Caramel Goodness White Cake

Recipe by Jennifer Noble, Granville, Ohio
First place, Sauces (All Other), 2017

Baking temperature: n/a
Baking time: n/a
Yield: 5 cups

Ingredients

Cake:

• 3 ¼ cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 ½ cups whole milk
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Salted Caramel filling:

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 6 salted butter, room temperature cut into 6 pieces
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp. salt

Cream cheese frosting:

• 8 cream cheese, softened
• 5 tbsp. butter, softened
• 1 tbsp. sour cream
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar, sifted

Instructions

Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare (2) 9” pans by coasting with butter or baking spray. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt until fully combined; set aside.
4. In separate bowl, add melted butter.
5. Then using a metal whisk, add sugar, eggs, sour cream, milk and vanilla extract until fully combine.
6. Slowly add the dry ingredients and fold together until combines, careful not to over mix. There should be some lumps.
7. Using a rubber spatula, add batter to pans.
8. Bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
9. Remove from oven and let cool in pans for 10 minutes.
10. Gently remove from pan and finish cooling on a cooling rack for at least 45 minutes before icing.
11. Once completely cool, apply a crumb coat of icing on both layers.
12. Cover one cake layer with cooled salted caramel. Stack second cake layer on top of salted caramel covered layer.
13. Finishing icing cake completely and top with sprinkles, if desired.
14. Slice and enjoy.

Salted caramel filling:

1. Heat granulated and brown sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a high heat resistant rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
2. Sugar will form clumps and eventually melt into a thick brown, amber-colored liquid as you continue to stir. Be careful not to burn.
3. Once sugar is completely melted, immediately add butter. Be careful in this step because the caramel will bubble rapidly when the butter is added.
4. Stir the butter into the caramel until it is completely melted, about 2-3 minutes. A whisk helps if you find the butter is separating from the sugar.
5. Very slowly, drizzle in ½ cup heavy cream while stirring. Since the heavy cream is colder than the caramel, the mixture will rapidly bubble and/or splatter when added.
6. Allow mixture to boil for 1 minute. It will rise in the pan as it boils.
7. Remove from heat and stir 1 tsp. salt. Allow to cool down before using in cake layers.

Cream cheese frosting:

1. Using a stand mixer, mix cream cheese, butter, sour cream, vanilla extract and powdered sugar until fully combine and fluffy.