This Caramel cake recipe has been a family favorite for many years.

My Caramel Cake is requested for a Thanksgiving dessert every year and anytime during the year when someone starts thinking about it. It took me a few tries to be able to make the icing just right but I finally got it and you will too. You will find a free printable version of my Caramel Icing as you scroll down.

This Caramel cake recipe is what I like to call a ‘tricks with cake mix’ cake. By the time you take it from the oven, it will taste like it was made from scratch!

Caramel Cake Recipe not quite from scratch but taste from scratch. Caramel Icing recipe included

Sometimes my hubby will request pecans on top of the Caramel Cake and I oblige. It’s delicious with or without pecans. If you want your family to stop by for a visit, just make one of these Caramel Cakes and they will start loading the car.

Caramel Cake Recipe not quite from scratch. Homemade Caramel Icing recipe included

This picture above is terrible and I even think the cake was actually sitting on top of either the washer or dryer at the time. You know what it is like when you are preparing Thanksgiving dinner for a crowd and you quickly run out of counter space. That is what happened. I remember once back in the ’70’s when we had so many people at Mom’s for Thanksgiving, she actually used a bed to place the food on!

We live in Georgia which is a leading producer of Pecans so it is not uncommon for us to use pecans in many recipes. Sometimes I decorate my hubby’s Key Lime Cake with Pecans also. There is no one in our family who doesn’t enjoy the addition of pecans to our desserts.

More Dessert Recipes with Pecans:

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Caramel Cake & Caramel Icing Recipe

The Best Ever Caramel Cake recipe not quite from scratch!

Ingredients

½ Cup unsalted butter (NOT Margarine)
1 Box Butter recipe cake mix
1 tsp. instant cappuccino (optional)
1⅓ Cups water
2 tsp. vanilla (I use Watkins Clear Vanilla)
3 large eggs

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350.

Prepare you cake pans. I always grease and flour the cake pans. I use three 8” round pans for this cake.

In 1 qt. saucepan, melt butter over medium heat, stirring frequently, just until golden brown. You will almost burn the butter but not quite. It should have nice brown specks in it.

Remove from heat and cool for about 15 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, beat together the cake mix, melted and browned butter, water, vanilla and eggs on low just until blended. Then on medium for about 2 minutes. (You will see the brown flecks from the butter).

Pour cake batter into prepared pans.

Bake about 20-25 minutes depending on your oven, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool completely before frosting

Download or Print Caramel Icing Recipe

The pictures in this post are of cakes I made for family events in recent years. None of them are professionally posed pics which is what I like the most!

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Shirley Wood

Hi, I'm Shirley; recipe creator, crafting enthusiast and penny pincher from way back. Join me on my journey of domestic living and isn't everything domestic!

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Comments

Pamela @ Still Dating My Spouse says

October 23, 2013 at 6:25 am

Looks delicious. Carmel extract do I find it on the same aisle as the vanilla extract?

Thanks for the recipe.

- Shirley Wood says
  
  October 23, 2013 at 12:43 pm
  
  Pamela, the only place I have ever been able to find Caramel extract is through Watkins products. They have a website which you can order from. I picked up a card when I purchased mine from a booth at the fair recently. http://www.JRWatkins.com/sonsultant/felty
  Hope this helps. It sure is a good cake!
  
Kayla Norman says

October 17, 2013 at 4:32 pm

Seriously mouth watering!

Amanda Smith says

October 16, 2013 at 11:32 pm

This is right up our alley! My son has a chocolate allergy and finding yummy cakes can be hard!

- Shirley Wood says
  
  October 17, 2013 at 12:23 pm
  
  Thanks, Amanda. Let me know how ya’ll like it when you make it.
  
theroadtodomestication.com says

October 16, 2013 at 6:07 pm

OH. MY. GOSH. You’re killing me, Shirley! That looks amazing! And on a side note, I LOVE that cake stand, too!

- Shirley Wood says
  
  October 17, 2013 at 12:22 pm
  
  Thanks, the cake stand is Avon. It has been in our family for many years. I don’t remember the name of that line but I think it was back in the either late ’70’s or sometime in the 80’s.
  
butterflyangelsquilting says

October 16, 2013 at 12:40 pm

Oh WOW! I really think I’m trying this. and SOON!

- Shirley Wood says
  
  October 16, 2013 at 1:43 pm
  
  Let me know how you like it when you make it!