Enjoy a traditional homemade Southern caramel cake made from scratch! This delicious dessert is a perfectly moist yellow cake topped with sweet caramel icing. Perfect for special occasions!
Hi friends, today I’m back with a homemade cake recipe. I will show you how to make the best homemade Southern caramel cake completely from scratch! A while ago, I made a semi-homemade caramel cake. Although many of you loved it, some of you requested that I make a homemade cake. Well, sweetie pies, your requests have been answered!
Now, I will warn y’all that this cake is a labor of love. It’s a sweet, decadent cake that is totally worth the effort, but it does take a hot minute to make! I suggest sticking to the recipe and steps I’ve provided for the best results. The homemade caramel frosting can be a tad bit complicated, but practice makes perfect! If you’re going to make this cake for a special occasion, I suggest doing a test run or two before the big day.
The great news is that this traditional Southern caramel cake is always a hit with the crowd, so no matter what excuse you have for making it, the cake will never go to waste, and you’ll only get even better at making it over time!
Ingredients for Homemade Southern Caramel Cake
As I said before, this yummy cake is made entirely from scratch. You won’t find any boxed cake mix here, Cousins! The ingredients for this cake recipe are actually pretty straightforward. Here’s what you need to make a decadent Southern caramel cake from scratch.
For the cake, you’ll need the following:
- Classic dry ingredients, including all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Wet ingredients, including eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract.
- Buttermilk makes this from-scratch cake creamy and rich.
- Sour cream helps keep this homemade yellow cake perfectly moist.
For the homemade caramel icing, you’ll need:
- Granulated sugar—you definitely want to use only white sugar for this recipe.
- Heavy cream
- Salted butter (You could use unsalted butter, but it’s better with salted!)
- Real vanilla extract—no imitation vanilla allowed here!
- All-purpose flour will help thicken the icing.
Equipment Needed to Make Southern Caramel Cake
If you want to make this recipe a little easier for yourself, I highly recommend using the right equipment! To make the best caramel cake, I recommend using:
- 9-inch cake pans for the yellow cake.
- A hand mixer to mix the cake batter ingredients.
- A wire cooling rack to allow the cakes to cool completely before frosting.
- A stand mixer to whip the homemade caramel frosting.
- Plenty of mixing bowls and pots (for real); this recipe uses three mixing bowls and two saucepans. I apologize in advance for the dishes!
How to Make a Traditional Homemade Southern Caramel Cake from Scratch
Are y’all ready to learn how to make a traditional Southern caramel cake? As I said, this cake is a labor of love (but worth it). There are quite a few steps—mostly when you get to making the caramel frosting.
If this is your first time making a from-scratch caramel cake, leave yourself plenty of time! It will take about two hours from start to finish, including time to allow both the cakes and the frosting to cool. So let’s jump on into it.
Step 1: Make the Cake Batter
Start by creaming the vegetable oil and sugar together in a mixing bowl. Next, add in the eggs one at a time and use your hand mixer to mix until well-combined and creamy. This step should only take a few minutes. You can also add the vanilla extract here, but I typically add it to the batter later.
You will combine the sour cream and buttermilk in a second mixing bowl. Mix these two ingredients together until they’re nice and creamy. Finally, combine the dry ingredients in a third mixing bowl: all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Sift these together for a clump-free flour mixture.
Alternating between the three bowls, combine the ingredients together and mix using your hand mixer. Add a little bit of the sour cream mixture to the egg and sugar mixture and mix. Then add the flour mixture and mix. Continue adding the three bowls together until they’re combined into one mixture. You should set your hand mixer on a low speed to ensure you don’t over-mix the cake batter (which will result in a tough and dry cake). This cake batter recipe makes enough for two 9-inch cakes.
Step 2: Grease & Flour the Cake Tins, then Bake the Cake
To grease the cake pans, use a little bit of butter, oil, or cooking spray to coat the bottom of the pan. Then take a tablespoon of all-purpose flour and spread it evenly over the surface of the cake pan until it’s completely covered. Dump out any excess flour and use it to coat the second pan. You can also use a non-stick baking spray or line the cake pans with parchment paper. All of these options help ensure the cake will not stick to the pan.
Next, bake each cake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Once done, let them cool slightly in the pans. Then you’ll want to remove them from the cake pans to cool completely on a wire rack. It’s really important that the cakes are cooled to room temperature before frosting.
