Out of Order

Nothing is broken! And I haven't gone back to the classroom. I have just decided to jump to cake icings. So this Just Plain Cooking thing is now OOO. Yesterday it was Meatloaf, and today it is Caramel Icing.

I just noticed that MOUF sent out fish fry invites for May 6. As birthday cake is always an essential part of this family feast, I thought this would be a perfect time to share Memaw's Caramel Icing recipes. Maybe someone wants to challenge me for making the best icing. I will use a yellow cake mix, but the icing will be from scratch. Any takers? Wouldn't it be great to have several caramel cakes? We can have a Taste Off with prizes!

(By the way, we just had a winner for the prize from the January 29 blog question. The correct number of eggs was 2, and W. wins a silicone cake pan, or cupcake cups, or cookie sheet liner. She needs to let me know which prize she wants.)

Caramel Icing (Memaw's)

1 cup sugar (browned)

2 cups sugar

1 cup milk

1/2 cup Karo syrup

3/4 stick oleo (margarine, but I will use butter)

1 teaspoon vanilla

Brown one cup sugar in a heavy pan over medium heat. Stir constantly to prevent burning. Combine 2 cups sugar, milk, Karo, and oleo/ margarine and add gradually to caramelized sugar. Stir constantly to prevent lumping. Cook to soft ball stage. Remove from heat, add vanilla, and beat until creamy. Spread on cake.

Good on yellow or white cake.

Never Fail Creamy Caramel Icing (Memaw's)

--Aunt Jan Ridge's recipe--

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 slightly beaten egg

1 stick of butter

3/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt 1/2 cup of sugar in iron skillet slowly until brown and runny. Mix egg, butter, remaining sugar, and milk in a saucepan and cook over a low flame until butter melts. Turn the heat up to medium and add the browned sugar. (Get someone to help you with the iron skillet, and make sure the egg/butter/sugar/milk mixture is hot.)

Cook until it reaches the soft ball stage or until the mixture leaves the side of the pan. This takes about 10 minutes.

Remove from fire, let cool slightly, and add vanilla. Beat (with mixer) until right consistency to spread. If it gets too thick, add a little cream.

This will ice a 2 layer cake.

My note from May 7, 2011---

Delicious! Not easy, but a keeper. Get someone to help you with the iron skillet. Be sure egg/ butter/sugar/milk mixture is hot. Use mixer at end.