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Old School style Caramel Butter Cake with Fudgy Chocolate Frosting. Taking a step back into our grandma’s youth with this DELICIOUS butter cake. Picture a buttery vanilla cake layered with rich, fudgy, chocolate frosting in the center. Then topped with the most delectable, roll your eyes back good – brown sugar frosting that’s sweet and creamy with notes of caramel mixed throughout. Sooo much to love here! Every bite is sweet, salty, extra chocolatey, and truly delicious. The perfect cake to enjoy any day of the week, no “celebratory” reasons required.
Taking it back to the old school days with this cake…or at least that’s what it feels like to me! Growing up my mom made cakes religiously. Come Friday night we’d have fresh baked cookies, cake, or some other kind of dessert on the counter without a doubt. She was the queen of the Friday night dessert.
No matter what the dessert was, we’d always eat them a little warm and gooey, just after baking. Oh, and always with a cold glass of milk. Baking in the kitchen with mom on Friday nights was such a special time. More times than not my brothers would be MIA, so it was just mom and me. My memories of those Friday nights are so fond and perfect. To this day, they are some of my favorites.
My mom would often bake up a classic chocolate cake, it was everyone’s favorite. What she wouldn’t bake however was any kind of vanilla cake. They were just not her thing. But, my grandma on the other hand? She’d bake up any flavor of cake…chocolate or vanilla, it just had to be easy.
While I don’t remember the exact cakes my Nonnie would bake, this feels like something she would have happily made. Something about a vanilla butter cake, with a super easy (secret ingredient) chocolate frosting, and a sweet brown sugar icing overtop just feels “old school” to me.
Like something she might have found in one of her Better Homes and Garden Magazine’s back in the day. I can literally picture the torn-out magazine page now…
How many of you have super, super old magazine cutouts your mom gave you with recipes? Please cherish those FOREVER. I wish I had more of them!
When my cousin, Maggie mentioned a butter cake yesterday, I was really curious about the idea. And then I got thinking and loved the idea of doing some kind of “old school” style cake.
So here we are!
And everyone? This cake is GOOD, and it’s even pretty easy.
Here are the details, start with the cake.
Start with the vanilla butter cake. I kind of based this off my tiramisu cake, but with a few adjustments. Either way, it’s easy…just beat the wet ingredients together, add the dry, and then beat in some buttermilk.
I always go heavy on the vanilla with my cakes. It’s KEY, so don’t skimp on it.
The chocolate frosting.
While the cake is cooling, you can start making the chocolate fudge frosting. Now this really IS old school. It’s simply just melted chocolate chips and sour cream. I also added espresso powder, which really highlights the chocolate.
For having just three ingredients, this is some of the most magical frosting. Very creamy, rich, and fudgy. And I love that it’s not too sweet, but just sweet enough.
Now, spread the frosting over one layer of the cake. Add the top layer, then chill the cake while you make the brown sugar icing.
Last thing…the brown sugar icing.
I stole this recipe from my chai cupcakes with brown sugar frosting. It’s the same recipe, only this is melted down into more of an icing/glaze…which yes, also feels very old school.
The brown sugar melted down adds hints of warm molasses and really deepens the flavor to create an icing that’s perfectly rich and caramel-like. And when you add a touch of vanilla and sea salt? Well, it’s hard to say no to a second piece. I highly recommend slathering on more icing than you think your cake needs.
Also, you’ll want to swirl on the icing while it’s still warm, once it cools it will stiffen up.
To finish, I topped my cake with chocolate curls and sea salt for a salty-sweet finish.
And that’s it. Honestly, this cake is pretty simple to put together. There are three “steps”, but they’re all very easy. And so very good. Each bite is filled with sweet vanilla butter cake, fudgy chocolate frosting, and sweet caramel-like brown sugar icing.
Best kind of any day cake to bake, no reason required. Although it is my Dad’s birthday today…but he’s not big on celebrating it!
Looking for other easy winter desserts? Here are some favorites:
Brown Butter Malted Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Lastly, if you make this Caramel Butter Cake with Fudgy Chocolate Frosting be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Caramel Butter Cake with Fudgy Chocolate Frosting
Servings: 10
Calories Per Serving: 809 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
Chocolate Fudge Frosting
- 1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
Brown Sugar frosting
- 2 sticks salted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2-3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter 2 (8-inch) round cake pans and line with parchment paper. 2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, beating until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stream in the buttermilk, beating until just combined. Pour the batter among the 2 cake pans.3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the center is just set. Let cool 5-10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake and invert the cake onto a plate, flip it back over onto a serving plate. Let cool.4. To make the chocolate frosting. Microwave the chocolate chips and a pinch of salt, stirring every 45 seconds, until melted. Stir in the sour cream and espresso, a dollop at a time, until the mixture is smooth. Swirl the frosting onto the top of the cake. Place the second cake layer on top. Run a knife around the side of the cake to clean up any frosting. Chill while you make the brown sugar frosting.5. To make the brown sugar frosting. Melt together the butter, brown sugar, and cream in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved. Add a pinch of salt. Remove from the heat and add to the bowl of a stand mixer. Sift in the powdered sugar, then add the vanilla. Beat until well combined. The frosting should be glossy and pourable. If it feels too runny, add powdered sugar to thicken it.6. Pour the frosting over the cake, spreading around the sides of the cake too. The frosting will set quickly on the cake. If desired top with chocolate curls and sea salt. Slice, eat, and enjoy!!