Step 3: Make the Homemade Caramel Sauce
In this step, we make the caramel sauce that we will whip into a sweet and decadent caramel frosting. Making this sauce is a delicate process, so follow these directions carefully and always keep an eye on your pans!
First, you’re going to pour some granulated white sugar into a saucepan over medium heat and allow that to melt. Watch this pan—it will take a few minutes, but you don’t want it to burn! Use a rubber spatula to stir the sugar as it melts.
In a separate saucepan, make your cream mixture. Mix sugar, cream, and flour, then bring to a boil. Add a few tablespoons of this cream mixture to the caramelized sugar in the other pan. It will bubble a lot, but that’s okay! Mix well, then add that mixture to the rest of the cream mixture. Let this cook for 10-15 minutes over medium heat, occasionally stirring, so the bottom doesn’t burn.
Finally, add butter to the caramel mixture and mix until it’s completely melted. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla extract, and we’re ready to whip this baby up into icing. (Side note: stop at this point if you want the perfect caramel sauce to drizzle on ice cream, coffee cakes, or for a dip.)
Step 4: Make the Caramel Cake Frosting
For this step, I highly recommend using a stand mixer. You can make the caramel cake frosting by hand, but it’s a lot of mixing!
If you’re using a stand mixture, pour the caramel sauce into the bowl of a stand mixer. Set the mixer to level 4 or 6—medium speed—and let the frosting mix for about 20 minutes. It should turn into a light and creamy caramel mixture. It will be runny, but this is okay.
Step 5: Time to Ice the Homemade Cake
I use two layers of caramel frosting when making my Southern caramel cake recipe. It’s decadent but oh so good! For this step, pour half of the caramel frosting into a freezer-safe bowl. Cover and place in the freezer for about 10 minutes. You DO NOT want it fully frozen, only stiffened up to the texture of a thicker frosting.
The other half of the caramel frosting will be used for the first layer of cake. Pour the frosting over the bottom cake layer and spread it out. I recommend doing this over the wire rack so the frosting can drain and not pool along the edges of the cake. Then stack the second cake layer on top and pour on another thin layer of caramel frosting. The frosting will be just runny enough to cascade over the sides of the cake layers, covering the cake completely.
Next, take the other half of the caramel frosting out of the freezer and stir to loosen it up. Then you’re going to frost your cake completely. I find that using an offset spatula works best for frosting a cake. It doesn’t have to be pretty because it will taste AMAZING!
Homemade Southern Caramel Cake Recipe Card, Video Tutorial, & More Caramel Recipes
A decadent caramel cake is a Southern classic. Whether you follow this recipe and make it entirely from scratch or take the semi-homemade route, it is bound to be a crowd-pleaser. My family requests this cake again and again for birthdays, holidays, or any time of year! It has a deep caramel flavor with a perfectly moist vanilla cake base. As far as homemade cakes go, this classic caramel cake is one of my favorite cake recipes.
To help y’all make the best homemade Southern caramel cake, I have a step-by-step video tutorial on my YouTube channel. If you make this caramel cake, let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
Don’t forget to tag and follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, subscribe to I Heart Recipes on YouTube, and check out all my cookbooks! I just released a brand new cookbook, Super Soul Food with Cousin Rosie, with many recipes you can’t find anywhere else.
Are you looking for more sweet caramel desserts? Make sure to check out these recipes before you go!
- Caramel Apple Pull-Apart Bread
- Caramel Pumpkin Coffee Cake
- Salted Caramel Pretzel Bars
- Homemade Caramel Popcorn
Homemade Southern Caramel Cake
Ingredients
Cake Batter
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 4 eggs
- 2/3 cup buttermilk
- 2 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 8 oz sour cream
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Caramel Frosting
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup salted butter
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
Instructions
To Make the Cake Batter:
- Preheat your oven on 350 F.
- In a large bowl, add 1 cup of vegetable oil and 2 1/2 cups of granulated sugar. Cream the ingredients until well combined.
- Next, start adding in the eggs, but only one at a time. Mix until everything is nice and smooth, then set the bowl to the side.
- In a separate bowl, add 2/3 cup of buttermilk, and 8 ounces of sour cream. Mix until well combined.
- In a third bowl. add 3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Sift the ingredients together.
