Diana's Desserts - www.dianasdesserts.com
http://www.dianasdesserts.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/recipes.recipeListing/filter/dianas/recipeID/941/Recipe.cfm

Aunt Lily's Caramel Layer Cake

Servings: 8-10
Comments:
This is my husband Kenny's favorite cake. He loves the taste of caramel, and he really likes the combination of caramel with the pecan halves as a garnish to top the cake off....Diana, Diana's Desserts


Ingredients:
For The Cake:
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup (4 ounces/1 stick/113g) butter or stick margarine, softened
2 large eggs
1 large egg white
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For The Caramel Frosting:
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup evaporated milk
2 1/2 tablespoons (1.25 oz/35g) butter or stick margarine
2 teaspoons light-colored corn syrup
Dash of salt
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Garnish: (optional)
Pecan Halves

You Will Need For Baking:
Two 9-inch round cake pans
Waxed paper or parchment paper


Instructions:
To Prepare the Cake:
Coat two (9-inch/23cm) round cake pans with cooking spray; line bottoms with wax paper or parchment paper. Coat paper with cooking spray; dust with the 1 tablespoon flour.

Beat granulated sugar and 1/2 cup butter at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs and egg white, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Lightly spoon 2 1/4 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 2 1/4 cups flour, baking powder, and salt; stir well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with 1 1/4 cups milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla.

Pour batter into prepared pans, and sharply tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350 degrees F (180 C) for 30 minutes* (see note), or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans. Carefully peel off wax paper or parchment paper; cool completely on wire rack.

*Note: If using non-stick or dark colored cake pans, bake at 325 degrees F (160 C), and bake for 25-27 minutes.

To Prepare the Caramel Frosting:
Combine brown sugar and next 4 ingredients (brown sugar through salt) in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat, and simmer until thick (about 5 minutes), stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Add confectioners' sugar and 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla; beat at medium speed of a mixer until smooth and slightly warm. Cool 2 to 3 minutes (frosting will be thin but thickens as it cools).

Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spoon 1/2 cup frosting on to cake layer spreading to cover. Top with remaining cake layer. Frost top and sides of cake, and garnish top of cake with pecan halves (optional). Store cake loosely covered in refrigerator.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Photograph taken by Diana Baker Woodall© 2002


Source: DianasDesserts.com
Date: October 26, 2002