Caramel Cake with Caramel Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Make Caramel in Advance Place sugar and water into a medium pot, stir to combine, but not not stir from this point forward. Cook over high heat, washing down the sides of the pot with a pastry brush dipped in water as needed to prevent crystals. Cook until desired color of caramel is reached (amber) and immediately remove from heat. Very slowly pour in (room temp) heavy cream while whisking quickly. The mix will bubble up a lot and boil. Add (room temp) butter, return to heat and bring back to a boil. Simmer for 2 minutes whisking constantly. Add salt at this point. Whisk it in, start with less than you think you’ll need, dip a spoon, let cool, and taste. Add more salt if you need it. Caramel Cake Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour (3) 6” cake pans and line with parchment. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer combine butter and sugar. Beat on med-high until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla and caramel and mix. Alternate adding four mix and milk, beginning and ending with flour (3 flour, 2 milk) Fully incorporating after each addition. Spread batter evenly into prepared pans and bake for 35-40 minutes until toothpick comes out mostly clean. Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely. Buttercream Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined. Place bowl over a pot with 1-2” of simmering water and whisk constantly until the my mixture is hot and no longer grainy to the touch or reads 160 on a cand thermometer - about 3 min. Place bowl on your stand mixer and whip on med-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled. 5-10 min. Bowl is no longer warm to the touch. Switch to paddle attachment. Slowly add cubes burger and mix until smooth. Add cooled caramel and whip until smooth. The buttercream may look curdled at some point. KEEP mixing until it is completely smooth. Add additional salt. Trim cake layers slilght5ly. Place one layer of cake on a cake stand. Top with 1-2 Tbsp cooled caramel. Spread evenly pressing into the cake layers so the cake absorbs the sauce. Top with 2/3 cup frosting, spread evenly. Repeat with remaining layers. Frost and smooth the outside with a thin crumb coat. Chill for 20 min. Frost and smooth the outside of the cake, generously frosting the sides specifically. Smooth with an icing smoother. Use a cake comb on the sides of the cake. Repeat, scraping off more frosting each time, until smooth. Using a small spoon, place dollops of caramel around the top edges of the cooled cake, allowing some to drip down. - if caramel has thickened too much, microwave in 5-10 second intervals until it’s pourable (but not warm). You want the caramel to be rather thick for the drips. It will continue to drip down. Fill in the top of the cake with more caramel and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Pipe rosette dollops using a 1M tip with remainder of frosting.