Notes
This post was originally published on February 19, 2021
Hi, i am about to make this recipe and cannot wait to try it. I am from NZ and we dont really have buttermilk though what would you recommend using instead ?
Thank you
Hey Fiona,
You can use whole milk in place of the buttermilk. I hope you enjoy the recipe, let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
Hi
I made this cake to eat tomorrow for my sons birthday:)whats the best way to store in until tomorrow?
Hey Lisa,
You can store on the counter in an airtight container. Thanks for giving the recipe a try! xTieghan
Could you use cream cheese or something else instead of sour cream?
Hey Jenna,
You could try using Greek Yogurt in place of the sour cream. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Do you think this recipe would work for cupcakes? I made the cake a couple of weeks ago and it was SO GOOD!!
Hey Angela,
Awesome, I love to hear that the recipe was enjoyed and thanks so much for giving it a try! Yes, I think cupcakes would work well here. xTieghan
I also found the brown butter icing to be very runny, even with 3C icing sugar. Next time I will refrigerate the icing first, to thicken it up. And maybe cut the recipe in half. But I will make this cake again – made it last night and everyone really liked it!
Hey Teresa,
Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
The sour cream was way too much for the amount of chocolate.
The 2 sticks of butter for the icing was too much; I cut the icing by half, and if sufficed.
Sorry you did not enjoy the recipe Lizzy, please let me know if I can help in anyway! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan,
A couple things:
Overall, I really enjoyed the cake and loved making it from scratch. Here’s my question/ comments:
When mixing the batter in a Kitchen Aid mixer, what speed should you use? Also, how long should it take to get the butter and sugar light and creamy? I think my butter and sugar mixture seemed too heavy.
Regarding the chocolate frosting in the middle of the layers, I thought the frosting was too bitter. Have you ever done a different frosting that would be a good substitute?
Lastly, I loved the brown sugar frosting but you weren’t kidding when you said it sets up quickly. any tips for spreading it so it looks nice and what tools do you use for spreading the icing?
Thanks,
Tim
Hey Tim!
– I mix on medium speed for 3-4 minutes for light and creamy butter.
– you could do a more traditional chocolate buttercream frosting that us sweeter. I am sure that would be great!!
– for the brown sugar frosting, if you spread it on while warm it spread much, much nicer. I always frost the cake right after mixing the frosting!
Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
so excited to try this! Just realized I forgot the heavy cream.. would you suggest buttermilk or whole milk as a substitute?
Hey Chelsea,
Sorry you need the heavy cream for the caramel:) I hope you love the cake, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Delicious cake! I found I had what felt like too much icing for the layer and couldn’t get it to set. Maybe I needed to cook and chill longer. My top layer kept sliding. Mine looked awful messy (disastrous) but tasted yummy.
Hey Alison,
I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan! This looks crazy delish omg haha
Could I swap out the sour cream for Greek yogurt when making the choco fudge frosting?
Hey Angela,
Yes, that should work just fine for you. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Made this recipe as a birthday cake and it turned out great – only issue was the caramel frosting being a bit runny as other reviewers have pointed out. I think my problem was the cake was a bit warm still when I applied it – make sure the cake is at room temp!! Aside from that it was a big success – great reviews from everyone that ate it & very yummy!! Thanks for the great recipe!!
Hey Laura,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, it makes me so happy that it was enjoyed. Happy Friday! xTieghan
The cake was amazing… both frostings were delish!! But i halved the quantity of frostings and was enough for me .. if you’re okay with having lots of leftovers or you want to heavily ice the cake… go for it!! Overall just lovely.. and not so difficult…
Hey Parsha,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, it makes me so happy that it was enjoyed. Happy Friday! xTieghan
Hi! I am wondering if full fat plain Greek yogurt can be substituted for the sour cream in the chocolate frosting? Just used the last of my sour cream before remembering I needed it for this recipe.
TIA
Hey Danielle,
Yes, that should work well for you. I hope you enjoy the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Loved this cake. Dense full of buttery flavor. The fudge middle is special, but my favorite is the salted caramel icing. I should have used more powered sugar as it was so thin it ran over the cake and pooled so much I stopped short of using it all.
Hey Kelli,
I am so thrilled this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for giving it a try!! Sorry about the frosting!! xTieghan
This cake is delicious! I love the soft cake with the sour cream chocolate and the sweet brown sugar frosting. It is rich aso a little bit goes a long way! I delivered cake slices to a few family members and they loved it too.
Hey Sarah,
I am so thrilled this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for giving it a try!! xTieghan