Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Carla Hall's Caramel Cake


It's summer ... let us eat cake, Sugar Babies! With barbecues and birthdays, there's enough people gathered to help eat one. The best Southern Caramel Cake recipe was featured on The Chew, an afternoon cooking show. It has far too many steps. I like simple, not complicated. But ... this is a high protein cake, and the extra steps ... the pre-soften this and pre-whipped that, make the cake light and fluffy, so unfortunately, we can't take any shortcuts. Think about the delicious results while taking out three 9 inch cake pans and two large mixing bowls.


Start by preheating the oven to 350ºF. Grease the three 9 inch cake pans, then line each pan with parchment paper and grease and flour the parchment. Set aside.


Caramel Cake


Ingredients:

photo: mnn.com

4 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
2/3 cup buttermilk
4 teaspoons vanilla
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick soften unsalted butter
2/3 cup canola oil
1 cup heavy cream (whipped to soft peaks)

Directions: 


1) In mixing bowl #1: Add the eggs, vanilla and 2 tablespoons of buttermilk and whisk to combine.


2) In mixing bow #2: Add the shifted flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine. Add the butter, canola oil, and remaining buttermilk and mix to combine. 


3) Add the egg mixture in three parts, stirring to combine. From here, you want to be careful not to over mix. If you over mix the batter, the protein will make the cake tough and gummy. Mix only enough to combine the wet and dry ingredients. Fold the whipped cream into the batter.


4) Pour the batter into the 3 prepared cake pans. Tap the pans on the counter to release any air bubbles. Place the pans in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until the top springs back and the sides pull away from the pan.


5) Remove the cakes from the oven, rest for 10 minutes before removing from the pans. Next let cool completely before frosting.


Caramel Icing

photo: yammiesnoshery.com

Ingredients:

3 cups dark brown sugar
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

1) In a medium saucepan, add the brown sugar and cream. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat. Stir in butter and salt. 

2) Remove from the heat, allow to cool completely. Transfer caramel mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the powdered sugar. With the whisk attachment, whisk until combined and smooth. Pour over each layer of the cake. Let the frosting drip over the sides to cover. Allow to harden.

Mmm, worth every calorie and special enough to serve as a birthday cake. Thank you Ms. Cara Hall! 
Type the word "cake" in the blog's search box (upper left side) to pull up other homemade cake recipes. Cakes made from scratch are the best!

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7 comments:

  1. Mmmm, That does look and sound yummy, Debra. I can't bear to think of the calories though! Very much for special occasions, and I think I'd like it for a birthday cake too.

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    Replies
    1. I agree, I can't imagine the calories. This is a special treat cake, then we must eat healthy the rest of the year.

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  2. Hi! Can Carla Hall's Caramel Cake be made in a bundt pan? Mine is a Noric Ware bundt cake pan. It would mean pouring the caramel over the cake, not between three layers.

    Trish

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    Replies
    1. Hi Trish,

      Welcome, Trish!

      I'd be afraid to use a bundt cake the first time I made the cake. Sometimes I have found bundt pans hold more moisture and a cake can come out a bit gummy. You can still eat the cake, but it's still disappointing if the texture isn't exactly right. I tend to follow a recipe to a "t" the 1st time I make it. After I have a success, I feel more confident to experiment, to change an element. I have only used cake pans to make this cake and have not tried a bundt pan, myself. Good luck!

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  3. Thank you so much for your quick reply.

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  4. I should have added that I don't have 3 cake pans like the ones used. I can buy some. Just wondered if you had any other size suggestions.

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    Replies
    1. If you only have a bundt pan, but no cake pans you can always take the risk to see what happens. Unlike a brain surgeon, who only has one shot to get everything perfect, nobody will die from a less than perfect cake. In the event that I wanted to make more cakes, I would buy the pans. If not, I would take the risk and experiment with baking the cake a bundt pan. Be careful not to overfill it -- since the recipe calls for 3 pans, not just one. You might need to wash your bundt pan and refill it with batter for more than one bundt cake. My choice would be to buy the pans for this cake. But really, it's up to you ... and if you can use the pans for later baking.

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