Salted Caramel Sauce

1. Place the granulated sugar into a medium pot and begin to cook over medium-high heat. Be careful not to stir as this will form sugar crystals.
2. Cook the sugar until it turns a deep amber color and immediately remove it from heat.
3. Very slowly pour in the milk while whisking. Be careful as the mixture will bubble up and may spit.
4. Add in the butter and whisk together until fully melted and smooth.
5. Return the caramel to the heat and allow it to simmer gently for 2 minutes while whisking continually.
6. Remove the caramel sauce from the heat, stir in the salt, and let it cool to room temperature. As it cools it will thicken.
7. Store the salted caramel sauce at room temperature overnight or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Salted Caramel Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF degrees and spray and parchment line four 6-inch round cake pans.
2. In a small mixing bowl whisk together the milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer and with the flat beater attachment, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and give it a quick mix together for approximately 1 minute.
4. Add in the butter, in small pieces, to the dry ingredients and mix on low until it looks like coarse sand.
5. Slowly pour in approximately half the liquid mixture from step 1 and mix on low for 2 minutes.
6. Add in the remaining liquid mixture and mix on medium for another 2 minutes. Scrap the sides of the bowl when necessary.
7. Divide the cake batter into the four prepared cake pans and drizzle on approximately 1 tablespoon of salted caramel sauce in each cake pan. With a butter knife or toothpick, swirl the two together.
8. Bake for approximately 23-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs and the cake edges begin to pull away from the cake pans.
9. Allow the cake layers to cool for 10 minutes and then invert them on a cooling rack to fully cool.

Salted Caramel Buttercream

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment cream the butter and shortening on high speed until light and fluffy. Approximately 10 minutes.

2. Add in the salted caramel sauce and mix on high for another 2 minutes. ***

3. Add the icing sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt and mix on low until combined. Continue to add salt according to your taste preference.

4. Turn the mixer up to high and let mix for 5 minutes until smooth and creamy. Scrape the sides of the bowl when necessary.

Cake Assembly

1. Level each fully cooled salted caramel cake layer with a cake leveler or knife if needed.

2. Place one leveled layer of cake on a cake board, plate, and/or cake turntable and top with approximately 1 cup of salted caramel buttercream.

3. Repeat with the remaining layers and apply a thin coat of buttercream all over the cake. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

4. Cover the cake with another layer of salted caramel buttercream and smooth the sides with a cake smoother. Refrigerate the cake while you prepare the salted caramel sauce for the drip.

5. Warm the remaining salted caramel sauce in the microwave until smooth and pourable. Be careful it is not hot though.

6. On a well-chilled cake, with a spoon or a piping bag, drip the warm salted caramel sauce over the edges of the chilled cake and put it back in the refrigerator to cool. ****

7. Decorate the cake as you please. I used a Wilton 1m piping tip and piped swirls around the top and placed a cookie between each swirl. Enjoy!

8. Store leftover cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.