Caramel Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray, line each with a parchment paper round, and spray again. Set pans aside.
• Beat butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Gradually add 1 cup sugar and continue to beat until mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in syrup.
• In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix flour mixture into butter mixture, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
• Beat eggs until foamy in another bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add remaining 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir into cake batter until well combined.
• Divide cake batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake until cakes spring back when gently touched in the center, about 25 minutes. If cakes do not spring back, return to oven and continue cooking about 10 minutes more.
• Cool cake in pans for 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto a wire rack and remove parchment paper round. Let cakes cool to room temperature before frosting.
• Place four strips of parchment paper around perimeter of a serving plate or lazy susan. Place the first layer on the cake plate. Spread the top of the first layer with frosting. Top with the remaining layer, bottom-side up. Spread entire cake with frosting; remove parchment paper strips. Serve cake drizzled with any remaining caramel syrup.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter two 20cm springform tins and line the bases with baking parchment.
• Beat the butter and both sugars in a bowl with an electric whisk for a few mins until lighter in colour and fluffy. Add the vanilla and the eggs, one at a time, adding a spoonful of flour and beating in between each egg. Add the remaining flour and milk. Divide between the cake tins and bake for 25-30 mins until they're golden, spring back when pressed, and a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle. Cool in the tins for a few mins, then tip out and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, for the icing, put the butter and icing sugar in a bowl and whisk for a few mins until light and airy. Whisk in the caramel briefly, adding 1 tbsp of boiling water to loosen, if needed. Set aside until the sponges are completely cool before assembling, or the icing will melt.
• Use half the icing to sandwich the cakes together, then spread the remainder over the top, smoothing it out with a knife or the back of a spoon. Leave in a cool place until ready to serve. Drizzle with the 3 tbsp extra sauce (warm briefly in the microwave if it's a little stiff), allowing some to drip down the sides if you like, and scatter over the toffee, chocolate or caramel pieces to serve. Edible glitter, birthday candles or sparklers, optional.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9-inch cake pans.
• Cream white sugar, 1 1/2 cups butter, and eggs together in a bowl. Beat well.
• Combine flour, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add to the sugar mixture alternately with milk. Add vanilla extract. Beat until batter makes ribbons when falling from the whisk or beater. Divide batter among the prepared cake pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool layers on a rack before icing, at least 1 hour.
• Combine brown sugar, 1 cup butter, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until brown sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Add evaporated milk and continue stirring. Bring to a gentle boil and let bubble for about 4 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid sticking. Remove from heat and allow to cool, about 5 minutes.
• Mix confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract into the butter-milk mixture using an electric mixer until icing caramelizes and thickens to the desired consistency.
• Spread icing onto the cooled cake layers. Stack layers; ice top and sides.

Steps:

• Butter a 9-by-3-inch round cake pan. Make the caramel: Cook the sugar and corn syrup in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is dark amber, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to medium. Carefully add the cream and 4 tablespoons butter (it will splatter) and cook, stirring, until combined, about 3 minutes.
• Remove the skillet from the heat and let sit 1 minute. Pour 1 1/2 cups caramel into a glass measuring cup and set aside. Pour the remaining caramel into the prepared pan and set aside until set, about 30 minutes.
• Cut 3 apples into quarters and cut out the cores with a paring knife. Arrange the pieces skin-side down in the pan (overlapping them slightly) to form a ring about 1/2 inch from the edge. Save any pieces that do not fit for later.
• Halve the remaining whole apple crosswise. Scoop out the seeds with a melon baller or measuring spoon, leaving the stem on the top half. Chop the bottom and any of the leftover quartered apples into pieces; set aside.
• Arrange the apple top, stem-side down, in the center of the pan. If the quartered apples shift, just push them back into place.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Make the batter: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the sour cream, orange juice and vanilla.
• Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
• Crack the eggs into a small bowl. Slip them into the mixer bowl, one at a time, and beat until the mixture is pale and creamy, about 5 more minutes. Scrape down the bowl and beater with a rubber spatula.
• With the mixer on low speed, add half of the sour cream mixture, then half of the flour mixture. Repeat. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula; finish combining the batter by hand.
• Spread the batter over the apples in the pan. Top with the chopped apple. Bake on the middle oven rack until the cake is brown on top and springs back when pressed, 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes (don't worry if the top is dark). Cool in the pan on a rack.
• Bring 1 inch of water to a simmer in a skillet wide enough to hold the cake pan. Carefully run a sharp knife around the inside of the pan several times, then rest the pan in the water to soften the caramel, about 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the water and dry.
• Invert a plate on top of the cake, then flip over the cake and plate. Using pot holders or a towel, wriggle the pan off. Soften the reserved 1 1/2 cups caramel in the microwave, about 2 minutes. Drizzle the cake with some of the caramel. Slice and serve with the rest.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease three 9-inch cake pans.
• Combine flour, canola oil, white sugar, buttermilk, eggs, vinegar, baking soda, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and cocoa powder in a large bowl. Mix until evenly distributed, 2 to 5 minutes. Pour batter evenly into the prepared cake pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool, about 30 minutes.
• Combine sweetened condensed milk, dark brown sugar, butter, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Stir constantly until frosting is thick, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool, about 5 minutes.
• Remove cooled cakes from pans. Spread frosting onto the cooled cake layers. Stack layers; frost top and sides.

