Caramel and Vanilla Cake

For the caramel sauce:

2 cups sugar

4 tablespoons water

2/3 cup butter, cut into small cubes

1 cup whipping cream

For the vanilla cake:

1 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups sifted cake flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1 1/4 cups milk (or evaporated milk, for extra richness)

For the caramel frosting:

3 1/2 cups to 4 cups confectioner’s sugar

1/2 cup butter

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup caramel sauce

2 or more tablespoons milk

To make the caramel sauce:

Mix the sugar and water in a large saucepan (use a pan of about 3 quarts or larger because the sugar foams up when you add the butter and cream).  Have butter and cream ready so it can be added quickly when needed.  Boil the sugar and water over medium heat until the mixture begins to turn a light- to medium-amber color.  (Do not stir the boiling sugar, this can cause it to crystallize.  If the sugar starts to crystallize, use a pastry brush to brush water around the inside edge of the pot as it boils; you may have to do this several times.  Carefully swirling the pan occasionally is also helpful to avoid crystallization of the sugar.) 

When the color is right, quickly add the butter and stir until the butter is melted.  Remove from the heat immediately and pour in the whipping cream, stirring constantly until the sauce is uniformly smooth.  Cool completely.

To make the vanilla cake:

Grease two 8- or 9-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.  Heat oven to 325 degrees F.

Sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract at high speed with the whisk attachment until light and fluffy.  Slowly beat in the vegetable oil.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Fold in the dry ingredients alternately with the milk, adding the dry ingredients in three divisions and the liquid ingredients in 2 divisions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.  Do not over-mix the batter; stop mixing as soon as there are no lumps in the batter.  Pour batter into the two prepared pans.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.

To prepare the caramel frosting:

Beat all ingredients together until smooth, fluffy, and a spreadable consistency.  Add more milk if too thick or more sugar if it too thin.

To construct the cake:

Cut each cake layer in half horizontally, to make four layers.

Reserve about 2/3 cup of the caramel sauce (1/2 cup for the frosting and the rest to drizzle on top of the cake).  Divide the remaining caramel sauce in 3 parts and use it to fill the three inner layers of the cake.

Assemble the cake, filling the layers with caramel sauce.  Frost with the caramel frosting and drizzle with remaining caramel sauce.

Serves 16.

From RockRecipes.com