This authentic southern caramel cake recipe is built on a soft yellow butter cake. The sweet icing is made with homemade caramel and it really makes the cake. There is no wonder this is the queen of classic southern cakes.
Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by greasing and dusting with flour.
In your mixer bowl, cream room temperature butter and sugar. Add eggs, mixing until blended after adding each one.
In a separate mixing bowl, mix together dry ingredients.
Add 1/3 of flour mixture to butter mixture and mix until just blended. Stir in sour cream and vanilla.
Add 1/3 more of dry mixture, again mixing until just blended. Stir in milk, then add last dry ingredient portion and mix until just incorporated.
Spread into your cake batter in prepared cake pans.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes and then invert onto wire racks and let cool completely.
Caramel Frosting
Place the first ⅓ cup of sugar in the bottom of a large heavy-bottomed saucepan.
Stirring frequently, cook over medium heat until it melts and becomes lightly golden brown. This will take about 3 minutes and don’t worry if the sugar clumps a bit.
In a second sauce pan, combine flour, sugar and salt. Whisk in cold milk until combined and any lumps are worked out. Place over medium-high heat and cook until it comes to a boil, stirring constantly.
Pour ¼ of the hot milk mixture into the caramelized sugar. Whisk until combined. Slowly add the rest of the hot milk, stirring as you go.
Cover mixture and cook over low heat for 2 minutes. Uncover and turn heat to medium, without stirring cook until it reaches 238°F on a candy thermometer (softball stage.) This will take about 10 minutes.
Add butter and stir until well blended. Remove from heat and let sit for about an hour.
Pour into stand mixer bowl. Add vanilla and mix on medium speed for 20 minutes.
Spread immediately over cake, working quickly before it sets up.
Optional: Arrange apple slices on the top of the cake if desired.