Caramel Crunch Cake
A tender vanilla butter cake layered with sticky caramel and crunchy toasted nuts, perfect for celebrations or cozy weekend desserts.
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (for a slightly lighter crumb, sift once)
- 1.5 cups granulated sugar
- 0.5 cup unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
- 1 cup milk (whole milk recommended; swap with almond or oat milk if needed)
- 4 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
Filling and Topping Ingredients
- 1 cup caramel sauce (store-bought is fine; see Tips for warming it)
- 0.5 cup toasted nuts (coarsely chopped, pecans or walnuts recommended)
Instructions
Prepare and Bake the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans, or line bottoms with parchment for easy removal.
- In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3–4 minutes.
- Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the dry mix to the creamed mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk (dry, milk, dry, milk, dry). Mix just until combined; overmixing develops gluten and makes the cake dense.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Smooth tops with an offset spatula.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Rotate pans halfway through baking if your oven has hot spots.
- Let cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and invert onto cooling racks. Allow to cool completely before assembling.
Assemble the Cake
- Place one cake layer on a serving platter. Gently warm the caramel sauce and spread about half over the first layer, leaving a small border for a neater look.
- Sprinkle with the toasted nuts.
- Top with the second layer, drizzle additional caramel, and garnish with more nuts if desired. Chill slightly to set before slicing.
Notes
For gluten-free, substitute with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend and add 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum if needed. For dairy-free, replace butter with plant-based stick butter and use non-dairy milk. Use vegan egg replacer for a fully vegan cake (texture will vary).