Steps:

• Prepare the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two (9-inch) cake pans. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through.
• Add eggs, one at a time, and mix, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add about a third of the flour and mix on low speed until combined. Add about half of the buttermilk and continue to mix until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Continue to add flour and buttermilk in the same way, beginning and ending with the flour.
• Add vanilla and combine fully, making sure not to overmix.
• Divide batter evenly between pans, and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning the cakes onto wire racks to cool completely.
• As the cake bakes, make the icing: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the brown sugar and whisk to combine. Bring to a gentle boil over medium and let the mixture bubble for 5 minutes, whisking constantly. Carefully and slowly add the buttermilk (it will bubble up), stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a full, rolling boil. Remove from heat and add salt. Transfer mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
• With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the sifted confectioners' sugar, mixing until smooth, then add vanilla extract and mix to combine. The icing should look glossy and pour easily from the bowl.
• While the icing is still warm, spread about 1 cup icing on one cake, then top with the second cake. Use the rest of the icing on the top and sides of the cake. The icing will set up as it cools. If the icing starts to harden, microwave the icing in 10-second intervals until smooth. (You can also make the icing up to 3 to 5 days in advance, and keep it in the refrigerator in an airtight container.) Serve immediately.

Steps:

• 1 Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two round 9 by 2-inch cake pans. Pour about a tablespoon of flour into each of the pans and roll it around, tapping as you go, until the sides and bottom are covered completely with a thin layer of flour. Tip the pans, and tap out excess flour.
• 2 In a large mixing bowl, mix thoroughly with a whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
• 3 In a separate large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer until creamy, about 30 seconds. Add the sugar in 1/2-cup measures, beating about 15 seconds after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary, until the mixture has lightened in color and become fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, and the vanilla, beating for 15 seconds after each addition.
• 4 Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in thirds, alternating with additions of the milk. To avoid overmixing the batter, mix gently with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula after each addition, until the ingredient is just incorporated. Beat until all the ingredients have been incorporated, and then just a few strokes beyond. Divide the batter between the cake pans and spread the tops evenly.
• 5 Bake until a cake tester or toothpick emerges clean, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool in their pans on a rack for 10 minutes, then slide a thin paring knife around the edge of the pans, and invert the cakes. Turn each cake again so its rounded top is facing up, and cool the cakes completely on the rack.
• 6 Make the icing: Pour the milk and 3 cups of the sugar into a large, deep, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, mixing with a whisk. Add the butter and the salt, whisking occasionally until the butter melts. When mixture just simmers, cut the heat, but keep over the warm burner.
• 7 Pour the remaining 1 cup sugar into a saucepan. Cook the sugar over medium-high heat until it becomes a syrup, stirring every so often with a wooden spoon as it begins to brown, until the sugar syrup is evenly amber colored, 5 to 8 minutes. Pour the syrup into the warm milk mixture, being very careful, as the caramel will bubble and sputter when it hits the hot milk. Turn the heat beneath the pot to high and, whisking gently until all the syrup has completely dissolved into the roiling milk mixture, continue to cook to the soft-ball stage, about 238°F; this may take 8 to 12 minutes.
• 8 Cut the heat beneath the caramel and gently whisk in the vanilla and the baking soda. Dip a spoon into the caramel, and let it cool to taste it. Season the caramel to taste with salt, and pour it into the bowl of a standing mixer (or use an electric hand-mixer and a large bowl). Beat on low speed as it cools, 15 to 20 minutes depending on the temperature of your kitchen, until the icing is creamy and thick (between 100°F and 105°F). Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and let cool 5 to 10 minutes more, until the icing is between 95°F and 98°F-it should fall off your spatula in a ribbon that remains discernible on the surface of the icing for 10 seconds.
• 9 Set the first cake layer on a rack set over a sheet plan lined with waxed paper. Have an electric hand-mixer and the hot water nearby to blend a teaspoon or two into the icing if it becomes too thick to spread. Pour enough of the icing over the cake to cover the top in a layer about 1/4 inch thick (if it drips over the edge in places, that's fine; this is an early test of whether it's going to set in place or not). Top the first cake with the second cake layer and pour the rest of the icing in stages over the top of the cake, letting it run down the sides and using an icing spatula to guide the icing around the cake as it drips, until the entire cake is covered, for a traditional, classic look. (If you prefer the dramatic look of cake layers peeking out from behind a curtain of icing drips, by all means choose that route!) If you need to reuse any icing that overflows into the pan, simply move the cake on its rack temporarily, scrape up the icing from the waxed paper with a spatula and return it to the bowl, replace the rack over the pan, and continue to ice the cake.
• 10 Once the icing has set, using two spatulas carefully transfer the cake from the rack to a cake stand and let stand at room temperature beneath a cake dome until ready to serve. Only refrigerate if you plan to store the cake for more than 2 days.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bow combine flour, baking powder and salt; cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in raisins and milk. , Spread into a greased 8-in. square baking pan. Combine brown sugar and boiling water; pour over batter. Bake until golden brown, 35-40 minutes. Serve warm.

