OK, in complete honesty, I have never baked this cake. But, my dear friend Vicki has made this recipe twice, and I have had the pleasure of tasting a piece both times. (OK, more than one piece the second time she baked this cake for a JazzVox concert.) So, I am here to tell you that this is one of the best cakes I have ever tasted. And that’s saying something, because I love me a great big old piece of truly great cake!

The recipe comes from Jocelyn Delk Adams on her Grandbaby Cakes web site. (Fabulous site BTW.) And in my estimation, it could not possibly taste any better than it does! Not possible. Really!

The cake part is moist, flavorful, slightly dense, and not too sweet. In other words, it’s just what I have been looking for! Because, if you are like me, and have tried many, many recipes for yellow cake over the years in hopes of finding just that perfect one, this is your lucky day. Not only is the flavor perfect, the crumb is everything I believe a truly great yellow cake should possess. (And yes, I’m picky. I can’t help it!) And then there’s the icing. Oh caramel icing lovers rejoice. This is the real thing! Amazing!

Now a bit of information you should know before you go rushing off to your kitchen. The cake part is easy, the caramel icing, not as much. You don’t have to stir the icing the whole time its cooking (1½ – 2 hours), but you do need to pay attention to it. And it can burn, even if your dedication is exemplary. It can just happen. But don’t let me scare you off. I just wanted to provide you with full disclosure so you won’t hate me if 100% perfection is not achieved.

But next time you need a dessert for a special birthday, or just to let someone know how much you love them, bake them this cake. And let me know how it turns out. I love to receive comments. Thank you again Ms. Adams. I think you are a national treasure!

Cake:

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature  

1/3 c. vegetable oil

2½ c. granulated sugar

6 lg. eggs, room temperature

2 lg. egg yolks, room temperature

2 T. pure vanilla extract

3 c. fluffed up or sifted cake flour

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1 c. sour cream

In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream the butter, oil, and sugar on high until light and fluffy, about 5-6 minutes. (Do not skimp on the time for this step. Very important.)

Add eggs and egg yolks one at a time until well incorporated. Scrape the bowl as needed. Add in the vanilla extract and mix until well combined.

In a medium sized bowl whisk the cake flour, baking powder, and salt together.   

With mixer on low speed, alternate adding in flour mixture and sour cream. Do not over mix.

Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans or a 12×16-inch (half-sheet) pan. Pour the batter evenly into the pans or pan. Shake to help even off the batter.

Bake 9-inch round pans in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 23-30 minutes or until a toothpick stuck into the middle of the pan comes out clean. Do not overbake. Check after 23 minutes to be sure. Bake a 12×16-inch pan for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick stuck into the middle of the pan comes out clean. Again, do not over bake.   

If you are making a layer cake, remove pans from oven and place on cooling racks for 10 minutes. Then gently remove cakes from pans and allow to cool completely before icing. If you are baking a large single layer cake, just remove cake from oven and allow to cool completely on a rack. 

For a layer cake, place one of the cakes upside down on your cake plate. (Best if you have a domed cover for your cake plate, because plastic wrap is just not going to work!) Spread icing over layer. (Not too much.) Place the second layer over the icing, and add icing. Again not too much. Add the top layer and frost the top and sides of the entire cake. (Don’t worry if the icing puddles at the base of the cake and onto the cake plate. That’s the plan!

Please note: if your cakes are rounded at the top, slice off a bit of the cake to make top flat before frosting. If the cake layers start sliding around, stick a couple of long picks through the layers to keep the cake together. Store at room temperature.

To frost a large single layer cake, just pour on the icing and smooth out as much as possible. Store at room temperature.

Caramel Icing:

¾ c. (1½ sticks) unsalted butter 

2 (12-oz.) cans evaporated milk

tiny pinch of salt

2 c. granulated sugar

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Place butter, evaporated milk, salt, and sugar in a fairly large, heavy, stainless steel saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until melted together.

Leave over medium to low heat stirring periodically for about 1½ to 2 hours. Watch the entire time to make sure the contents don’t burn until the mixture is thickened and the caramel has darkened to a beautiful golden brown. Just don’t be afraid to cook it long enough. You need to make sure the caramel turns golden before stopping the heat. It should also thickly coat the back of a spoon. You may find yourself adjusting the heat in order to not let it burn. When the color and the thickness are perfect, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

Cool for about 30 minutes to allow it to thicken properly before icing the cake.