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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
I’m so excited to try this recipe for my mother’s birthday! I do have a questions–you always get me excited with the shaved chocolate on top of everything. Do you have a type/brand that you recommend? Thank you in advance!
Hey Anastasia,
I like to use Chocolove! I hope you enjoy the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Wow wow wow’ I made this today for my mom’s bday tomorrow. I leveled the cakes so I had a bunch of leftovers of cake and icings to try together. NEXT LEVEL. The cake taste like the best sugar cookie ever in cake form, the chocolate is in fact very fishy, and the caramel icing is such a great addition. I halved the recipe and that worked fine (I’m not afraid to bring out a scale to calculate 1.5 eggs). I did add a bunch of extra powdered sugar and I’m not sure I should t have added more to make it even less runny. I probably used close to 2 cups. Everything tastes amazing though and looking forward to sharing with my family tomorrow!
Hey Alix,
I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thank you so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
Hey Tieghan! Can I use plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream?
Hey Lily,
Yes, I think that would work well for you! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Made this today for my daughter’s birthday. It was absolutely delicious and everyone loved it. I decorated mine with chocolate curls. Thank you for the great recipe!
Hey Jenn,
Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
I loved this cake! It was so easy, and you are right about the caramel frosting. Don’t throw the leftovers away! I liked the chocolate filled center, however I had to improvise with bittersweet chocolate and a handful of espresso chips so I am sure my flavor was different. I think next time I bake this I will just use the caramel frosting for the center, I definitely wanted more..
Thank you for the inspiration!
Kara
Hey Kara,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for making it. Happy Sunday! ☀️Tieghan
Hi this looks like the most delicious cake ever I can’t wait to try it! I was wondering if I leave the frosting to firm up a bit would it be pipable? I wanted to pipe and decorate the cake but I’m not sure if it would work with this frosting. Thanks!
Hey Sav,
I think that should work well for you. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Does the cake need to be kept in the refrigerator since the chocolate frosting has sour cream in it?
Also, many people said the brown sugar butter cream icing was too runny. How much extra powder sugar should I use? I am making this for my daughter’s bday tomorrow. Should I refrigerate this after frosting both the chocolate and the butter cream frosting?
Kristi Loven
Hey Kristi,
You can keep this in the fridge or in an airtight container on the counter. I would use about 1/2 cup extra if needed, or pop it in the fridge to help it set. I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
Very yummy and well done as always 🙂
only thing is that I thought the frosting recipes each made 1.5 the amount of frosting needed
Hey Ro,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! ☘️ xTieghan
I made this for a birthday party and it turned out to be one of my favorite cakes. You totally need to make this and it’s worth all the time and ingredients. The caramel frosting alone is worth it, ha! The batter was beautiful and fluffy, it did crack on me but probably something I did wrong. And make sure you use the full amount of powdered sugar, I thought I had the consistency right but I didn’t. Just meant I had icing to use for something else, so not a bad problem 🙂 just wasn’t quite as pretty as the picture.
Hey Danielle,
Thanks for making this recipe! I am so glad it was a hit! xTieghan
This was such a great cake, with an awesome, fluffy texture. The caramel frosting is beyond heavenly, but the sour cream in the fudge frosting adds an acidic flavor to the chocolate that makes it quite bitter. I think I’m going to try crème fraîche or heavy cream instead for that next time. Otherwise, really great!
Hey Cassie,
I am absolutely delighted that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks for making it! Have the best week☀️ xTieghan
Does this freeze well?
Hi Alia,
I’ve never tried freezing this cake. I think it would be fine to freeze without the caramel icing. Let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Very yummy! I turned these into cupcakes and filled them with the chocolate fudge. Didn’t have buttermilk so used a milk/ lemon juice substitute turned out great! Thanks for another great recipe!
Hey Natalie,
I am absolutely delighted that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks for making it! Have the best week☀️ xTieghan
We had to modify a smidge, but the cake and caramel frosting in combo were a HUGE hit!!
Keep at, because you’re doing SO much right!
Hey Janell,
I am absolutely delighted that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks for making it! Have the best week☀️ xTieghan
My sister made me this cake for my birthday and it was SO GOOD!!! I highly recommend giving it a try 🙂
Hey Kelly,
I am absolutely delighted that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks for making it! Have the best week☀️ xTieghan
Made this and loved it! But I did a couple things different: I don’t have round cake pans so I used a 12×18” rectangle cake pan and cut it in half. It worked out but the middle was barely done due to the bigger pan. I also used store bought chocolate frosting in the middle. I decorated with apple flowers and the crunch was nice but the brown sugar frosting drowned out the apple taste. I might try strawberry and graham cracker decorations next time. Or orange and dark chocolate curls?
The brown sugar glaze is very messy but is pretty when it sets! I can’t see ever getting it to look like the picture, but still pretty and shiny. There was a lot left over so I saved that in a jar in the fridge for ice cream or pancake topping. I don’t know how long it keeps.. The sponge is delicious and I like the slightly acidic buttermilk flavor. The brown sugar glaze was very very sweet. I think it went wonderfully with the chocolate and the sponge! I will definitely be making the sponge again if not the whole cake! Thank you for this recipe!!!
Hey Raita,
I am absolutely delighted that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks for making it! Have the best week☀️ xTieghan
This is very intense. The vanilla cake itself is perfect! I think I’ll use it often in the future! I’m not a huge fan of the sour cream fudge part- too tangy for me, but I like the intense chocolate flavor. The brown sugar icing is soooo delicious, but soooooooo sweet. I only used half to frost the cake; so next time I’d only make half. Definitely let the icing cool a tad before pouring it over cake…it will flow down the sides otherwise! I’d say I used about 2.5 cups of powdered sugar for the right consistency for me.
Thanks for giving the recipe a try Sarah! xTieghan