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easy caramel cake from box mix 962181875 q1

Easy caramel cake from box mix

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Learn how to make box cake mix taste like caramel cake with this easy recipe for beginners! Features a 3 ingredient caramel frosting.
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Servings: 1
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American, French
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) granulated sugar divided use
  • 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) granulated sugar divided use
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) boiling water
  • 12 tablespoons (180 ml) unsalted butter or margarine equivalent to 3/4 cup
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup (240 ml) milk
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
  • 3 cups (720 ml) cake flour sifted
  • 3 1/2 teaspoons (17.5 ml) baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon (3.75 ml) salt
  • 3 cups (720 ml) light brown sugar firmly packed
  • 1 cup (240 ml) half and half
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) half and half
  • 1/2 stick (55 g) butter equivalent to 4 tablespoons
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract

Method
 

  1. Melt 1/3 cup sugar in a heavy skillet, stirring constantly until it forms a deep-brown caramelized syrup.
  2. Remove from heat and slowly stir in boiling water, using caution to avoid steam burns.
  3. Set the syrup aside to cool.
  4. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  5. Grease two 9-inch cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and grease and flour the bottoms and sides.
  6. Cream the butter in an electric mixer bowl.
  7. Add 1 1/4 cups sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
  8. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  9. Stir in 4 tablespoons of the reserved syrup.
  10. Sift the cake flour, baking powder, and salt together.
  11. Combine the milk and vanilla.
  12. Add the flour mixture to the batter alternately with the milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour.
  13. Beat until smooth.
  14. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  15. Remove pans from the oven, let stand for 10 minutes, then turn cakes onto a wire rack, peel off the paper, and cool completely.
  16. Prepare the frosting.
  17. Mix sugar and half-and-half in a heavy saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring until the syrup reaches the soft-ball stage (235°F).
  18. Test for doneness by dropping a small amount of syrup into cold water if a thermometer is not available.
  19. Confirm the soft-ball stage when the syrup can be gathered with fingers and nearly holds its shape.
  20. Remove the pan from the heat.
  21. Stir in the butter and let the syrup cool.
  22. Add vanilla and beat until the frosting reaches a spreadable consistency.
  23. Add a little cream or half-and-half if the mixture is too thick.

Notes

Safety First: When you add the boiling water to the dark sugar syrup, be incredibly careful because it will hiss and bubble up violently, so I always use a long-handled spoon to keep my hand