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Old School style Caramel Butter Cake with Fudgy Chocolate Frosting. Taking a step back into our grandma’s youth with this DELICIOUS butter cake. Picture a buttery vanilla cake layered with rich, fudgy, chocolate frosting in the center. Then topped with the most delectable, roll your eyes back good – brown sugar frosting that’s sweet and creamy with notes of caramel mixed throughout. Sooo much to love here! Every bite is sweet, salty, extra chocolatey, and truly delicious. The perfect cake to enjoy any day of the week, no “celebratory” reasons required.
Taking it back to the old school days with this cake…or at least that’s what it feels like to me! Growing up my mom made cakes religiously. Come Friday night we’d have fresh baked cookies, cake, or some other kind of dessert on the counter without a doubt. She was the queen of the Friday night dessert.
No matter what the dessert was, we’d always eat them a little warm and gooey, just after baking. Oh, and always with a cold glass of milk. Baking in the kitchen with mom on Friday nights was such a special time. More times than not my brothers would be MIA, so it was just mom and me. My memories of those Friday nights are so fond and perfect. To this day, they are some of my favorites.
My mom would often bake up a classic chocolate cake, it was everyone’s favorite. What she wouldn’t bake however was any kind of vanilla cake. They were just not her thing. But, my grandma on the other hand? She’d bake up any flavor of cake…chocolate or vanilla, it just had to be easy.
While I don’t remember the exact cakes my Nonnie would bake, this feels like something she would have happily made. Something about a vanilla butter cake, with a super easy (secret ingredient) chocolate frosting, and a sweet brown sugar icing overtop just feels “old school” to me.
Like something she might have found in one of her Better Homes and Garden Magazine’s back in the day. I can literally picture the torn-out magazine page now…
How many of you have super, super old magazine cutouts your mom gave you with recipes? Please cherish those FOREVER. I wish I had more of them!
When my cousin, Maggie mentioned a butter cake yesterday, I was really curious about the idea. And then I got thinking and loved the idea of doing some kind of “old school” style cake.
So here we are!
And everyone? This cake is GOOD, and it’s even pretty easy.
Here are the details, start with the cake.
Start with the vanilla butter cake. I kind of based this off my tiramisu cake, but with a few adjustments. Either way, it’s easy…just beat the wet ingredients together, add the dry, and then beat in some buttermilk.
I always go heavy on the vanilla with my cakes. It’s KEY, so don’t skimp on it.
The chocolate frosting.
While the cake is cooling, you can start making the chocolate fudge frosting. Now this really IS old school. It’s simply just melted chocolate chips and sour cream. I also added espresso powder, which really highlights the chocolate.
For having just three ingredients, this is some of the most magical frosting. Very creamy, rich, and fudgy. And I love that it’s not too sweet, but just sweet enough.
Now, spread the frosting over one layer of the cake. Add the top layer, then chill the cake while you make the brown sugar icing.
Last thing…the brown sugar icing.
I stole this recipe from my chai cupcakes with brown sugar frosting. It’s the same recipe, only this is melted down into more of an icing/glaze…which yes, also feels very old school.
The brown sugar melted down adds hints of warm molasses and really deepens the flavor to create an icing that’s perfectly rich and caramel-like. And when you add a touch of vanilla and sea salt? Well, it’s hard to say no to a second piece. I highly recommend slathering on more icing than you think your cake needs.
Also, you’ll want to swirl on the icing while it’s still warm, once it cools it will stiffen up.
To finish, I topped my cake with chocolate curls and sea salt for a salty-sweet finish.
And that’s it. Honestly, this cake is pretty simple to put together. There are three “steps”, but they’re all very easy. And so very good. Each bite is filled with sweet vanilla butter cake, fudgy chocolate frosting, and sweet caramel-like brown sugar icing.
Best kind of any day cake to bake, no reason required. Although it is my Dad’s birthday today…but he’s not big on celebrating it!
Looking for other easy winter desserts? Here are some favorites:
Brown Butter Malted Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Lastly, if you make this Caramel Butter Cake with Fudgy Chocolate Frosting be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Caramel Butter Cake with Fudgy Chocolate Frosting
Servings: 10
Calories Per Serving: 809 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
Chocolate Fudge Frosting
- 1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
Brown Sugar frosting
- 2 sticks salted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2-3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter 2 (8-inch) round cake pans and line with parchment paper. 2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, beating until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stream in the buttermilk, beating until just combined. Pour the batter among the 2 cake pans.3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the center is just set. Let cool 5-10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake and invert the cake onto a plate, flip it back over onto a serving plate. Let cool.4. To make the chocolate frosting. Microwave the chocolate chips and a pinch of salt, stirring every 45 seconds, until melted. Stir in the sour cream and espresso, a dollop at a time, until the mixture is smooth. Swirl the frosting onto the top of the cake. Place the second cake layer on top. Run a knife around the side of the cake to clean up any frosting. Chill while you make the brown sugar frosting.5. To make the brown sugar frosting. Melt together the butter, brown sugar, and cream in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved. Add a pinch of salt. Remove from the heat and add to the bowl of a stand mixer. Sift in the powdered sugar, then add the vanilla. Beat until well combined. The frosting should be glossy and pourable. If it feels too runny, add powdered sugar to thicken it.6. Pour the frosting over the cake, spreading around the sides of the cake too. The frosting will set quickly on the cake. If desired top with chocolate curls and sea salt. Slice, eat, and enjoy!!
