Salted Caramel Sheet Cake

In my opinion, the sheet cake doesn’t get enough love. While, yes, no one is ever sad when one shows up at a barbecue or potluck, it’s often overlooked when it comes to more “elevated” baking. So consider this its time to shine. To me, few things are more sophisticated than salted caramel, which when ribboned into the cake, folded into the frosting, and drizzled over the top, instantly transforms this cake into pure decadence. But in the spirit of keeping things as simple as possible, instead of making caramel from scratch, we’re starting with store-bought candies. – John Kanell

MAKES 1 (9 × 13-INCH) CAKE (SERVES 12)

Ingredients

FOR THE CARAMEL SAUCE

• 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream
• 1 (11-ounce/311g) package chewy caramel candies (see Tips & Tricks)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1⁄4 teaspoon salt

FOR THE CAKE

• Baking spray
• 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• 2 1⁄4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1⁄2 cups (360ml) whole milk, room temperature
• 1 cup (240ml) vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

FOR THE CARAMEL FROSTING

• 1 cup (2 sticks/226g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 (8 ounce/226g) block plain cream cheese, softened
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar, sifted if clumpy
• Flaky salt, for serving (optional)

Directions

MAKE THE SAUCE:

Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium- low heat, stirring frequently, until warm, about 3 minutes. Add the caramels, vanilla, and salt, and continue stirring until the caramels are fully melted and the mixture is smooth, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat.

Transfer the sauce to a bowl or container with a fitted lid and allow to cool completely, uncovered, at room temperature, about 1 hour. (The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week; warm it slightly to loosen, then allow it to come back to room temperature before using.)

MAKE THE CAKE:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly coat a 9 × 13-inch baking pan with baking spray, and line it with a parchment paper sling if you wish to remove it from the pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add 3⁄4 cup of the caramel sauce, the milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla and whisk until well combined. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the center of the cake springs back when gently pressed. Let the cake cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack.

WHILE THE CAKE COOLS, MAKE THE FROSTING:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, cream cheese, and salt on medium speed until smooth and well combined, about 1 minute.

Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar, stopping occasionally to use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Once combined, increase the speed to medium-low and beat until fluffy,
1 minute.

Spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cooled cake. Add 6 table- spoon-size dollops of the caramel sauce all over the cake. Use a knife or offset spatula to swirl the caramel sauce into the frosting.

Refrigerate the cake for at least 30 minutes or cover and chill up to
24 hours before slicing. Top each slice with the remaining caramel sauce and a sprinkle of flaky salt, if desired.

Leftover cake can be stored covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Variations

MAKE IT AN 8-INCH LAYER CAKE (SERVES 12): Grease two round 8-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Divide the batter between the pans and bake at 350oF for about 35 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then invert them onto cooling racks, remove the parchment, and cool completely before frosting.

MAKE IT A 9-INCH LAYER CAKE (SERVES 12): Grease two round 9-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Divide the batter between the pans and bake at 350oF for about 30 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then invert them onto cooling racks, remove the parchment, and cool completely before frosting.

MAKE IT CUPCAKES (MAKES 24 CUPCAKES): Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper cupcake liners and fill each liner with 1⁄4 cup of batter. Bake at 350oF for about 22 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely on a cooling rack before frosting. Repeat with the remaining batter and frosting.

Excerpted from PREPPY KITCHEN SUPER EASY: 100 Simple and Versatile Recipes.Copyright @ 2024 by John Kanell. Photography Copyright © 2024 by David Malosh. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.