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Gigi's Fabulous Caramel Cake

Source of Recipe


From "Southern Cakes" by Nancie McDermott



List of Ingredients



• -- Cake --
  
• ¾ cup butter (1½ sticks)
  
• 1 cup milk
  
• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
  
• 2¾ tsp baking powder
  
• ½ tsp salt
  
• 4 eggs
  
• 2 cups sugar
  
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  
• .
  
• -- Caramel Icing --
  
• 1 (1-pound) box (about 2 2/3 cups) light brown sugar
  
• ½ cup butter (1 stick)
  
• 7 Tbsp evaporated milk
  
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  






Instructions



1. Heat oven to 325° F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
   For the cake, combine butter and milk in small saucepan and cook over low heat until the butter melts. Stir well and let cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and stir with a fork to mix well. In a large bowl, combine the eggs and sugar and beat well at high speed, scraping down the bowl often, until light yellow, smooth, and thick. Stir flour mixture into the egg mixture, mixing only until the flour disappears. Add the cooled-milk mixture and the vanilla, stir well, and divide the batter between the prepared pans.
   
   
2. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until the cakes are a pale golden brown, spring back when touched lightly in the center and begin to pull away from the sides of the pans.
   
   
3. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes on wire racks or folded kitchen towels. Then turn out the cakes onto wire racks or plates to cool completely, top side up.
   
   
4. To make the icing, have the cake layers handy and ready for frosting, so that you can spread the warm frosting quickly once it is ready. In a heavy, medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, evaporated milk and vanilla. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir well and then adjust the heat so that the frosting boils and bubbles gently. Cook for 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
   
   
5. Beat the warm icing with a wooden spoon until it thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Place a cake layer, top side down, on a cake stand or serving platter. Quickly spread some icing over the top and cover it with the second cake layer, top side up. Ice the top quickly and then spread the icing over the sides. Dip a table knife in very hot water to help soften and smooth out the icing once it is spread.
   
   Makes 8 to 10 servings.
   
   






Final Comments


If the icing becomes too hard to spread, warm gently over low heat, add a spoonful or two of evaporated milk, and then scrape and stir well until the icing softens enough to spread again.