Delta Caramel Cake

1946 to 1962 Cake #12

Caramel Cakes have played a big entertainment role in the Mississippi Delta region. This region was devoid of fruit trees but had easy access to sugar that was grown in Louisiana. Custards and layer cakes were the treats that the area residents were accustomed to. The Caramel cake was not easy to make, it took time and care; a successful Caramel cake became like a badge of honor for the Delta women bakers. Susan Puckett, a Mississippi native and author, wrote Eat Drink Delta: A Hungry Traveler's Journey through the Soul of the South. Susan writes that this cake is "an ordeal to make, and in the Delta we celebrate those ordeals." The difficulty lies in the icing. It is very temperamental to prepare and local cooks have even said not to attempt to make it during a rainstorm or on a humid day. To these bakers, the end result is worth the effort; the icing is universally loved and when it cools the icing hardens and can sit on a picnic table in the sweltering southern heat and it will not weep or get runny.

My Experience:

I now understand why the southern bakers take pride in this cake. The cake part is easy and basic but the icing is another story. It requires great care and attention and there are a lot of moving parts. I am going to include the icing recipe below for those of you that would like to try it out. I personally did not succeed on my first try. I did not have the time to try again, but I will someday. My icing had chunks of crystallized sugar probably due to certain parts cooling too quickly, I am not too sure actually. The icing that did not crystallize was very flavorful with a nice color.

Neighbor Comment:

"Um holy smokes. Lol...yes the crystals are there, but the cake and the flavor and the creaminess of the frosting...omfg...so good!"