- Next, we're going to start alternatively adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk mixture to the wet mixture (the butter, oil, sugar, and eggs). If you're using a handheld mixer, make sure that it is set on a low speed.
- Once everything is in the bowl, add 2 tsp. of vanilla extract and fold it in.
To Bake the Cakes:
- Grease and flour two round 9-inch cake pans, then pour in the cake batter.
- Bake each cake for 25-30 minutes.
- Once the cakes are done, remove them from the oven and remove the cakes from the pans.
- Let the cakes cook on a cooling rack until they are room temperature.
To Make the Homemade Caramel Frosting:
- Pour 1/4 cup granulated sugar into a large deep sauce pan or pot, then place it over medium heat.
- Let the sugar melt and turn brown. Keep an eye on the pot so the sugar does not burn.
- Meanwhile, in a separate pot, combine 2 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup heavy cream, and 2 tbsp all-purpose flour. Mix and bring to a boil.
- Add a couple of tbsp of the cream mixture to the melted sugar mixture, and stir. (It will bubble, this is okay.)
- Next, add the caramelized sugar to the cream mixture and stir in. Let it cook for about 10-15 minutes.
- Next, add in the butter and stir until it is all melted.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add in the vanilla extract.
- Pour the caramel into a stand mixer bowl OR a heat-resistant bowl. Mix for 20 minutes on medium speed, then let sit for about 15 minutes.
- Place 1/2 of the caramel into a freezer-safe bowl, then cover and place it in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- With the other 1/2 of caramel, pour some of it on top of the bottom layer of cake. Place the second cake on top. Beware that the caramel will be really slippery, so don't overdo the caramel filling.
- Use the remaining caramel to lightly glaze the sides and top of the cake.
- Remove the rest of the caramel from the freezer and stir to loosen the frosting.
- Frost the cake!
The cakes looks so delightfully moist and decadent!! Can’t wait to try it. Thanks for the recipe, Rosie.!!
Hi Rosie, getting ready to try this recipe but have one question. How much buttermilk? Your ingredients states 1/2 cup and the directions states 2/3 cups. Please advise, just trying to use precise measurements.
It’s 2/3 cup. Thanks for catching that.
I thank you for the video, it really helped to understand how to make the carmel icing. I can not wait to make this cake. It looks so good.
OMG!!!!♡♡♡
Thanks for the recipes. I plan to make this for Easter, would love to see a print link on you recipes. This way they are clipped and ready to go and easily saved.
Thank you the cake is awesome
Thank you for trying my recipe!
Thumbs up on the caramel cake, I’m making it tonight for desserts, looking forward to that first bite!
I just made this cake and it is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! Thank you for this new gem to my recipe box. 😀
Thank you for giving the recipe a try!
Hi Rosie, I tried to make the caramel frosting. I followed the recipe to the T and when I went to add the caramel to my stand mixer to beat for 20 minutes, it became super stiff within a couple minutes, and it was too stiff to spread on the cake. What did I do wrong? Thanks for the help! 🙂
P.S. the yellow cake was really moist and yummy
I’m really not sure what went wrong. Perhaps you can try my newer Caramel Cake Recipe. It’s a tad bit easier than this one.
I have been looking for a recipe like this one. I can’t wait to try. Will let you know the results. You made it look so easy.
Enjoy! XOXO
i really admire u alot! your the best!
Thank you!!!! XOXO
I have been looking for a good caramel frosting recipe that was not too complicated for a while now. I compared this recipe to others and decided to try this one. It came out wonderful!! My search is over, this reminds me of the caramel cakes I had as a child. Thank you for sharing!!
I’m so glad that you liked it Lawanda!
Made this caramel Icing and it was gritty, what did I do wrong? Please Help
you didn’t cook it long enough
My cake took longer than 30 minutes. It was still completely uncooked in the center. I left it in for another 10 minutes but feared it would dry out. Could it be something i did wrong or possibly my oven is not cooking evenly…
Absolutely. Some ovens run hotter or cooler than others.
I was just wondering if I could add a little powdered sugar at the end to just make it easier to pipe with , do u think that would be a bad idea
I never tried that, so I can’t give you any advice on that. Sorry 🙁
“Practice makes perfect!” You are sooo right! I went through a whole bag of sugar, many sticks of butter, and a whole lot of cream trying to make the frosting. Lol! I finally got it and my family loved it! Thanks so much for your awesome recipes!!!
