caramel layer cake- O....M.....G ! ! !

Once upon a time there was an absolutely fabulous cake. A caramel cake. A caramel cake with 3 layers of caramel-y goodness!! Oh my goodness, Oh my goodness ( channeling my best Annie character) Did I mention there's caramel? Lots of caramel? Mmm-mmm- good!

Cake

1 cup whole milk
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups cake flour, sifted
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened & cut into pieces
3/4 cup heavy cream

Frosting

3 cups sugar
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy cream


Directions

1.Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter (or spray) three 8-inch cake pans; line the bottoms with parchment paper. Butter the parchment and flour the pans, tapping out the excess.
2.In a bowl, mix 1/4 cup of the milk with the egg whites and vanilla extract. In a
standing mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder & salt.
Add the butter and the remaining 3/4 cup of milk. Beat at low speed until blended, then beat at
medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in the egg white mixture in 3 batches.

3.In another bowl, using an electric mixer (or, if you only have a mixer like me, transfer the batter to a large bowl, clean and use again for the next step) beat the cream until soft peaks form. Stir 1/3 of the whipped cream into the batter, then fold in the rest. Divide the batter between all 3 pans & smooth the tops. You can use a small offset spatula, I find it works best for this.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean.
Let the cakes cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Unmold the cakes and peel off the paper.
Invert the cakes and let cool completely.

4. In a saucepan, stir 2 1/2 cups of the sugar with the corn syrup and milk. Cook over moderate heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Keep warm.
5. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar in a deep, heavy saucepan. Cook the sugar over moderate heat, swirling occasionally, until an amber caramel forms. Carefully pour the warm milk mixture over the caramel.
Cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until the caramel dissolves.
Stop stirring and cook until the caramel registers 235° on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat.
Stir in the butter, vanilla and 1/4 cup of the heavy cream. Strain the caramel into the bowl of a standing mixer.
Let cool for 15 minutes.
6. Beat the caramel at medium speed, gradually adding the remaining 1/4 cup of cream, until creamy, about 15 minutes. MAKE SURE ITS COOL BEFORE PUTTING IT ON THE CAKE, IT WILL DRIP TO BEGIN WITH, BUT YOU WILL LOSE A LOT IF ITS STILL WARM.
7. Set 1 cake layer on a plate. Pour enough icing over the layer to cover the top. Top with a second cake layer
and cover it with icing. Add the final cake layer and pour the rest of the icing over the top of the cake,
letting it run down the sides. Working quickly, use an offset spatula to spread the icing gently around the cake.
Let the cake stand for 2 hours to set the icing before serving.

This cake is actually better the next day. I had a hard enough time waiting 2 hours, so im just letting you know!!

Thanks so much for stopping by, please let me know if you have any questions, i'm always happy to help.