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Caramel Pecan Cake

Caramel Pecan Cake includes homemade caramel syrup, caramel frosting and a caramel cake! Covered in pecans or toffee bits this dessert will not disappoint!

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Caramel Syrup
  • 1 ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 ¼ cup boiling water
Cake
  • ½ cup butter 1 stick
  • 1 ¼ cups sugar divided
  • ¼ cup Caramel Syrup
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 large eggs
Caramel Frosting
  • 1 ½ cups butter, plus 1 tablespoon
  • 7 ½ cups powdered or icing sugar
  • 1 ⅛ cups heavy or whipping cream (35%)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon salt
Decorations
  • pecans, chopped
  • Toffee bits
  • chocolate chips or chinks

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Get out all of your ingredients, you are going to be making the Best Caramel Cake around!
Caramel Syrup
    Cup of Yum
  1. In a small, heavy bottomed skillet or saucepan, pour sugar inside over low heat. Stir constantly until it is melted into a brown liquid.
  2. Allow sugar to bubble, about 20 minutes, keep stirring.
  3. Once all of the sugar is brown and bubbly remove from heat.
  4. Slowly add boiling water and continue stirring constantly.
  5. Next allow to cool inside a container with a lid. Use ¼ cup for this cake recipe and use the rest for something else! I usually save it and use on ice cream as it is wonderful!
Cake
  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a 13x9 inch pan with cooking spray and parchment paper.  Set aside.  
  2. In a large mixing bowl, ideally using a handheld mixer, beat butter until smooth.  
  3. Slowly add 1 cup of sugar, beating until smooth and creamy. Beat in the syrup and set aside. 
  4. In a medium sized bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt.
  5. Add all of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture.  
  6. Add milk.  Blend until totally incorporated.  
  7. In a separate, medium sized mixing bowl beat eggs for about 3 minutes.  The eggs will look foamy.
  8. Add remaining sugar to egg mixture and beat until mixture resembles a spongy foam, another 3 minutes. Stir it gently into cake batter until well blended. 
  9. Pour batter into your prepared pan.  
  10. Bake for between 25 and 35 minutes.    
  11. When you press on the center of the cake it should bounce back or a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.
  12. Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes and then on a wire rack.  
  13. Prepare icing for when your cake is cool.
Caramel Frosting
  1. First you have to brown your butter in a heavy pot over medium heat.  Keep watching and stirring because the butter will burn to a black if you are not.
  2. Allow the butter to cool.
  3. Pour the cooled butter into a large mixing bowl.
  4. Add icing or powdered sugar, cream, vanilla and salt.  Beat until smooth.
  5. If you prefer the icing stiffer or a harder consistency add a tablespoon or so of heavy or whipping cream.
The End
  1. Spread icing or frosting all over sides and top of your cake in any pattern or design you wish. Sprinkle top with chopped pecans, chocolate chips or pieces or toffee bits. Enjoy!