Cooked Caramel Frosting

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 12/27/22
Caramel Frosting on a Kentucky Jam Cake
Diana Rattray
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 3 mins
Total: 13 mins
Servings: 8 serving
Yield: 1 (2- to 3-layer) cake

This is a cooked fudge-like frosting, perfect for a spice cake or brown sugar cake. It would be great on a chocolate cake as well. 

Use this caramel frosting to ice spice cake, a jam cake, or similar cakes. Dip the spatula in hot water if the frosting becomes firm and difficult to spread.

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Ingredients

  • 3 cups light brown sugar, packed

  • 2 tablespoons corn syrup

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 1 dash salt

  • 3/4 cup cream

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a large saucepan, combine ingredients and mix well to blend. Bring to a boil; cover and cook 3 minutes.

  3. Uncover and cook to 238 F on a candy thermometer or until soft ball forms when dropped in cold water. Cool for 3 minutes.

  4. Beat until thick and spreadable. It should begin to lose its glossiness.

  5. Spread on layers and over sides of cake.

  6. Enjoy.

Tip

As you frost the cake, the frosting might become too stiff. Add a little hot water whenever necessary to make it spreadable. Dip the spatula in hot water to smooth frosting out if needed.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
391 Calories
12g Fat
72g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 391
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 16%
Saturated Fat 8g 39%
Cholesterol 37mg 12%
Sodium 82mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 72g 26%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 71g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 74mg 6%
Iron 1mg 3%
Potassium 114mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)