Amazing 10-layer Southern Salted Caramel Cake

There’s just something about real Southern baking, isn’t there? It’s all about comfort, richness, and never being afraid to use a little extra butter. I’ve spent years perfecting my layer cakes, and let me tell you, once you try this Southern Salted Caramel Cake, you’ll understand why it’s the crown jewel of my dessert collection. It’s unbelievably moist, but it holds up perfectly structurally, which is key for a showstopper cake like this.

The magic really happens when that intense, sweet caramel meets just the right amount of sea salt in the frosting. Trust me, creating incredible layer cakes at home isn’t just about following steps; it’s about putting your whole heart into the mixing. This recipe gives you that decadent, rich experience without needing fussy stabilizers. It’s pure, sweet Southern magic!

Why This Southern Salted Caramel Cake is a Must-Bake

Honestly, if you are looking for the perfect centerpiece for any big celebration, stop scrolling right now. This recipe isn’t just good; it’s the kind of cake that people talk about for weeks afterward. I’m telling you, it’s worth every single minute you spend making that caramel sauce from scratch!

• The crumb is unbelievably soft and tender, thanks to the buttermilk and the way the flour is handled—it just melts in your mouth.
• That perfect sweet and salty punch! The flavor contrast between the rich interior and the salty caramel hits every single note you want in a modern Southern dessert.
• It travels well! Unlike some delicate layer cakes, this one truly holds its height and doesn’t slump, which is a huge win.
• You get to make homemade caramel sauce, which is surprisingly easy, but makes you feel like a total baking superstar.
• It looks absolutely glorious when you drizzle that extra sauce over the top of the final frosting—total visual appeal, honey.
• It’s versatile enough for a fancy anniversary party but comforting enough for a casual Sunday dinner, too.

If you want to level up your cake game instantly, you need to check out my tips on how to make sure your caramel cake stays secretly moist even after a couple of days; it’s all in the details!

Gathering Ingredients for Your Southern Salted Caramel Cake

Okay, let’s talk about what you need to haul out of that pantry! Making a show-stopping cake like this Southern Salted Caramel Cake relies on having everything measured and ready to go before you even turn the oven on. I always lay mine out on the counter in little groups—it’s called mise en place, but I just call it avoiding a major kitchen meltdown!

Don’t skip the important details like having your butter softened, not melted, or your buttermilk at room temperature. These things matter for a tender crumb, believe me!

For the Cake Layers

These are the basics that build our lovely, moist foundation. That buttermilk is non-negotiable, folks—it reacts with the baking soda to give us the perfect lift!

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (yes, that’s a lot, but it’s a layer cake!)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened just right
• 2 large eggs, room temperature is best
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk, make sure it’s room temperature

For the Homemade Caramel Sauce

This is where the real flavor alchemy happens. If you’re making this sauce for the first time, you’ll be shocked how fast it comes together. You really owe it to yourself to make it fresh; a homemade sauce is miles better than store-bought. If you need a little extra hand-holding on this part, I have a great guide on whipping up divine caramel sauce!

Now, the most important expert tip for this next part: when you melt that first cup of sugar, you absolutely cannot stir it! You just swirl the pan gently. You are watching for that color change—you want a deep, rich amber, almost the color of dark honey, but stop right before it looks burnt around the edges. If you see smoke or it smells bitter, you’re too late. That deep color is what gives you that complex, slightly toasty flavor later!

• 1 cup granulated sugar (for cooking)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, warmed slightly helps
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter (for the sauce)
• 1/2 teaspoon pretty sea salt for that “salted” part

For the Salted Caramel Frosting

Here is where we turn that delicious sauce into a spreadable cloud. Remember, the sauce needs to cool off before you ever introduce it to the butter and sugar mixture, or you’ll end up with soup instead of frosting!

• 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted if you want zero lumps
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened again!
• 1/4 cup of that wonderful, cooled caramel sauce we just made

Step-by-Step Instructions for the Southern Salted Caramel Cake

Alright, let’s get baking! You’ve got your ingredients lined up, now we just follow the plan. I always start by preheating the oven to 350°F (175°C) and getting those two 8-inch pans really well greased and floured. Seriously, don’t skimp here; a sticky cake is just sad!

Baking the Moist Cake Layers

First up, we mix the dry stuff. In a big bowl, just whisk together your flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Don’t worry about sifting unless you want to be extra fussy! Then, take that softened butter and beat it into the dry mix until it looks like sandy crumbs. Next, eggs go in one at a time, beating well, followed by your vanilla. Finally, slowly introduce the buttermilk but stop mixing as soon as those streaks of flour disappear. Overmixing this batter is the enemy of tenderness, so be gentle!

