Old Fashioned Caramel Icing Recipes

Steps:

• Combine brown sugar, milk, and butter; bring to a full boil and cook for exactly 2 minutes. Remove from heat; add baking powder and vanilla. Beat until thick enough to spread.

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:

• Combine brown sugar, butter, and milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil; cook for 1 minute and remove caramel mixture from heat.
• Blend confectioners' sugar into the caramel mixture using an electric mixer until you reach a spreadable consistency.

Steps:

• Line an 11x7-in. pan with foil; grease with 1 tablespoon butter and set aside. In a large heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup and remaining butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly; boil gently for 4 minutes without stirring. , Remove from the heat; stir in cream. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until a candy thermometer reads 238° (soft-ball stage), stirring constantly., Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla and pecans if desired. Pour into prepared pan; cool. Using foil, lift candy out of pan. Gently peel off foil; cut candy into 1-in. squares.

Steps:

• In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, and mix in 3 tablespoons milk and brown sugar. Boil vigorously for 1 minute.
• Remove from heat, and beat in 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar. Cool slightly, and beat in the vanilla and remaining 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar. Add more milk if the mixture is too thick.

Steps:

• Beat 1 cup butter at medium speed of an electric mixer until it is creamy; gradually add 2 cups sugar, beating well. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and coca; Stir well. Then add to the butter mixture, alternating with the buttermilk and water, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix after each addition. Stir in 1 tsp vanilla.
• Pour the batter into 2 greased and floured 9-inch round cakepans. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool pans on wire racks for 10 minutes; then remove from pans and let cool completely on wire racks.
• For the frosting, combine 2 cups sugar, 1 cup butter, and 1 cup evaporated milk in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes to wash down the sugar crystals from the sides of the pan.
• Uncover and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches soft ball stage or a candy thermometer registers 234 degrees. Remove from heat and add vanilla (do not stir). Let cool for 10 minutes.
• Beat at medium speed of an electric mixer for 8 to 10 minutes or until the mixture is spreading consistency. Quickly spread the Caramel Frosting between the layers and on the top and sides of the cake.
• Garnish with pecan halves and grated chocolate if desired.

Steps:

• In a small heavy saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, milk and salt. Cook and stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved. , Increase heat to medium. Do not stir. Cook for 3-6 minutes or until bubbles form in center and syrup turns amber in color. Transfer to a small bowl; cool to room temperature., Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until frosting achieves spreading consistency.

Steps:

• Whisk together sugar, cream, and butter in a medium bowl. Set bowl over (but not touching) simmering water, cook until thickened, about 20 minutes. Remove bowl from heat; stir in vanilla. Let cool.