1cupunsalted butter at room temperature (2sticks, 226grams)
1 3/4cuplight brown sugar
3/4cupgranulated sugar
3cupscake flour
1/2tspbaking powder
1/2tspsalt
1cupsour cream, at room temperature
6whole eggs at room temperature
Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
2pkg/8ozcream cheese at room temperature
2sticksunsalted butter at room temperature (1 cup, 226 grams)
1cupthick caramel sauce
1/3cuppowdered sugar (optional)
Thick Caramel - link to the recipe listed in the notes
Caramel Sail
2cupsgranulated sugar
3tbspwater
Instructions
Brown Sugar Cake
Cake pans infothis cake batter makes4 - 6 inch cake pans2 - 8 and 9 inch cake pansRecipe can be halved to make 2 - 6 inch cake
Preheat oven to 325F. Butter and line baking 4 - 6 inch baking pans with parchment paper. Butter again and dust with flour. Shake out excess flour.
Into a large bowl, sift cake flour (3cups), baking powder (1/2stp) and table salt (1/2tsp). Set aside.
In a bowl of your stand mixer, and with a paddle attachment. Or use a hand held mixer. Cream unsalted room temperature butter (2 sticks, 226 grams) with light brown sugar (1cup and 3/4cup) and granulated sugar (3/4cup) until smooth, for about 5 -7 minutes. Then gradually add sour cream (1cup) in 3 additions. Beat until well combined, about a minute.
On low speed, beat in sifted flour mix and eggs (6eggs), alternating and in 3 additions. Adding 2 eggs at a time. Scraping the bowl twice. Beat just until combined. Lastly beat in vanilla extract. Fill the prepared cake pans. Bake at 325F.
Baking Times 8 /9 inch cake pan : 50 - 60 minutes. 6 inch cake pan : about 45-55 minutes.
Insert a toothpick or skewer into the cake to check if it's done. Clean toothpick indicated cake is baked. Remove from the oven at once and let it cool in the pan on a cooling rack for about an hour. Carefully invert the cake onto a cooling rack and let it cool completely. This cake can be frozen as well. Wrap it well in plastic wrap before freezing. Let it defrost on a counter.
Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
Frosting will fill and frost layered cake made from 2 -6 inch cakes, trimmed and torted to 4 cake layers.
Beat cream cheese (2pkg. 8oz.) until smooth. Then add room temperature butter (1cup, 2sticks, 226grams) and beat until well combined and fluffy.
Spray 1 cup measure with a non stick spray or lightly grease 1 cup measure with butter. Spoon or pour generous 1 cup of thick caramel into the cup. Gradually beat thick caramel into cream cheese and butter mixture. Beat until well blended and fluffy. You can start mixing with a paddle attachment and then switch to wire attachment. Or use hand held mixer.
This caramel cream cheese frosting is soft. It firms up in the fridge but doesn't behave like Swiss butttercream, it never becomes very hard. Store frosting in the fridge until ready to use. Let it come to room temperature before frosting the cake.
Cake Assembly
Tort 6 inch cakes, you should have 4 cake layers. Fill cakes with caramel cream cheese frosting. Crumb coat cake and chill for an hour or 2. Then frost the cake with remaining caramel cream cheese frosting.
Caramel Sail -
Caramel is hot. Make caramel decorations under adult supervision only.In a heavy stainless steel pot combine granulated sugar (2 cups)and water (3tbsp). Heat on medium heat until dissolved. If you notice sugar crystals sticking to the sides of he pan cover the pan with a lid and let the steam and condensation wash down the sides of the pan. Don't stir once sugar is dissolved.
Cook caramel until it turn medium amber color. Take the pan from the heat. Stop the cooking process and to prevent caramel from burning plunge the bottom of the pan into a cool water.
Let caramel thicken to syrup consistency. Then pour it onto a silicone mat. Shape it over a tall drinking glass. Use office clips or spring clamps to make the folds. Let harden for 20 minutes.
Remove clams and clips and peel off the silicone. Look at that awesome caramel sail decorations.
Store caramel decoration in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Place a small bowl with rice into the container. It helps to absorb moisture from the air. You an also use Edible Glaze Spray to seal the poured sugar decoration so it doesn't get affected by humidity as fast.
MY CARAMEL IS TOO THICK TO MAKE DRIPS ON THE CAKE?
You can microwave it in 5 second increments. Don't make it too runny. If it becomes too run, stick it into the fridge to thicken a bit.
HOW LONG DOES THIS CAKE LAST?
Brown Sugar Caramel Cake can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. Caramel sail decoration held up on a cake in the fridge nicely for up to 3 days.
CAN I MAKE CARAMEL SAIL AHEAD OF TIME?
You can make it up to 2 days ahead. Store in a cool place in an airtight container on piece of parchment and with a small bowl of raw rice or food grade silica gel packets. Don't let silica or rice touch the decoration.