Best Ever Caramel Cake

Last weekend we got together for my Mother-In-Law's Birthday. Gina made this 4-layer Caramel Cake. It has to be the best caramel cake I've ever had. It was tender and moist with just the right amount of salty sweet.

Cake Ingredients:

Vegetable cooking spray
Parchment paper
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
Caramel Frosting

Caramel Frosting:

1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp. vanilla extract

To make the cake:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of your pans with some wax paper. I traced mine and then cut them out slightly smaller than the pans. Coat the pans and the wax paper with a cooking spray or some butter and flour.

2. Sift together flours, baking powder, and salt in a small mixing bowl. Whisk together the eggs and milk in a separate small mixing bowl.

3. Beat the butter and sugar for 3 minutes on medium until light and fluffy. Alternately add the flour and egg mixtures starting and ending with the flour mixture. Beat on low speed each time until batter is just combined. Mix in the vanilla. Divide the cake batter into the two pans evenly.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until centers of cakes spring back when pressed lightly with your finger and a wooden pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cakes cool for 10 minutes in their pans on a wire rack and then remove to cool on the rack for a few minutes.

5. Lightly wrap the cakes with wax paper and put them in the freezer for 1 hour.

6. Remove the wrap from the cakes and cut each one in half using a long serrated knife.

7. Place your first layer on a cake plate and spread a thin layer of frosting on the top of the cake all the way out to the edges of the cake. Repeat until all the layers have been added. Use the remaining frosting to frost the top and the sides of the cake. Allow for the frosting to set completely, about 1 hour.

To make the Frosting:

1. Cook butter in a saucepan over low heat until melted. Stir in brown sugar and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Add milk, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly (about 6 minutes). Remove from heat. Let cool until warm, stirring occasionally (about 45 minutes).

2. Place sugar mixture in bowl of a heavy-duty electric stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating at medium-low speed until blended after each addition, and scraping sides of bowl as needed. Add vanilla, and beat at medium speed for 1 minute. Use immediately.

Enjoy!

Here are some references I found pretty helpful:

How to Cut a Cake Layer in Half

How to Perfectly Frost a Messy Cake