Divide that lovely batter evenly between your two prepared pans. Bake them for about 30 to 35 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when a toothpick comes out clean. Let them chill out in the pans for ten minutes—no more, no less—then flip them out onto a rack to cool completely. Patience now, warmth equals disaster later!

Creating the Rich Caramel Sauce

This is the fun part where you get to watch magic happen on the stove. Grab a saucepan and melt that first cup of sugar over medium heat. Remember what I said? No stirring, just gentle swirling until it’s a deep amber color. Take it off the heat right away and whisk in that heavy cream—warning, it will bubble up violently, so be ready! Whisk until it smooths out, then stir in the butter and sea salt.

Once it’s all wonderfully combined, you need to let this cool down a bit. We need to reserve about a quarter cup for our frosting later, so set that aside after it’s cooled a touch. You can find a few more pointers for making incredible caramel right here, just in case you’re nervous!

Preparing the Salted Caramel Frosting

Time for the frosting! Get your mixer going, beating the softened butter and powdered sugar until it looks smooth and creamy. Now, we bring in that gorgeous, slightly cooled caramel sauce we reserved. Add it in slowly while the mixer is running. Keep beating—you want this frosting to go from dense to light, fluffy, and perfectly spreadable. That sweet caramel taste should really sing through here!

Assembling Your Southern Salted Caramel Cake

The moment of truth! Place your first completely cooled cake layer on your serving plate.

Don’t be shy—spread a generous, even layer of that fluffy frosting all over it. Carefully set the second cake layer on top. Now, cover the entire outside—the top and the sides—with the rest of your frosting for a beautiful finish.

For the grand finale? Take any remaining caramel sauce you might have left over (if you made extra, lucky you!) and slowly drizzle it over the top edge so it runs down the sides for that signature, decadent look before you slice into this amazing Southern Salted Caramel Cake layer cake.

Tips for the Perfect Southern Salted Caramel Cake

Look, even the best recipes hit snags sometimes, but I haven’t had a sinking cake in years, and I want the same for you! First, always remember that ingredient temperature matters more than you think, especially for that cake batter. Make sure your butter is truly softened—meaning you can press a finger into it easily without it sinking straight through. If the butter is too warm, the whole structure falls apart.

To help you get those perfectly flat layers, which makes assembling this gorgeous Southern Salted Caramel Cake so much easier, try chilling your cooled cakes in the fridge for about 30 minutes just before frosting. A cold, firm cake doesn’t crumble when you start spreading that rich caramel frosting around.

And one last thing about that caramel sauce, because it’s tricky: If you are worried about burning the sugar, you can always check out my little strategy guide on how to avoid that one major mistake people make when cooking sugar for caramel. It saves so much heartache!

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions for Your Southern Salted Caramel Cake

I know that not every kitchen is stocked the same way, and sometimes we have to get creative with substitutions, especially when it comes to regional baking staples. When making this Southern Salted Caramel Cake, though, there are a few ingredients that I insist you try to stick to, just because they make such a huge difference in the final result.

The buttermilk, for instance, is super important for that characteristic tang and tender texture. It actually interacts with the baking soda to create lots of nice little bubbles, giving the cake its structure without being heavy. If you run out—oops!—you can make a quick stand-in. Just take a cup of regular milk and stir in one tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice. Let it sit on the counter for about five minutes until it curdles a little. That’s your substitute buttermilk!

Remember how I mentioned sour cream in the notes? If you want an even richer cake, substitute half of the buttermilk in the recipe with full-fat sour cream. It adds such a beautiful density, and honestly, I think the cake stays fresh-tasting even longer. It’s a trick I learned from my Grandma when she needed a little extra richness for big holidays. If you are tinkering around with your flour, remember that having the right flour blend is also key to keeping things light!

And regarding the salt in the caramel? Please use sea salt if you can! Its larger flakes dissolve differently than fine table salt, giving you those distinct little pops of saltiness against the massive sweetness of the caramel frosting. That contrast is what makes this Southern Salted Caramel Cake so addictive!

Storing and Serving Your Southern Salted Caramel Cake

Now that you’ve poured your love into this beautiful Southern Salted Caramel Cake, you definitely want to make sure it lasts! Truthfully, this cake is so moist it rarely lasts longer than a day in our house, but I totally understand if you have leftovers.

The good news is that because of all that butter and sugar in the frosting, you can absolutely keep this cake covered tightly at room temperature for up to two days. I just use an actual cake dome or cover it loosely with plastic wrap making sure the wrap isn’t directly touching the frosting too heavily.

