Name: Caramel Cake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 16 servings
Cuisine: North America, Southern
Ingredients: 1 cup butter, softened; 1/4 cup canola oil; 2 cups packed brown sugar; 5 large eggs, room temperature; 3 large egg yolks, room temperature; 1 cup sour cream; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 3 cups all-purpose flour; 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; FROSTING:; 1 cup butter; 1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar; 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 4 cups confectioners' sugar

When a vanilla or chocolate cake seems too ordinary, choose this caramel cake with its layers of brown sugar-infused cake and rich caramel frosting.

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup canola oil

2 cups packed brown sugar

5 large eggs, room temperature

3 large egg yolks, room temperature

1 cup sour cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

FROSTING:

1 cup butter

1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 cups confectioners' sugar

Instructions

1 Prep the cake pans

2 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottoms of three greased 9-inch round baking pans with parchment.

3 Make the cake batter

4 In a large bowl, beat together the brown sugar, butter and oil at medium speed until they're smooth. Beat in the whole eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, until the mixture is fluffy, two to three minutes. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract. In another large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, beating well after each addition. Evenly divide the batter among the three prepared pans.

5 Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let them cool on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and let them cool completely on the wire racks. Editor's Tip: Allowing the cakes to cool completely helps will help the frosting set. Once the cakes have completely cooled, trim off any domed tops with a serrated knife.

6 Make the caramel frosting

7 In a heavy saucepan, bring the butter and brown sugar to a boil. Cook them for two minutes, stirring consistently. Remove the pan from the heat. Slowly stir in the heavy cream and vanilla. Let the caramel cool to room temperature. Transfer the caramel to a large mixing bowl and beat in the confectioners' sugar.

8 Frost the cake

9 Place one cake layer on a serving plate and spread it with a third of the frosting. Repeat the process with the other layers. Top with the remaining cake layer, and frost the top with the remaining frosting. Editor's Tip: An offset spatula is one of our favorite frosting tools. It makes spreading the frosting a breeze.

10 Chill the cake

11 Chill until frosting is set, about 30 minutes, then serve.