Southern caramel cake from scratch is full of old fashioned goodness is stacked 2 layers high with a gooey pecan filling between the layers. THEN it's topped with a decadent Jack Daniels caramel frosting. This is decadently delicious!
Beat the butter, salt, and confectioner's sugar on medium speed in the bowl of a stand mixer until crumbly.
Add the caramel, beating at medium high speed until well blended and creamy.
Add a little of the heavy cream and beat on high until the frosting is thick and spreadable. You may need to add a little more confectioner's or cream to get the exact consistency.
Caramel Cake
Preheat the oven to 350°
Beat the egg whites until stiff. Set aside.
Grease 2 8-inch round cake pans, fit a round of waxed paper or parchment paper in the bottom, grease again, then dust with flour.
Cook the brown sugar in a heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring often, until it is melted.
Add the hot water, whisking constantly.
Simmer until the mixture gets syrupy - about 3 to 5 minutes.
Cool.
In the bowl of your stand mixer combine white sugar and butter, creaming until light and fluffy.
Add the egg yolks, one at a time beating well after each.
Blend in the cooled water mixture.
Mix the flour, baking powder and salt - set aside.
Mix the cold water, vanilla, and Jack Daniels.
Add ⅓ of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, blending well.
Add ½ of the water mixture. Blend well.
Repeat with the dry mixture, then the water, then the remaining flour mixture.
Fold in the egg whites gently.
Divide batter between prepared pans and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Remove the caramel cake layers from the oven.
Cool for 10 minutes - turn out of pans to finish cooling on a wire rack (remove the waxed paper from the bottoms!).
Pecan Filling
Combine sugar, flour, butter, and cream in a heavy saucepan.
Cook until thickened, stirring constantly
Add the nuts, vanilla, and salt.
Spoon between the layers of cooled cake.
Assembly
Place one layer on a cake plate.
Add a thick layer of pecan filling.
Top with the other layer.
Frost with the buttercream.
Notes
Expert Tip: If you prefer not to use alcohol you can use any caramel sauce and substitute milk for the whiskey in the cake recipe.
Be sure the cakes are completely cool before frosting them.
Stir the brown sugar constantly as you are melting it so that it doesn't burn. Don't get tempted to hurry the process by turning up the heat.
Make sure the pecan filling is completely cool before using it between the cake layers.