Amanda’s Great Grandmother’s Carmel Cake

 

Amanda Costello Reves made her Great Grandmother’s Carmel Cake for Easter – continuing a family tradition. 

The recipe is on an old notecard, so directions are a little confusing.  My Great Grandma used a boxed yellow cake and it was always delicious!!  Amanda

Caramel cake is a Southern favorite, one of those cakes that if you saw one at a school carnival cake walk, you would  embarrass your children trying to win the cake.  The first Carmel cake recipe was published in 1883.  
Icing:

Caramelize Sugar – Add 1/2 cup white sugar to a heavy saucepan and heat until caramelized. 

(HFH notes:  If you are new to caramelizing sugar, you can add 2 tablespoons water to the 1/2 cup sugar to slow the caramelizing down.  Do not let your sugar get above 375 degrees or it will scorch.  Once it starts boiling, do not stir or you could create crystals.  Once the mixture turns carmel color, place pot in an ice bath to stop the cooking process.)

Bring the following ingredients to a boil. Once the mixture is boiling, add  caramelized sugar and boil for 3 1/2 minutes.  Remove from heat and add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and beat until smooth.  Amanda used a whisk.
1/2 pint whipping cream
1 stick butter
2 cups sugar

The icing will be runny, but will also cool fast.  So don’t worry if it looks messy, especially on the sides of the cake-just get it on the cake fast.  Also, you don’t need a lot of icing between the layers, because the icing gets thicker and hardens as it cools.