Brown Sugar Layer Cake With Caramel Buttercream Frosting Recipes

CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter bottom and sides of two 9-by-2-inch round cake pans. Line pans with parchment paper rounds and butter again. Dust with flour; tap out excess. In a small bowl, sift together flour and cornstarch.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg yolks, vanilla, and 3/4 cup sugar on high speed until thick and pale, about 3 minutes. Transfer egg-yolk mixture to a large bowl. Wash and dry mixer bowl and whisk attachment.
• Combine egg whites and salt in mixer bowl, and whisk on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 1 1/2 minutes. With mixer running, slowly add remaining 6 tablespoons sugar; continue whisking until stiff and glossy, about 1 minute more.
• Fold egg-white mixture into egg-yolk mixture. In three additions, fold reserved flour mixture into egg mixture. Divide batter between prepared pans, smoothing tops with an offset spatula. Bake until light golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
• Transfer pans to wire racks to cool slightly; turn out cakes, remove parchment paper, and let cool completely.
• Using a serrated knife, halve each cake horizontally to form 2 layers. Transfer 1 layer to a serving platter and spread 1 cup frosting evenly on top. Set another cake layer on top, and repeat process with more frosting and remaining cake layers. Spread 1 1/2 cups frosting over entire cake. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Spread remaining 2 1/2 cups frosting over cake, smoothing the top and sides. Use a cake comb to give sides of cake a decorative finish, if desired. Serve immediately, or refrigerate up to 2 days; let cake come to room temperature before serving.

CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM FROSTING FOR BROWN-SUGAR LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Combine 1 1/4 cups sugar and the water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Brush down sides of pan with a damp pastry brush, and cook, without stirring, until dark amber. Remove from heat, and gradually stir in cream until completely smooth.
• Whisk together remaining sugar and the egg whites in the bowl of a mixer set over a pot of simmering water. Whisk until sugar dissolves and mixture is warm. Transfer bowl to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and whisk on medium-high speed until fluffy and cool and stiff peaks form, about 10 minutes. Add butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in vanilla. Slowly pour in caramel with mixer on medium speed, and whisk until completely incorporated. Continue to whisk until smooth, about 3 minutes. Use immediately, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 days. Before using, bring to room temperature, and beat until smooth.

BROWN-SUGAR LAYER CAKE WITH CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment. Butter paper, and flour pans. Beat together butter and sugars with a mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Whisk together flour and salt. In another bowl, combine sour cream and baking soda. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream mixture and starting and ending with flour mixture.
• Divide batter between pans. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Let cakes cool in pans, about 30 minutes. Invert cakes, remove pans and parchment, and let cool completely on a wire rack.
• Trim tops of cakes with a serrated knife to make level, then cut each cake in half horizontally. Reserve 1 bottom layer for another use. Place remaining bottom layer on a cake stand, and spread evenly with 1 1/4 cups frosting. Repeat with a second layer and another 1 1/4 cups frosting. Place third layer on top. Spread entire cake top and sides with 1 1/4 cups frosting. Refrigerate cake until firm, about 30 minutes. Spread with 1 1/2 cups frosting, smoothing top and sides. Serve immediately with marzipan animals, or refrigerate up to 2 days; if refrigerated, let cake come to room temperature before serving.

BUTTERSCOTCH CAKE WITH CARAMEL ICING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans, or line with parchment paper.
• Combine brown sugar and butter for cake in a bowl; cream with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add vanilla extract, then add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed just until they are mixed in.
• Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a separate bowl. Add flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with buttermilk, beating batter on low speed until well mixed, scraping down the bowl by hand as needed. Pour batter evenly into the prepared pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of each layer comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Run a table knife around the edges to loosen. Invert carefully onto a serving plate or cooling rack. Let cool, about 30 minutes.
• While cake cools, combine brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter, milk, and flour for icing in a small saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil. Continue to boil, stirring frequently to prevent burning, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons butter and vanilla extract. Cool the mixture, stirring occasionally, until it is still warm (but not hot) and has thickened enough to spread.
• Spread icing over the cake, moving fairly quickly because it will set as it cools. It will be a thin coating, not a thick layer. Let set completely before cutting into the cake.

