Last Updated on May 22, 2022
Today, we’re going to be looking at a caramel cake recipe with sweetened condensed milk. Caramel cake is already simply delicious, but when using sweetened condensed milk, it elevates the cake to a new level. If you have an extra sweet tooth, this is most definitely the cake for you. But how do you make this dreamy cake? What ingredients do you need? Let’s take a closer look.
What Is Caramel Cake?
Caramel cake is exactly as it sounds. It’s a light, fluffy yellow cake, with rich caramel covering the top. It’s decadent, sweet, and absolutely delicious. If you’ve never tried a caramel cake, I would highly recommend doing so!
Ingredients In Caramel Cake
The ingredients in caramel cake can differ depending on which recipe you use, but the ingredients we’ll be using for this recipe are:
- sugar
- vegetable shortening
- whole milk
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- salt
- brown sugar
- unsalted butter
- sweetened condensed milk
Caramel Cake With Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe
Now for the part, you’ve been waiting for – how to make this delicious cake. The recipe we’re looking at today is inspired by a Southern Style Caramel Cake recipe from 12 Tomatoes.
Ingredients
The ingredients you’ll need for this recipe are:
Cake
- 2 1/2 cups of sugar
- 1 1/2 cups of vegetable shortening
- 1 1/2 cups of whole milk
- 6 eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- 3 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
Icing
- 1 cup of brown sugar
- 1 cup of white sugar
- 1 stick of unsalted butter
- 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
Recipe
Now you have all your ingredients, all you need to do is:
Step 1: Prepare
Gather all of your ingredients and prepare two round cake pans. Lightly grease your cake pans and leave to one side. Preheat your oven to 350F.
Step 2: Make the cake batter
Grab a bowl and add the flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix well, using a whisk ideally. In a separate bowl, add the sugar and shortening and beat for a few minutes. The mixture should be light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and eggs gradually to the mixture and mix well. Once fully incorporated, add your dry ingredients and milk. Mix until just combined.
Step 3: Bake
Pour the cake batter into your prepared cake pans and place it in the center of your preheated oven. Bake for around 30 minutes. To check your cake is ready, place a skewer or toothpick into the center of your cake; it should come out clean. Once baked, remove from your oven and leave to cool before you start on the icing.
Step 4: Prepare the icing
In a pan, add the white sugar, brown sugar, butter, and sweetened condensed milk. Place on medium heat and stir until thickened (this may take a while). Once boiling, add the vanilla extract and salt and lower the heat. Leave for around 5 minutes until the mixture has thickened.
Step 5: Decorate
Leave the icing to cool slightly until warm, rather than hot. Get one cake layer and pour over 1/3 of your icing onto the cake. Place the second layer of cake on top and pour the remaining icing over the cake. It should cascade over the sides and drip, so don’t worry if it looks messy! Your cake is now ready to serve, and enjoy.
Conclusion
I hope this article has helped you to become more familiar with a caramel cake recipe with sweetened condensed milk. If ever a recipe calls for the use of caramel, you should definitely use sweetened condensed milk – it makes the caramel sweeter, smoother, and even tastier.
Do you know of any other caramel cake recipes using sweetened condensed milk? Or do you have any tips or tricks to making the perfect caramel using sweetened condensed milk? If so, please feel free to let me know in the comments below. Sharing is caring!
Caramel Cake Recipe With Sweetened Condensed Milk: How To
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 1/2 cups of sugar
- 1 1/2 cups of vegetable shortening
- 1 1/2 cups of whole milk
- 6 eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- 3 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
Icing
- 1 cup of brown sugar
- 1 cup of white sugar
- 1 stick of unsalted butter
- 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
Instructions
- PrepareGather all of your ingredients and prepare two round cake pans. Lightly grease your cake pans and leave to one side. Preheat your oven to 350F.
- Make the cake batterGrab a bowl and add the flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix well, using a whisk ideally. In a separate bowl, add the sugar and shortening and beat for a few minutes. The mixture should be light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and eggs gradually to the mixture and mix well. Once fully incorporated, add your dry ingredients and milk. Mix until just combined.2 1/2 cups of sugar, 1 1/2 cups of vegetable shortening, 6 eggs, 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, 3 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1 1/2 cups of whole milk
- BakePour the cake batter into your prepared cake pans and place it in the center of your preheated oven. Bake for around 30 minutes. To check your cake is ready, place a skewer or toothpick into the center of your cake; it should come out clean. Once baked, remove from your oven and leave to cool before you start on the icing.
- Prepare the icingIn a pan, add the white sugar, brown sugar, butter, and sweetened condensed milk. Place on medium heat and stir until thickened (this may take a while). Once boiling, add the vanilla extract and salt and lower the heat. Leave for around 5 minutes until the mixture has thickened.1 cup of brown sugar, 1 cup of white sugar, 1 stick of unsalted butter, 1 can of sweetened condensed milk, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
- DecorateLeave the icing to cool slightly until warm, rather than hot. Get one cake layer and pour over 1/3 of your icing onto the cake. Place the second layer of cake on top and pour the remaining icing over the cake. It should cascade over the sides and drip, so don't worry if it looks messy! Your cake is now ready to serve, and enjoy.
FAQs
Does Condensed Milk Turn Into Caramel?
Yes. When heated, condensed milk turns into caramel. This is because the sugar in the condensed milk turns brown in color once heat has been applied. The higher the sugar content, the better; which is why sweetened condensed milk is the perfect ingredient to making the sweetest tasting caramel.
Does a Cake With Sweetened Condensed Milk Need to be Refrigerated?
No. You do not need to keep a cake with sweetened condensed milk in the fridge. As long as none of the other ingredients in your cake require refrigeration, you can happily leave your caramel cake at room temperature, like any other cake.
How Do You Know When Condensed Milk is Caramel?
It becomes quite apparent when your condensed milk becomes caramel. It will have a slightly grainy texture and will be a golden brown color. At this point, you can assume that your condensed milk is no longer milk, but caramel instead!
How Do You Store Condensed Milk to Make Caramel?
Condensed milk can actually be stored in a cool and dry place before being opened. However, once opened, if you have any leftovers, it needs to be refrigerated and transferred to an airtight container. It goes without saying that the longer it's left, the less fresh it will become. You can usually keep opened condensed milk in the refrigerator for around three weeks before it needs to be thrown away.
How Do You Thicken Condensed Milk?
It's pretty simple to thicken your condensed milk. Firstly, it's always best to use sweetened condensed milk, as the higher the sugar content, the better the results. It's also important to stir throughout the process, as this helps the milk to thicken. The most important aspect you need is patience. It may take a while for your condensed milk to thicken, so just be patient with the milk. You can also add a pinch of baking soda as you're waiting for the milk to cool, as this helps the thickening process once removed from the heat.