Food and Recipes Desserts Cakes Homemade Caramel Frosting 3.5 (10) 10 Reviews There are few things better than homemade Caramel Frosting, and our recipe takes the cake. By Southern Living Editors Updated on October 8, 2022 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Prep Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 20 mins Stand Time: 1 hrs Total Time: 1 hrs 50 mins Yield: 3 cups Jump to recipe This caramel frosting is decadent and creamy, and once cooled, it hardens into a soft but still spoonable finish. It's meant to go with our Old-Fashioned Caramel Cake, but you can absolutely use it for quick breads, cupcakes, and other layer cakes. Courtney West Ingredients 1/3 cup sugar 1 tablespoon all-purpose-flour 2 1/2 cups sugar 1 cup milk 3/4 cup butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Directions Sprinkle 1/3 cup sugar in a shallow, heavy 3½-qt. Dutch oven; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 3 minutes or until sugar is melted and syrup is light golden brown (sugar will clump). Remove from heat. Stir together 1 Tbsp. flour and 2½ cups sugar in a large saucepan; add milk, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Gradually pour about one-fourth hot milk mixture into caramelized sugar, stirring constantly; gradually stir in remaining hot milk mixture until smooth. (Mixture will lump, but continue stirring until smooth.) Cover, and cook over low heat 2 minutes. Increase heat to medium; uncover and cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer reaches 238°F (soft-ball stage, about 10 minutes). Add butter, stirring until blended. Remove from heat and let stand, without stirring, until temperature drops to 110°F (about 1 hour). Pour into bowl of heavy-duty electric stand mixer. Add vanilla, and beat at medium speed (setting 4) with whisk attachment until spreading consistency (about 20 minutes). Courtney West Rate it Print