BROWN SUGAR LAYER CAKE WITH CRANBERRY BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 8-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Flour the pans and paper.
• Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl. Combine the buttermilk and vanilla extract in a small bowl.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar, butter, oil and salt. Beat on medium-high until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stop the mixer occasionally and scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. Add egg whites one at a time, mixing for about 20 seconds between each egg.
• Set mixer to low and alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients in three additions. Mix until a few spots of flour remain. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Using a rubber spatula, finish folding in the dry ingredients: Make sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure the batter is evenly mixed.
• Divide the batter among the prepared pans (about 2 2/3 cups per pan), smooth the tops and tap the pans on a countertop to release any large air bubbles. Bake cakes until golden and puffed, and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Cool the cakes in the pans on a rack for 10 minutes, then use the tip of a knife to loosen the edges and carefully place them parchment-side down onto the rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the cranberry jam: Combine cranberries, sugar, 1/2 cup water, orange juice and zest, ginger and vanilla in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally, and cook until the cranberries have burst and juices are thick and jammy, about 5 minutes. Cool mixture to room temperature, then use an immersion blender or food processor to purée the mixture until smooth. Set aside. (You should have about 2 1/2 cups.)
• Make the buttercream: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the egg whites and sugar. Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk continuously until the sugar has dissolved and mixture is hot to the touch, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Return the bowl to the stand mixer, and using the whisk attachment, beat the egg white mixture until stiff, glossy peaks form and both mixture and bowl are cool to the touch, about 10 minutes.
• Switch to the paddle attachment, and reduce the speed to medium. With the mixer running, add the butter a couple of tablespoons at a time and beat the buttercream until smooth and fluffy. During this step, the buttercream will likely break and look curdled: Turn up the speed on the mixer for a few seconds, and it will come back together. Continue until all the butter is incorporated, then add the vanilla and salt. Slowly add 1/2 cup cooled cranberry jam, and mix until well combined. If the buttercream is extremely soft or runny, refrigerate for about 10 minutes, then whip until smooth.
• Assemble the cake: If necessary, use a serrated knife to trim the cake layers so they are flat and even. Add a small spoonful of buttercream onto a cardboard cake round or serving plate, and place the first layer of cake, cut side up, on top.
• Spread about 3/4 cup buttercream on top of the cake. Spread about 1/4 cup cranberry jam over the buttercream. Be careful not to spread the jam all of the way to the edge so it doesn't spill out the sides. Place the second cake layer on top, and repeat with buttercream and jam. Place the final layer on top, cut side down, and spread the top and sides of the cake with a thin, even layer of buttercream. (Store leftover jam in an airtight container in the refrigerator.)
• Refrigerate the cake until the buttercream is firm, about 30 minutes. Then spread the remaining buttercream in an even layer over the cake. Serve at room temperature.

BROWN SUGAR BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• In a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pan of simmering water, whisk together egg whites, sugar, and salt. Cook, whisking constantly, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch.
• Transfer to the clean bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until fluffy and cooled, about 15 minutes.
• Raise speed to high; beat until stiff peaks form. Reduce speed to medium-low; add butter, 2 to 3 tablespoons at a time, until fully incorporated.

CONFETTI CAKE WITH BROWN SUGAR BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottoms of 2 greased 9-in. round baking pans with parchment; grease parchment., In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Beat in butter. Add egg whites, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in milk and extracts. Gently fold in jimmies., Transfer batter to prepared pans. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove paper. Cool completely., For buttercream, in a heatproof bowl of a stand mixer, whisk egg whites, brown sugar and salt until blended. Place over simmering water in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisking constantly, heat mixture until a thermometer reads 160°, about 2-3 minutes., Remove from heat. With whisk attachment of stand mixer, beat on high speed until stiff glossy peaks form, about 7 minutes., Gradually beat in butter, a few tablespoons at a time, on medium speed until smooth. Beat in vanilla and enough food coloring to achieve desired color., Immediately spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake. Decorate with sprinkles. Store in refrigerator.