Ms. Joyce's Cooked Caramel Icing

April Seneca grew up down the street from Ms. Joyce, whose caramel cake her family still talks about. When April makes it she calls it inspired by Ms. Joyce, because that's whose cake it is. Ms. Joyce put pecans in hers. April doesn't.

For the cake underneath, use a yellow cake mix or Geraldine Borruano's Yellow Cake, also on this page.

Ingredients

Enough caramel icing to cover an 8-inch cake. For a 10-inch cake, use 1½ sticks of butter.

• 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 stick butter
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 2 cups broken pecan pieces, optional
• 1 yellow cake, baked and cooled

Instructions

1. Bake the cake. Prepare the yellow cake and allow it to cool completely.
2. Melt the butter. Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed pot.
3. Brown the sugar. Add the sugar in two or three parts, stirring constantly with a whisk over medium heat. Keep going until it turns brown. April stops when it's the color of sand. Don't let it burn.
4. Add the milk. Slowly add the evaporated milk in segments, starting with about a cup, stirring with a spoon or spatula. It will splatter a little. You don't have to stir constantly, but stir often so it doesn't stick. Lower the heat if it's browning too fast.
5. Cook. Let it cook about 5 minutes.
6. Add the vanilla. Stir in the vanilla and keep stirring until it thickens and darkens toward the color of caramel candies. If you're using pecans, stir them in just before you pull it off the heat.
7. Cool. Remove from the heat and let it cool. It keeps thickening as it cools and will coat the spoon.
8. Ice the cake. Cool it almost completely for a pour, or completely if you want to spread it.

Recipe Notes

• Make extra: April doubles it for a layer cake to be safe, and jars the leftover caramel for topping other desserts.
• Technique: she follows the YouTube video by Chriscook4u2, "How to Make: Old Fashioned Caramel Frosting."