Don’t let the simple look of this cake fool you! Old Fashioned Caramel Snack Cake is rich, tender and soft. Made with a homemade caramel sauce that flavors the cake and topped with a burnt sugar icing for an incredibly delicious snack, anytime of the day!
September has arrived and I’ve got fall on the brain. I’m ready for cooler temps, and “sweater weather.” I’m also ready to start baking a few goodies for the holidays. I recently came across this cake recipe and after taking a good look at the ingredient list, I knew this was right up my alley. Now, fall screams of pumpkin everything for lots of people but for me, I love the warm flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg and of course, caramel. That’s why this scratch made cake has now become one of my all time FAVORITES.
This Old Fashioned Caramel Snack Cake is simple to make and only requires one pan unlike a layer cake does. It’s a bit lighter than a traditional caramel cake without sacrificing all the flavor. The key is the caramel sauce. It’s beat into the cake batter which when baked, has all the rich, butter flavor of caramel with the texture of pound cake. Oh my goodness! If that’s not enough, the Burnt Sugar Icing takes this cake to a whole new level. It’s velvety and sweet putting just the right, finishing touch on a cake that’s destined to become a family favorite.
What you’ll need to make Old Fashioned Caramel Snack Cake:
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- salt
- vanilla extract
- milk
- unsalted butter
- sugar
- eggs
- confectioners sugar
Tips for making this cake:
- Make the Caramel Syrup and let it cool before you make the cake and icing. I’ve made mine a day ahead of time and stored it in a mason jar until I was ready to bake my cake.
- Cook the caramel syrup until it is the color of tea – a rich golden brown.
- Do not shortcut the whipping time in the cake making instructions. The butter must be whipped until light a fluffy which will give the cake an incredible texture when baked.
- Cool the cake completely! If you don’t, the icing will melt.
Want more fall recipes? Try these dishes that are sure to keep you warm and cozy!
- Southern Style Chicken Stew
- Pumpkin Cake Squares
- Beef Tips Shepherds Pie
- Apple Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread
- Sweet Potato Pie
- Braised Chicken Thighs
- Pumpkin Spice Dump Cake
Follow A Southern Soul on Pinterest and Instagram!
Equipment
Ingredients
Caramel Syrup
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup boiling water
Cake
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup unsalted butter - room temperature (2 sticks)
- 1 ¾ cup sugar
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup caramel syrup
Burnt Sugar Icing
- 3 ¾ cups confectioners sugar - sifted
- ¾ cup caramel syrup
- ¼ cup unsalted butter - room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3-4 tablespoons milk or half & half
Instructions
Caramel Syrup
- To a sauce pan, add sugar and water. Dissolve sugar over medium low heat, stirring on and off until melted and color turns "tea" brown. Very carefully, add the boiling water, pouring it down the side of the pan. Syrup will foam up. Continue to cook, stirring until caramel is thinned and develops a golden caramel color. Set aside.
Cake
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9x13 inch pan. Set aside
- Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add vanilla to milk and stir to blend.
- To the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, add butter and beat on low until soft. Continuing to beat with speed increased for 1 to 2 minutes until butter is light and fluffy. Slowly add in sugar and continue to beat for 7 minutes. Add in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well. Pour in ½ cup of caramel syrup and beat. Add in ⅓ of flour mixture then ½ of milk. Mix well, then add ⅓ of flour, remaining milk and mix. Add in last ⅓ of flour and beat until incorporated.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Tap pan on counter to remove any air bubbles. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until cake is golden brown and sides start to pull away from pan. Cool on a rack for 20 minutes. Top with Burnt Sugar Icing.
Burnt Sugar Icing
- In a bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, mix together confectioners sugar, caramel syrup, butter and vanilla. Beat for 2 minutes. Scrap down sides of bowl. Add in 2 tablespoons of milk and continue beating until icing is smooth, about the consistency of peanut butter. If too thick add more milk, too thin, add more sugar.
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