Classic Caramel Cake
 
Makes 1 (9-inch) cake
Ingredients
  • 2½ cups White Lily all-purpose flour
  • 1½ cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened and cubed
  • 1 cup whole buttermilk, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 4 large egg whites, room temperature
  • Caramel Frosting (recipe follows)
  • Garnish: crushed hard caramels
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line the bottoms of 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with parchment paper and spray with baking spray with flour.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt at low speed until combined. Add butter; beat until mixture looks sandy, about 1 minute. Add buttermilk and vanilla; beat until combined, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds. Scrape sides of bowl. With mixer at low speed, add 1 egg white, beating until combined, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds. Repeat with remaining egg whites, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Beat on medium-high speed until light and well combined.
  3. Evenly divide batter into prepared pans, smoothing tops. Run a wooden pick through the batter and then tap pans about 5 times on towel-lined countertops to remove air bubbles.
  4. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to25 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and let cool completely on wire racks. (See the How-To below about soaking this cake’s layers.)
  5. Spread Caramel Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Garnish with caramels, if desired.
Recipe by Taste of the South at https://tasteofthesouthmagazine.com/classic-caramel-cake/