If you need it around longer—say, for the next three or four days—you should definitely move it into the refrigerator. Just be aware that the frosting might firm up a little bit because of the cold. If that happens, don’t panic! Pull it out about thirty minutes before you plan to serve any slices. Letting it come back to room temperature is crucial for enjoying that soft, tender cake crumb properly.

Serving it slightly cool but not ice-cold is just heavenly. The caramel in the frosting softens up just enough, and you get the best flavor explosion. It’s truly divine with a cup of coffee, or maybe even a side of creamy southern cheese grits if you’re going all out for breakfast the next day! Trust me, this Southern Salted Caramel Cake tastes best when given a little time to breathe after being chilled.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Southern Salted Caramel Cake

I know when you put this much love into a Southern Salted Caramel Cake, you want every detail perfect! Here are a few things folks ask me all the time when they’re tackling this sweet and salty masterpiece for the first time.

Can I make the caramel sauce ahead of time for this Southern Salted Caramel Cake?

Oh, absolutely! That’s actually what I prefer to do. It lets the sauce chill out and thicken up nicely, and it keeps my kitchen less chaotic on the actual day I plan to assemble the layer cake. You can store the caramel sauce in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to two weeks. Now, remember what I stressed earlier: if it gets too stiff or cold from the fridge, you have to let it warm up on the counter for a bit before you mix it into the frosting. If it’s too cold, it won’t incorporate smoothly, and you’ll end up with hard little caramel streaks instead of fluffy frosting!

What makes this a truly ‘Southern’ style cake?

That’s a great question! For me, it comes down to two things: richness and buttermilk. We Southerners love a cake that’s decadent without being fussy, and our cakes rely heavily on high-quality fats—that’s why this recipe uses a good amount of butter, both in the cake and the glorious frosting. But the real signature is the buttermilk. It gives the crumb a slight tang and ensures it stays incredibly moist, even days later. It’s that combination of richness and slight acidity that separates it from a plain vanilla cake.

How do I prevent my layer cake from sliding when frosting?

This is the number one headache for anyone assembling a layer cake, and it’s usually because the layers are too warm or the frosting between them is too soft! My biggest trick is chilling. After you have baked and cooled the layers completely, wrap each one snugly in plastic wrap and pop them in the fridge for at least an hour. They firm up beautifully. Then, when you put that first layer down, I always spread a very thin layer of frosting—I call it the ‘crumb coat’—and chill it again for about fifteen minutes before I start putting on the thick, pretty layer of sweet and salty frosting you want for the final look. That first thin layer traps all those pesky little crumbs!

If you want to see some other amazing baked goods that feel just as comforting and special, check out this recipe for a wonderful southern strawberry banana pudding!

Estimated Nutrition for This Southern Salted Caramel Cake

Now, if you’re like me, you know that half the fun of eating an unbelievably decadent Southern Salted Caramel Cake is not thinking about the nutrition label! This is a celebration cake, pure and simple. You just made homemade caramel and a rich layer cake, so we can agree that every single bite is worth it, right?

But just so you know what you’re dealing with for your slicing estimations, here is the breakdown based on the ingredients we used for a single slice (yielded 10 servings). Remember, these are just my estimates, and if you used heavy cream straight from the farm or a different brand of butter, things might shift a little bit. Don’t stress about the numbers too much!

• Calories: Roughly 450 per slice
• Sugar: We’re looking at about 65g—that’s where all that lovely caramel goodness hides!
• Total Fat: Around 20g (We used good butter, honey!)
• Carbohydrates: About 68g in total
• Protein: A modest 4g

We kept the sodium pretty reasonable for a cake this rich, around 300mg, mostly coming from that glorious sea salt we sprinkled into the caramel. This Southern Salted Caramel Cake is truly meant for special occasions, so enjoy every rich, sweet, and salty moment of it!

Share Your Southern Salted Caramel Cake Masterpiece

Whew! Now that you’ve conquered the caramel and built this beautiful Southern Salted Caramel Cake, I am just dying to see what you created! Honestly, that moment when you slice into a perfect layer cake and see all those beautiful layers stacked high—there’s nothing better.

Please, *please* come back here and leave me a comment telling me how it turned out. Did the caramel get that perfect amber color? Did your family devour it in ten minutes flat? Your feedback really helps other bakers feel brave enough to try it, and hearing your success stories makes my day!

If you took a photo of your finished cake, I would absolutely love for you to share it on social media! Tag me so I can ooh and aah over your flawless frosting job. If you’re looking for general tips on how to capture that perfect slice for the camera, I’ve put together a few pointers on getting that ultimate cake slice photo!

Until the next bake, happy eating, sweet friend!

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