Old Fashioned Caramel Cake

Nana says Grandmother Bell made the best caramel cakes when she was a little girl.  Unfortunately, she doesn't have a recipe.  So I came up with an easy substitute that is still pretty tasty!

Old Fashioned Caramel Cake
for the cake
1 yellow boxed cake*
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1-1/4 cup water

for the caramel icing
1/2 cup butter
4 cups light brown sugar
2 cups milk
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
6 cups powdered sugar, sifted

For the cake:
Mix together in large bowl, cake mix, brown sugar, eggs, oil and water.  Divide evenly among two 8" cake pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes or until toothpick tests done.  Cool for 5 minutes in pans and then flip out and cool completely.  Set aside.

For the caramel icing:
In large sauce pot, stir together butter, brown sugar, milk and salt.  Bring to a boil and allow to boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Icing will begin to cool, so you have to work quickly.

To assemble the cake:
Cut the cake layers in half (I usually remove the rounded part of the cake and let Daddy eat that).  Place a layer on an 8" cardboard cake round (or cut a circle out of a cereal box).  Place a cooling rack over a large bowl (large enough for the icing to run off the cake and into the bowl).  Pour the icing over the cake layer, probably only about 1/3 cup or so.  Just enough to cover the layer.  Repeat with the other 3 layers.  Pour the icing over the entire cake allow to drip down the sides and into the bowl beneath.  Scrape the leftover icing back into the sauce pot and reheat until just loose enough to repour over the entire cake.  I usually do this 2 or 3 times. 

Save any leftover icing and mix them with chopped pecans to make a simple pecan prailine.  Drop them onto waxed paper or parchment paper.  Cool completely, pluck off the paper and wrap in plastic wrap. 

Cool completely and enjoy!

YUM!

*I usually bake 2 cake mixes so we can have 6 or 8 layers on the cake.  If you choose to bake 2, make sure you double the rest of the ingredients for the cake, but not the caramel icing...it should be plenty.