Notes
Made this recipe today with my toddlers.. Pretty easy (would be easier without little helpers ?), very sweet, but a hit with the family!
We made chocolate buttercream instead of the sour cream filling, as not a fan of sour fillings, plus no sour cream at home, but change was delicious!
Also, as other reviews mentioned, cut the recipe for the brown sugar frosting down, as recipe is way too much. Also, wait for it to set almost completely before icing cake, as the pour-on method was messy & thin.
Otherwise, very yummy!
Hey Amy,
Happy Sunday!! Love hearing that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it!! Thanks for sharing your feedback. xxT
Amazing! Followed exactly except for slightly reduced sugar for cake and caramel icing due to preference. Soo good and not complicated!
Hey Lauren,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was a winner. Have the best weekend:) xT
My sister sends my so many of you’re recipes, I’m going to make this one today! I have a question I only have 9inch cake pans, do you think I could use them instead of 8inch pans?
Hey Jessie,
Yes, that will definitely work for you!! Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
The birthday girl lovedddd this cake! I felt like I wasn’t as big a fan of it at the end result as I was tasting it through making it! I loved the batter but cooked, I also felt it had a cornbread-ish texture. I also wasn’t as big a fan of the sour cream- chocolate chip filling. My husband said he thought the chocolate tasted sour and to me that part was just too rich. Everyone told me they liked it, the birthday girl straight up loved it, but my husband and I were not as blown away as we had hoped. I did have fun making it though and it sliced like a dream not crumbling and nice clean cuts which was really satisfying.
Hi Kaylee,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy it. xTieghan
I was sure I would love this cake but was a bit disappointed. I love to bake but I struggled through the recipe and it was a huge mess. My biggest issue was with the chocolate frosting.. I think the bitterness of the semi-sweet chocolate mixed with the tang of the sour cream is not complimentary. The cake itself doesn’t have the greatest texture (although my guess is that I possibly over mixed it) but it reminded me of cornbread and but way less sweet. Which isn’t the worst considering the caramel frosting is SOOO sweet. I only used 2c of powdered sugar and it came out perfectly. I think the trick is to make sure it cooks enough in the pan. I will definitely use this icing recipe again. But overall I didn’t love the cake.
Hey Hannah,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! xTieghan
This recipe is so delicious! Even though mine looked terrible the flavours were all amazing. Any tips on how to get my icing to firm up? After the 4th cup of icing sugar I just gave up and poured it over the cake ? still delicious but very soupy. Should the brown sugar butter mixture be cooled first?
Hey Meghan,
Fantastic! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! So sorry to hear about the icing, yes allow the brown sugar butter to cool a bit! xTieghan
The cake and caramel frosting were delicious! I should have browned the caramel more but it tasted great. We weren’t crazy about the chocolate filling. It was tart with the sour cream. I’ll try it again and probably use milk chocolate morsels or add sugar.
Hey Martha,
Fantastic! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
I’m not a baker by any means and I made this cake and was so impressed at how easy it was and how good it tasted! Thank you so much for making baking easy and fun!
Hey Monica,
Awesome!! Love to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it. Have the best week:) xT
Made this delicious cake last night and love it so much I had some for breakfast lol! I used regular milk instead of buttermilk in the cake and it turned out great! Also used sweetened condensed milk instead of sour cream in the fudge frosting and it was delicious! I made the caramel frosting straight from the recipe and had soooo much leftover! I’ll maybe half the caramel frosting recipe next time! Delicious recipe!
Hey Nanette,
Awesome!! Love to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it. Have the best week:) xT
This cake turned out amazing!! I used Cup4Cup to make it suitable for my allergies and it did not disappoint! I loved the combination of flavors! I will definitely make this again!
Hi Caitlin,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks bunch for giving it a go! xxTieghan
The cake recipe was brilliant and the caramel frosting was to die for, but the chocolate frosting was unfortunately a dud. The sour cream made the chocolate frosting very tangy and it clashed with the rest of the cake.
However, we loved the rest of the cake (it was easy to eat around the filling) and will certainly make this again, this time with a simple ganache center.
Hey Greg,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! xTieghan
Just ok…
Hi Amanda,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, sorry to hear it was not enjoyed. xTieghan
Made this cake x2! One for a birthday, one to keep. Not exaggerating, best cake I’ve ever made! Give yourself more time than an hour though – I felt like it took me all day to make both cakes. Also, let the frosting cool and get thick before icing the cake.
Hey Lacey,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am glad to hear that it was enjoyed. Have the best weekend!! xTieghan
This is my favorite cake now! It looked beautiful and tasted even better! Great easy recipe!
Hey Gena,
Happy Friday!! Love hearing that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xxT
I only have 9” pans, is that ok?
Hi Amanda,
Yes, that will work well for you. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Made this cake for my son’s birthday today. It was my first time making a cake from scratch and it was so easy and perfectly moist. I liked the chocolate center, but I think I’ll put the caramel frosting in the middle next time. Def a recipe I’ll be saving.
Hi Ciairra,
Awesome!! Love to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it. Have the best week:) xT