Steps:

• Make cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter an 8-inch square cake pan and line with a square of parchment paper, then butter parchment.
• Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in vanilla. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. At low speed, beat in buttermilk until just combined (mixture may look curdled). Add flour mixture in 3 batches, mixing until each addition is just incorporated.
• Spread batter evenly in cake pan, then rap pan on counter several times to eliminate air bubbles. Bake until golden and a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes, then run a knife around edge of pan. Invert onto rack and discard parchment, then cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Make glaze:
• Bring cream, brown sugar, corn syrup, and a pinch of salt to a boil in a 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Boil until glaze registers 210 to 212°F on thermometer, 12 to 14 minutes, then stir in vanilla.
• Put rack with cake in a shallow baking pan and pour hot glaze over top of cake, allowing it to run down sides. Cool until glaze is set, about 30 minutes.

Steps:

• Cake:.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 3 (9-inch) cake pans.
• Using an electric mixer cream butter until fluffy. Add granulated sugar and continue to cream well for 6 to 8 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Add vanilla and continue to beat until just mixed.
• Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Level batter in each pan by holding pan 4 inches above counter dropping it flat onto counter. Do this several times to release air bubbles and assure you of a more level cake. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
• Filling:.
• While cake is baking, in a saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, and milk. Cook and stir over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
• Remove cake layers from oven and allow cake to remain in pans as you prepare to stack and fill. Remove first layer and invert onto cake plate. Pierce cake layer with a toothpick over entire surface. Spread 1/3 of filling mixture on cake layer. Top with second layer, repeat process. Top with last layer and repeat process again.
• *Cook's Note: As you stack layers together, stick them with toothpicks to prevent cake from shifting.
• Frosting:.
• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat and stir in brown sugar and cream. Bring to a boil, and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Beat with a handheld electric mixer until it reaches a spreading consistency. At this time it may be necessary to add a tablespoon of heavy cream, or more, if frosting gets too thick. Be sure to add cream in small amounts because you can always "add to", but you can't take away. Frost cake and sprinkle top with chopped nuts, if desired.

Steps:

• Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease two 9-inch round cake pans with solid vegetable shortening, then dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour. Set the pans aside.
• Place the cake mix, milk, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minutes. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. The batter should look well blended. Divide the batter between the prepared pans, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place the pans in the oven side by side.
• Bake the cakes until they are golden brown and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 27 to 29 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 10 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edge of each layer and invert each onto a rack, then invert them again onto another rack to that the cakes are right side up. Allow them to cool completely, 30 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, prepare the Quick Caramel Frosting.
• Place one cake layer, right side up, on a serving platter. Spread the top with the warm frosting. Place the second layer, right side up, on top of the first layer and frost the top and sides of the cake with clean, smooth strokes. Work quickly, as the frosting will set. (If the frosting gets too hard to work with, place the pan back over low heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly, to soften it up.) Once the frosting has set, slice and serve.
• Store this cake, covered in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, at room temperature for up to 1 week or freeze, wrapped in foil, for up to 6 months. Thaw the cake overnight on the counter before serving.
• Place the butter and brown sugars in a medium-size heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir and cook until the mixture comes to a boil, about 2 minutes. Add the milk, stir, and bring the mixture back to a boil, then remove the pan from the heat. Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Beat with a wooden spoon until the frosting is smooth.
• Use immediately (while still warm) to frost the cake of your choice or the frosting will harden. If it does harden while you are frosting the cake, simply place the pan back over low heat and stir until the frosting softens up.

Steps:

• For cake: Preheat oven to 350*.
• Grease and flour two 9-inch layer pans.
• Combine sour cream and milk in small bowl; set aside.
• Beat butter until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Sift flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture alternating with sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
• Stir in vanilla (and rum extract).
• Pour batter into prepared pans.
• Bake in heated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
• Let cool in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire wracks.
• For frosting: Combine 2 1/2 cups sugar, milk, beaten egg, and salt in a bowl, stirring well; stir in butter.
• Set aside.
• Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup sugar in saucepan; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar melts and syrup is a light golden brown.
• Remove from heat.
• Stir butter mixture into hot caramelized sugar.
• (The sugar mixture will tend to clump, but will become smooth after further cooking.) Cook entire mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until candy thermometer registers 235* (about 15-20 minutes).
• Cool mixture for 5 minutes.
• Beat frosting with a wooden spoon to almost spreading consistency (about 5 minutes).
• Immediately spread between layers and on top and sides of cake.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Combine 2-2/3 cups flour, baking powder and salt. Beat 1 cup butter and 2 cups sugar in large bowl with mixer on high speed 5 min. or until light and fluffy. Add whole eggs, then egg yolk, 1 at a time, mixing on medium speed after each addition until well blended. Beat in flour mixture alternately with sour cream. Add 2 tsp. vanilla; mix well.
• Pour into 2 greased and floured 9-inch round pans.
• Bake 30 to 35 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool 10 min. Remove cakes from pans to wire racks; cool completely.
• Meanwhile, cook 1/3 cup of the remaining sugar in Dutch oven or large deep skillet on medium heat 3 min. or until sugar is completely melted and light golden brown in color, stirring constantly. (Note: Sugar may clump slightly.) Remove from heat.
• Combine remaining sugar and flour in large saucepan. Stir in milks. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Slowly add 1/4 cup milk mixture to caramelized sugar in pan, stirring constantly. Repeat to add remaining milk mixture, stirring constantly. Cook and stir on low heat 2 min.
• Increase heat to medium. Continue cooking sugar syrup (without stirring) 10 to 12 min. or until mixture reaches soft ball stage (238°F) on candy thermometer. Remove from heat. Add butter; stir just until melted. Let stand 1 hour or until temperature drops to 110°F. (Do not stir caramel sauce during this standing time.)
• Pour cooled caramel sauce into mixer bowl. Add remaining vanilla. Beat with mixer fitted with wire whisk attachment 18 to 22 min. or until of desired spreading consistency.
• Stack cake layers on plate, filling and frosting with caramel mixture.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 160C/ Gas 4. Cream the butter and suagr/sweetener together. Add the egg YOLKS and the flour and incorporate to form a smooth batter. Add half the tin of Carnation Dulce de Leche.
• Prepare a cake tin with butter/ low fat spray and line with baking parchment. Pour the batter in and put in the oven for 1 hour 30 mins, or until a skewer/knife comes out clean when inserted.
• While the cake cooks, make the meringue. Just whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks, then stir in 4 tsp of honey. Place in the oven for 30 mins
• When the cake is done, transfer to a wire rack. When cool, add the remaining 2 tsp of honey and spread over the top of the cake. When the meringue is done, just place on top and enjoy!
• If making cupcakes, do the above but line a cupcake tin with 12 paper cases, and spread 1/2 a tsp of honey on each with a little of the meringue.

Steps:

• Combine both chocolates in a heatproof bowl and melt over a saucepan of simmering water. Incorporate with a spatula. Cool slightly; the chocolate should remain fluid.
• Pour the sugar into a small saucepan, carefully pour ¼ cup (59 ml) of the water around the outside edge of the sugar, and carefully pull the water into the center of the sugar to moisten; this will help prevent the sugar from crystallizing. Cover, turn the heat to medium, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the sugar has melted. Uncover and cook, without stirring, until the caramel is a golden honey color. (You can test this by putting a drop on a white plate.) Remove from the heat and carefully swirl the caramel a few times to cool, then stand back and carefully (again with the carefully), slowly whisk in 3 tablespoons (45 ml) water. The caramel should have a honey consistency; if it's too thick, add a few more drops of water.
• Whisk the caramel into the egg yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large heatproof bowl) and set over the saucepan of simmering water. Cook, whisking, until the mixture registers 140F (60°C) on an instant-read thermometer. Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or use a handheld mixer in the bowl) and beat on medium speed until the mixture is cool; it will become thicker and lighter.
• With the mixer running, add the butter by the tablespoon until it is all incorporated. If the buttercream begins to separate, stop adding the butter and mix until it looks smooth again, then resume adding the butter. Add the salt and mix to combine, then scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• With the mixer on low, add the melted chocolate in 3 additions, followed by the vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and taste the buttercream. Mix in the remaining 1½ teaspoons water and give the buttercream another taste. The water opens up the flavor of the buttercream, sending the chocolate right into your taste buds.
• You can use the buttercream right away, or refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 4 months. Be sure to bring it to room temperature before using, and beat it lightly in your mixture to restore its texture.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. With a dark marker, trace eight 9-­inch circles onto eight 11-­by-­17-­inch sheets of parchment, then flip the sheets over.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl, using a handheld mixer), cream the butter, confectioners' sugar, baking powder, and salt on medium-­high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the lemon zest, then reduce the speed to medium and add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and fold in the cake flour in 3 additions. Wash and dry the mixer bowl if using a stand mixer.
• In the bowl of the stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment (or in another large bowl, using the handheld mixer, with clean beaters), beat the egg whites on low speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar, then gradually increase the mixer speed and slowly add the granulated sugar. Beat until the whites hold stiff peaks. Whisk one-­third of the beaten egg whites into the batter to loosen it, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites in 2 additions.
• Scoop the batter onto the sheets of parchment, dividing it evenly and placing it in the center of the circles you drew on the paper. (Look, I'm supposed to be a fancy pastry chef, and I just eyeball it, so just do your best to be accurate. It's gonna be amazing no matter what!) With a small offset spatula, spread the batter in a thin, even layer, filling the circles.
• Place 2 of the sheets of parchment on sheet pans and bake until the layers are golden brown and spring back when touched, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Let the layers cool completely, then run a large offset spatula under each layer to free it from the parchment. Repeat with the remaining layers, noting that the baking time may decrease with subsequent layers, since the pans are already warm. Be sure to set one of your layers away from where you will be assembling the cake-I have in fact accidentally frosted my intended caramel layer and then had to make a whole new batch of cake just to get another top.
• To assemble the cake: Arrange one cake layer on a serving plate and top with about a heaping ½ cup (115 grams) of the buttercream. Using a small offset spatula, spread it into a thin, even layer. Repeat with 6 more layers. Transfer a few tablespoons of the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a small start tip and set aside, then frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining buttercream. Transfer the cake to the refrigerator and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight, to set the buttercream. (The cake can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Let come to room temperature before making the caramel triangles and garnishing the cake.)
• When the buttercream is set, remove the cake from the fridge and, with a knife, make very light marks on top of the cake to divide it into 16 or 18 wedges. Pipe a small rosette of the reserved buttercream onto the middle of each wedge.
• Place the reserved unfrosted cake layer on a sheet of parchment set on a cutting board, and have a large sharp knife, an offset spatula, and the flaky salt handy. Pour the sugar into a small frying pan set over medium heat. As the sugar begins to melt and brown at the edges, use a heatproof spatula to pull the melted sugar toward the center, but don't stir constantly, as this can make the caramel lumpy; if it does become lumpy, reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the lumps melt. Continue cooking until all the sugar is melted and the caramel is a deep reddish-­brown color and just starting to foam. Immediately remove from the heat and, working quickly, pour the caramel over the cake layer, using an offset spatula to coat it in a thin, even layer. Sprinkle with flaky salt. Let the caramel cool slightly; as the caramel begins to set, slide your knife through the top of the butter to coat it and score the layer into 16 or 18 pieces, using the paper to rotate the layer and sliding the knife through the butter again between scores to coat it. Then, when the caramel is firm enough to cut through, cut through! You want the caramel to be set enough that you can cut it without shattering, but if you cut too soon, it will pull the caramel off the cake and stick to the knife, and you'll be pissed off. As you're cutting, keep in mind that the outside will set more quickly than the center. Then let the caramel-­topped triangles cool completely.
• Once they are cool, arrange the triangles on the top of the cake, points facing inward: Balance the triangles on one long edge, using the rosettes for support, so that they stand up like a fan on the top of the cake. Cut the cake into wedges to serve.