LOL!! That’s how I was when I first made this cake. It takes a little time! XOXO
Hi Rosie, getting ready to try this recipe but have one question. How much buttermilk? Your ingredients states 1/2 cup and the directions states 2/3 cups. Please advise, just trying to use precise measurements.
Oh my goodness! I have been making homemade cakes for the last year and honestly, this is the first time EVER my cake has turned out as the recipe described. Young lady , you are a genius in the cake world.
I just want to say , “thank you” , for the spectacular cake recipe.
When I tasted the caramel icing for the first time, I knew this cake was a “keeper”! My partner is a hard critic when it comes to desserts and the first thing he said was , your caramel icing was the BEST that he has ever had in years! The cake is so very moist . Hmmm…Hmmm… Hmmm good! I almost began to cry when I took the first bite. The caramel icing is smooth as silk. It rivals with some the BEST commercially marketed high-end caramels out there.
This is NOW our favorite cake recipe! Kudos, to you! You will be my “go to” website from here on out!
Oh yes, I forgot to mention that I also made smothered porkchops , today as well. This too was a home run!
I promise to share this cake recipe with my family and friends! God bless you!
Hi J.A.! I’m so glad that you liked my recipes! Let me know if you have any request! XOXO
Rosie , I would like a creamy , smooth cream cheese based macaroni and cheese dish. Would you happen to have one similar to this? A friend many years ago, made a delicious macaroni and cheese dish with cream cheese and evaporated milk and plenty of other cheeses. It was so good! Even after it cooled, the macaroni and cheese casserole stayed really creamy.
I have tried to remember her complete recipe but I haven’t been successful. If you, help me here I’d appreciate it so much. Thank you, again!
One other thing. Would you happen to have a cherry cobbler recipe? This is my favorite type of fruit pie.
I do have a macaroni and cheese recipe like that. Check it out here: https://iheartrecipes.com/soul-food-macaroni-and-cheese-recipe/
Also, I will work on the cherry cobbler! XOXO
Honey let me tell you!! I never baked a cake before I did this cake today with your pot roast and dirty rice CHILD I’m a baker NOW! Thanks Luv
Glad that you liked it “Petty”.. LOL!!!
Hi Rosie! I am still waiting on the cherry cobbler recipe. I have found several recipes, elsewhere but none compare as I would imagine , you’d make, lol!!
Yesterday, I made with success a “bakery style” white cake with whipped cream cream cheese icing. I also made a icebox lemon curd pie with whipped topping. Both turned out very nicely. Rosie, would you have a personal lemon curd pie recipe , you could share? Since I feel you are so talented in baking.
Thank you, for listening to me rant, today! Have a wonderful day!
Hi J.A. . I will definitely get the cherry cobbler done. I have a ton of other request ahead of that one. Please stay tuned 🙂
I don’t have a lemon “curd” pie at this time. Sorry.
Hi Rosie, 2 Requests, but can you PLEASE make a Homemade Lemon Layer Cake ( with real lemon juice) and with homemade Lemon Curd ( for the middle) and Frosting, and a Homemade Devil Chocolate Layer Cake??? My Co- Worker made them to Work, and Refuses to share the recipes!!! Lol. They were the BOMB!!! Thank- You
Sounds good. LOL
The video you made is nice and easy. It’s the first cake I’m going to make and I’m going to do it tomorrow. I will just halve the ingredients to make a smaller “test run” cake. Let’s hope all goes well. Thanks Rosie!
Hi Rosie can you tell me what kind of heavy cream did you use
Any heavy cream should do 🙂
Hi Rosie! Can I use the the caramel frosting as fudge in between 2 layers of chocolate cake? Do you think that’s a good idea? ☺️
I never tried that before. I can’t say.
Hello, I pray all is well. Can I substitute unsalted butter in the place of vegetable oil?
Hi there! for best results, I’d stick to the written recipe. 🙂
Rosie, can this there enough batter in this recipe to made a three layer cake? I love your recipes.
Maybe if you make smaller layers 🙂
Rosie, I just make the cakes using the regular recipe and I used three pans, two of them measured
2 1/2 inches tall and one was 3 inches. Once I frost them I believe they will be a nice size cake. Thank you
so much for your excellent recipes.
