Burnt Sugar Cake
Directions
- 1Melt sugar over medium heat until deep amber (do not stir, swirl pan).
- 2Carefully add boiling water, stir smooth, simmer 3–5 min. Cool.
- 3Reserve ½ cup for cake + ½ cup for frosting.
- 4Heat oven to 350°F / 175°C.
- 5Grease three 8-inch pans.
- 6Cream butter + sugar 3–5 min.
- 7Add eggs one at a time.
- 8Whisk dry ingredients.
- 9Alternate dry ingredients + milk into batter.
- 10Mix in burnt sugar syrup + vanilla.
- 11Bake 25–30 min.
- 12Cool completely.
- 13Boil butter, brown sugar, syrup & milk 2 minutes.
- 14Cool until warm, then beat in powdered sugar, salt & vanilla.
- 15Frost cake quickly before it sets.
- 16Melt ¾ cup butter.
- 17Boil brown sugar + cream + salt.
- 18Beat into melted butter with powdered sugar.
- 19Add remaining butter 1 tbsp at a time.
- 20Rest 10–30 min until spreadable.
- 21Fill and frost cake with traditional burnt sugar frosting.
- 22Optional: cover outside with penuche frosting.
- 23Finish with rustic swoops and swirls.
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 3 cups cake flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 0.5 cup burnt sugar syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 0.5 cup butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 0.5 cup burnt sugar syrup
- 0.25 cup evaporated milk
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1.5 cups butter, divided
- 1.5 cups brown sugar
- 0.5 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp salt
- 4.5 cups powdered sugar
Equipment
8-inch pans
Tips
- Making burnt sugar syrup was a skill. You had to melt sugar to a deep amber without burning it. Then carefully add water to turn it into a syrup.
- Work fast when frosting the cake with traditional burnt sugar frosting before it sets.
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