Best Caramel Cake Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is caramel cake made of? ›

Caramel Cake Ingredients

We use it here, in addition to milk, to ensure the cake stands up to the Caramel Frosting. Butter, sugar, and eggs: You'll find these staple cake ingredients in almost every batter. Flour, baking powder, and salt: Ditto these dry ingredients.

The Duncan Hines Caramel Cake Mix is AWESOME as a base for cakes.

Butterscotch vs Caramel

The difference between butterscotch and caramel is that caramel is made with white granulated sugar and cooked to 340 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas butterscotch is made with brown sugar and cooked to 289 degrees Fahrenheit.

As a professional baker, I don't often use boxed mixes, but I appreciate how easily they bring a cake together. I think premade mixes are great for beginners gaining confidence around the kitchen and also for last-minute cake "emergencies."

All this means that adding mayonnaise to the cake batter boosts the moisture of the final product—and leaves none of its characteristic taste. Testing showed that using oil or butter instead of mayo made for a drier cake, but keeping the eggs in addition to the mayonnaise improved richness and springiness.

Step 1: Look at the directions on the cake mix. Step 2: Add one more egg (or add 2 if you want it to be very rich). Step 3: Use melted butter instead of oil and double the amount. Step 4: Instead of water, use whole milk.

Baking tip #2: adding milk to your box cake mix in place of water adds a dense texture to your dessert leaving it moist and flavorful like a homemade cake. Or, if you prefer, you can add buttermilk, giving your cake a tangy flavor to balance out the sweetness.

Substitute full fat milk or buttermilk for water, and whip the egg whites separately and fold them into the batter. Add some flavors or spices which will pair well with the basic flavor of the mix. Cinnamon, vanilla, instant coffee or orange extract will all enhance the taste of a simple chocolate cake.

Is caramel made from condensed milk? ›

There are 2 ways to make this superb caramel made from a can of condensed milk. You can boil a can in a saucepan for 3 hours or do it in a slow cooker. As a can of Dulce de leche will happily keep unopened in the pantry for months (as if!), I like to do a big batch – 4-6 cans at a time.

Ok you may not have known this but, ~newsflash~ caramel is literally just cooked sugar with a little bit of butter (for stability) and heavy cream (for flavor & mouthfeel) stirred in at the end. The longest (and “hardest”) part of making caramel is just toasting and melting down the sugar at the very beginning.

Caramel is, simply, burned sugar. We want to let it melt, darken to an amber color and take on a deep and bittersweet flavor. The best, most flavorful caramel starts with this step. You can caramelize sugar two ways— with the dry method or wet method.

It is buttery and perfectly sweetened with brown sugar. A pinch of salt boosts the flavor, while heavy cream adds to its luscious texture. The brown sugar is dissolved into and caramelized in melted butter. You'll then add salt and cream, boil it for a few minutes, and remove it from the heat.