Caramel Vanilla Latte Cake

I always enjoy the baking. I usually don't use the frosting in my cake, so I wanted to try the frosting. The combination of caramel sauce along with the 3 types of frosting - caramel, vanilla & espresso is divine. The cake may look complicated and long steps, but it's worth the time.

The cake was so tender and moist.

Vote me! if you like the cake and the finished look.

For the cake

• All-purpose flour - 2 cups
• Eggs - 3
• Unsalted butter - 1/2 cup at room temperature
• Granulated sugar - 1 1/4 cups
• Light brown sugar - 1/2 cup packed
• Buttermilk - 1 cup
• Espresso powder - 1 Tbsp, dissolved in 1 Tbsp hot water
• Baking soda - 1 tsp
• White vinegar - 1 Tbsp

For Caramel sauce

• Sugar - 1 cup
• Heavy cream - 1 1/4 cups
• Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
• Salt - 1/4 tsp

For the frosting & filling

• Unsalted butter - 1 1/2 cups + 2 Tbsp (3 sticks + 2 Tbsp), at room temperature
• Confectioners sugar - 3 cups, sifted
• Pinch of salt
• Heavy cream - 2 Tbsp
• Vanilla bean - 1, split lengthwise
• Vanilla extract - 2 tsp
• Espresso powder - 1 Tbsp dissolved in 1 tbsp hot water
• Caramel sauce - 2 Tbsp

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.

1. In the bowl, combine sugars and butter. Beat about 3 minutes on medium speed.
2. Add and blend in the eggs one at a time.
3. Add the flour and buttermilk in three alternating addition, start and end with flour. Mix well until light and fluffy.

• In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in the vinegar. Mix it well with the batter.
• Blend in the espresso mixture.
• Divide and pour the batter into the prepared cake pans.

Bake the cakes about 30-35 minutes and golden brown on top. Let it cool down completely about 25 minutes.

Spread sugar over a heavy-bottomed saucepan on medium-low heat. Gently stir until all the sugar is melted. Use water around the corner of the pan with a heatproof brush to avoid sugar crystals. Immediately remove the pan, once caramel reaches amber color.

(My sugar crystallized due to heat, in such case, add water and close it with the lid on low flame until it liquefies)

Add half of the heavy cream. Carefully whisk the mixture, it will steam and bubble violently. Stir the remaining cream and mix well.

Stir in the vanilla and the salt.

Now our caramel sauce is ready. If you have an extra caramel sauce, store and use it later.

1. Whisk the butter in the bowl on medium-high speed, about 1 minute.
2. Add the confectioners' sugar to the butter on low speed to high and continue to beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the salt, vanilla bean, heavy cream, and vanilla. Scrap down the bowl as needed. Whip on high speed until soft and fluffy.

Divide the buttercream frosting into three portions in the ratio of 2:2:1.

Leave one of the large portions plain vanilla.

Add espresso mixture to the second large portion, and caramel sauce to the remaining portion.

Stir the flavors to the frosting until well blended with the spatula.

Our 3 types of buttercream frosting and caramel sauce are ready to use on the cake.

• Level both cake rounds and Place the cake on a board.
• Spread a few tablespoons of the caramel sauce over the bottom layer, then top with a layer of the coffee frosting for the filling.
• Place the second layer of cake over it.
• For crumb coating the cake, use a small amount of vanilla frosting and chill the cake for at least 30 minutes.

I kind of tried the ombre effect with the frosting.

Using a spatula, make a ring of the coffee buttercream around the bottom layer of the cake.Make a ring of caramel buttercream around the middle layer of the cake, and a ring of vanilla buttercream around the top. Cover the top of the cake with vanilla frosting. Chill it for 15 minutes.

Drizzle a generous amount of caramel sauce. With the three frosting buttercream pipe over the cake.

As I am new to the frosting and decorating the cake, I didn't get the smooth frosting finish. So I went on with the flow of my hand, and the finished frosting looks better than what I started. Hope you like the cake.

HAPPY BAKING !!!!!!