from the heat and set it aside to cool. You could transfer the caramel to a heatproof container and let it cool that way instead. I sometimes place plastic wrap directly on top to prevent a skin from forming, but it’s not critical. If you do this, be careful, as the caramel is hot.
The caramel will thicken as it cools. You can leave it at room temperature overnight or place it in the fridge if storing for longer. If you store it in the fridge, you may need to warm it up a bit in the microwave before using. Be sure to check out my How to Make Caramel post for a detailed tutorial.