Description
Homemade caramel cake celebrates Southern baking traditions with rich, golden layers and silky frosting. Sweet memories and warm hospitality blend seamlessly when friends gather around this classic dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1¾ cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (240 ml) milk
- 1 cup (240 ml) brewed coffee, cooled
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup (75 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1½ tsps baking powder
- 1½ tsps baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 jar caramel sauce (12.25 oz / 347 g)
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz / 397 g)
- Chocolate sauce
Instructions
- Preparation: Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, ensuring even distribution of flour and cocoa powder.
- Batter Creation: Integrate wet ingredients using an electric mixer at medium speed, blending until a silky, homogeneous mixture forms.
- Coffee Infusion: Gently incorporate coffee into the batter, maintaining a smooth liquid consistency.
- Baking Preparation: Pour batter into a 9×13 inch baking dish, leveling the surface with a spatula for uniform baking.
- Oven Transformation: Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 35-40 minutes, verifying doneness with a clean toothpick test.
- Cooling and Perfecting: Allow cake to rest briefly, gently pressing any uneven areas to create a smooth surface.
- Caramel Infusion: Create strategic punctures across the cake using a wooden spoon handle to facilitate caramel absorption.
- Caramel Blend: Mix caramel sauce with condensed milk to develop a rich, luxurious coating.
- Moisture Integration: Methodically drench the cake with the caramel mixture, ensuring complete penetration through the prepared channels.
- Flavor Melding: Refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours, allowing the dessert to set and flavors to harmonize.
- Final Flourish: Embellish with a generous drizzle of chocolate sauce before serving, elevating the cake’s visual and gustatory appeal.
Notes
- Measure Precisely: Use exact measurements for dry and wet ingredients to maintain the cake’s perfect texture and consistency.
- Coffee Integration: Select a high-quality, robust coffee to enhance the cake’s depth of flavor without overpowering other ingredients.
- Hole-Punching Technique: Create multiple, evenly distributed punctures to maximize caramel absorption and ensure uniform flavor distribution.
- Chilling Strategy: Allow sufficient refrigeration time to let flavors meld and develop a rich, decadent texture that elevates the dessert’s overall taste profile.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 385
- Sugar: 36 g
- Sodium: 220 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 56 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg