Old Fashioned Butterscotch Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and lightly flour two 9-inch cake pans
• For the cake: Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt and set aside. With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Add the flour mixture in stages with 1 1/3 cups water, beginning and ending with the flour.
• Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Turn the layers out onto racks that have been sprayed with cooking spray.
• For the caramel icing: Mix 3 cups of the sugar and the milk in a heavy 3-quart saucepan. Bring slowly to a boil and keep it hot. Caramelize the remaining cup of sugar in an iron skillet. Do this by cooking over medium-high heat and stirring and scraping the pan with a flat-edged spatula as the sugar melts. Continue to cook until the syrup turns to medium or dark brown in color. This occurs at about 320 degrees F to 350 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Do not scorch the syrup. Stream the syrup into the boiling sugar and milk mixture and cook to the soft ball stage, about 238 degrees F. Add the butter, vanilla extract and baking soda.
• Pour the hot mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer and beat as it cools until the icing is creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Watch the icing because it will go from runny to too thick very quickly. Spread on the cake layers while the icing is still warm. If it becomes too stiff, add a few drops of hot water.

Steps:

• CAKE.
• Preheat oven to 375F; grease and flour a 9x13 pan.
• In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine butter, shortening, cocoa and water. Heat in microwave to boiling, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, in mixing bowl, combine sugar and flour.
• Pour hot mixture over sugar and flour and mix to combine.
• Add remaining cake ingredients and beat until well blended.
• Pour into pan and bake for 35-45 minutes or until done (toothpick inserted comes out clean and when shaken, cake seems set).
• Pour icing on cake immediately after taking it out of oven.
• ICING.
• In medium microwave-safe bowl, combine butter, cocoa and buttermilk in bowl and heat in microwave until boiling, stirring to occasionally.
• Pour hot mixture into mixing bowl and add powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
• Pour over hot cake right after removing from oven.
• If using nuts, sprinkle over icing while still soft.
• NOTE: If you prefer a thinner "brownie height" cake, bake in an 11 x 15 pan at 400°F for 20-25 minutes or until done.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream brown sugar and shortening until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Stir in pecans., Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack., For frosting, in a small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the brown sugar, milk and salt. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar. Frost cake.

Steps:

• Put egg yolks, cornstarch and salt into a large heatproof bowl, and whisk until the mixture is smooth and there are no lumps.
• In a medium pot over medium heat, combine brown sugar and butter, whisking, until the brown sugar melts, 1 to 2 minutes. Let cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture starts to smell like hot caramel and darkens slightly, about 1 minute longer. (Don't walk away, or the mixture may burn.)
• Immediately pour the milk and cream into the pot. (It will bubble fiercely and seize up.) Continue to cook, whisking constantly, until the clumps melt, 2 to 4 minutes.
• Slowly whisk about 1/2 cup of the hot cream mixture into the bowl with the egg yolks, whisking yolks until smooth, then whisk in the remaining hot cream mixture. Pour the egg-cream mixture back into the saucepan and place it over medium heat.
• Cook pudding, whisking constantly especially around the bottom and edges of the pot, until it comes to a full boil. (Don't worry about the eggs curdling. You're going to strain the mixture later.) Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring the mixture constantly, until it thickens enough to mound thickly on the spoon, 4 to 7 minutes. If at any point the pudding looks curdled, whisk to help smooth it out.
• Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a heatproof container or bowl, then stir in the Scotch or bourbon, if using, and vanilla. To prevent a skin from forming, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding. (If you like the skin, don't cover pudding until it cools.) Chill for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
• When serving, spoon pudding into dishes. Top with dollops of whipped cream, sour cream or crème fraîche, and any of the optional garnishes.

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan combine sugar, syrup, and butter.
• Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until sugar has dissolved and mixture comes to a full rolling boil. Allow to boil, without stirring, for exactly 1 minute; remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
• In another bowl or large measuring cup, combine evaporated milk, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir into the slightly cooled sauce.
• Pour into jars, cover, and refrigerate.
• Place jar in a pan of warm water to reheat.