Vanilla bean cake with salted caramel buttercream
 
 
A simple vanilla bean cake with layers of salted caramel sauce and salted caramel buttercream.
Serves: 12
Ingredients
For the cake:
  • 2⅓ cups cake flour
  • 2 ¼ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 12 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean
  • ¾ cup milk
  • 3 eggs, room temperature
  • 1 recipe salted caramel sauce
For the salted caramel buttercream:
  • 12 tbsp butter, softened
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • ½ cup salted caramel sauce
  • ½ tsp vanilla
  • 1 tbsp milk
Instructions
For the cake:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Grease and lightly flour two 9-in cake pans, line the bottom with wax paper, and grease again.
  3. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
  4. In the large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  5. Scrape the vanilla bean into a small bowl, then add it to the butter and sugar mixture, beat for an additional minute.
  6. Add the eggs one at a time, beat well between each addition.
  7. Add the dry ingredients in three parts alternating with the milk. Beat well between each addition.
  8. Divide the batter between the cake pans.
  9. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until you can press down in the cake center and it bounces back.
  10. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then on a rack until completely cool.
For the salted caramel buttercream:
  1. Place the butter in a bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 3 minutes.
  2. Add sugar one cup at a time, beating between each addition.
  3. Add the caramel sauce, vanilla, and milk. Beat until incorporated.
  4. Store on the counter in an airtight container.
For the cake assembly:
  1. Take one of the layers and turn upside down so that the flat part is on top. Use a fork to poke holes on the cake.
  2. Spread a thin layer of the salted caramel sauce followed by a thin layer of the salted caramel buttercream.
  3. Place the next layer on top of this (flat side down) and follow the same process.
  4. Drizzle the top with more caramel sauce and a few sprinkles of sea salt.
Notes
Place the emptied vanilla bean pod in the milk to get additional vanilla flavor, but be sure to discard it before adding the milk to the batter.
Recipe by Just J.Faye at https://www.justjfaye.com/2014/05/14/vanilla-bean-cake-with-salted-caramel-buttercream/