Caramelized Frosting Recipe from The Southern Heritage Cakes Cookbook
Another gem of a cookbook found for $1.00 and this time it’s The Southern Heritage Cakes Cookbook from Southern Living. Published in 1983, this has everything from layer cakes, cakes where the main ingredients are fruits (like Blackberry Cake and Sweet Potato Pound Cake), old fashioned cakes, fruitcakes, holiday cakes, sponge cakes, angel food cakes, chiffon cakes, jelly roll cakes, pound cakes, and more.
A chapter is dedicated to frostings and icings, and a wonderful recipe with step by step instructions is Caramelized Frosting. Containing just sugar, butter, and warm milk cooked together and whipped, this would be a great frosting to improve any layer cake you have. The recipe doesn’t specify, but I would use whole milk and if you want it a little richer then experiment with evaporated milk.
Caramelized Frosting
Ingredients
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 cup butter
- 1 1/2 cups warm milk (105 - 115 degrees F)
Instructions
- Combine the sugar and butter in a 10 inch cast iron skillet (you will be cooking and beating the frosting in the same pan). Cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. The mixture will turn a golden color.
- Once the color is golden, gradually stream in the warmed milk stirring constantly. The mixture will bubble. Attach a candy thermometer to the pan and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is bubbling with a golden brown color and the temperature is 240 degrees F.
- Remove from heat, and place on a towel lined heat proof counter. Using a hand mixer, beat the frosting about 5 minutes or until it is thick enough to spread on a cake.
- Spread frosting between layers of cake, and tops and sides. Allow the frosting to set before serving.