Hi Rosie I just made the best caramel cake I have ever made. Thanks for sharing your recipe. It reminds me of the cake my granny from Arlington TN used to make.
Thanks for trying my recipe!
Whew! What can I say? I am not a cook. I am not a baker. I struggle in the kitchen. My confidence is weak in the kitchen but I made this cake by request for my son’s birthday and it was a supreme hit. It was not pretty. I can’t frost a cake to save my life but it was delicious! The first batch of icing I made had to be thrown out. Too much stirring and too high of a boil caused it to turn back to sugar crystals. I felt so bad. I reviewed the video several times – realized my mistake and tried again. On the 2nd try, my results were much better. The cake itself was moist and yummy and the icing was near perfection. I impressed myself. I’ve cooked 3-4 of your recipes and all have turned out wonderfully. This is a great site and I love the accompanying videos for the kitchen challenged. Thanks!
Love your website, recipes & your demeanor!
Cake making is new for & I just finished my 4th cake all from you site.
I first made the key lime pond cake followed by the carrot cake (WOW)
The vanilla cake & just finished the Carmel cake.
I’m a 60 year old man facing my 14 bladder cancer surgery in less then seven years.
I say this to let you know cake making is helping me stay sane.
Never underestimate the power of your recipes and website.
Having said all that I noticed a discrepancy in the Carmel cake recipe between the video instructions & the printed recipe.
When adding the browned sugar to the cream mixture the printed instructions say to stir and cook for 10 – 15 minutes.
The video does not have any cooking at this point.
I went with no additional cooking & the frosting turned out great!
Thanks for all you do .
I wish you much success !!!
Hi Tim! I’m glad that you enjoy my recipes!!! Blessings! Xoxo
Hi Rosie! We made this cake yesterday and loved it. One note—the written recipe may need to be updated. You say in the video to cook the caramel sauce for “a couple of minutes,” but the recipe says 10-15 minutes. First time around, I cooked it for close to 15 minutes and after we put it in the mixing bowl, it turned to dry crumbs; looked like brown sugar. Not sure if that’s why it did, but it seems like it cooked too long. We tried again and only cooked it for about 3 minutes, and it turned out great. I think your comment in the video is more correct. Thoughts?
Anyway, once we mastered the icing, it was delicious! We sprinkled some coarse salt on the caramel between the layers and on top. It’s really good!!! I will definitely make this again.
Thank you! We also made your Mac and cheese the other night and loved it, too.
Hi Michael! Thanks for the feedback. I will post my revised recipe soon.
Have made this cake like 3 times more, and wanted to REITERATE HOW WONDERFUL IT IS!! I absolutely love it. I love the dense texture of the cake…I think the sour cream and buttermilk make it a hit. I believe I finally figured out the icing. It’s awesome!!
Thank you again; this is definitely a “go-to” for me.
This came out great! This was my first time making a cake from scratch and the recipe was easy to follow. I left the frosting in the freezer too long while tending to toddlers, and it was a little difficult to spread. But overall, awesome recipe!
Hi, I stumbled across your video on YouTube and thought your caramel cake looked so good, I just had to recreate it myself. I am vegan, so couldn’t follow the recipe exactly to the letter and made some substitutions, but I thought you might like to know it turned out amazing! It was a big hit with everyone. I used homemade vegan yoghurt in place of the sour cream, soy milk with vinegar in place of buttermilk and egg replacer powder in place of the eggs. The cake cake out very stable and moist.
I also used the yoghurt in place of the heavy cream in the caramel.
Thanks again for a great base recipe to go from!
Thanks again.
I’ve searched and search for years for a caramel icing. I’ve finally found one. I must say I was scared to make it at first. But I’m glad I did. The icing came out wonderful. This is a welcome addition to my recipe arsenal. Thank you!
Cousin! I made this cake for my dad’s birthday yesterday and it exceeded my expectations. The cake was so moist and delicious. The caramel was easy to make but you definitely need to keep an eye on it. I have been putting off making this cake because it seemed so intimidating. I’ll be making this again (and again)! Thanks cousin!
HI Rosie! This recipe looks amazing. Question for you- can you double the caramel frosting recipe so there will be more caramel icing between the two layers?
Hi Tamara! Yes, you can! XOXO