Pour. Cover. Wait. Caramel Cake

Name: Pour. Cover. Wait. Caramel Cake
Uploaded: 2026-07-02T23:15:00.757Z
Duration: 8 min 9 s
Channel: Baking Diary

Baking Diary

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2 Video Views·Jul 2, 2026

INGREDIENTS

Batter
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar (100 g)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (5 ml)
• 1/2 cup milk (120 ml), room temperature
• 5 tbsp neutral oil (70 ml)
• 1 1/3–1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (160–180 g)
• 1/3 cup shredded coconut (30 g) — optional
• 2 tsp baking powder (8 g)
• A pinch of salt

Milk soak
• 1/3 cup milk (80 ml)
• 1 tbsp sugar (13 g)

Caramel
• 1/2 cup sugar (100 g)
• 2 tbsp water (30 ml)
• 1/3 stick butter (about 2 1/2 tbsp / 38 g), room temperature
• 1/4 cup heavy cream (60 ml), room temperature

Whipped cream layer
• 1 1/4 cups cold heavy whipping cream, 33–35% (300 ml)

Cream for decorating
• 1/4 cup cold heavy whipping cream, 33–35% (60 ml)

For a 9–10 inch (24–26 cm) skillet.

A FEW THINGS THAT MATTER

• Low and slow. Cook on the lowest heat with the lid on. High heat burns the bottom before the center cooks through.
• Handle the lid right. Leave it undisturbed for the first 15 minutes so the cake can set, then wipe the condensation off a few times as it cooks — otherwise the water drips back onto the cake.
• Everything cold for the cream layer. Whipping cream only reaches stiff peaks, and holds them, when it's very cold. Warm cream won't set up.
• Cool the cake completely before the cream. Whipped cream slides right off a cake that's still warm.
• Let the cream layer set before the caramel. Chill it about 30 minutes first; caramel spread over soft cream just melts into it.
• Watch the caramel closely. Deep amber is where the flavor is, but the line between deep and burnt-bitter is thin — pull it the moment it's there.
• Room-temperature butter and cream for the caramel. Cold dairy makes hot caramel splatter and seize into lumps.
• Protect the nonstick. If you mix the batter right in the skillet, dissolve the sugar in the milk first so it can't scratch the coating — and only ever cut and lift with a non-metal spatula.
• Coconut is optional. Use 1–2 tbsp or leave it out; if you skip it, add a little extra flour to make up the difference.

STEP BY STEP

Note: these follow the order in the video, but the caramel (step 10) is easiest if you make it first — it needs time to cool and thicken while everything else comes together.

1. Whisk the dry ingredients — flour and baking powder — and set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, vanilla, milk, and oil until smooth.
3. Stir in the coconut and a pinch of salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients in a few additions, going by texture — the batter should flow slowly off the spatula, not too thick, not too runny. Don't overmix.
5. Grease the skillet well with butter or oil, line the bottom with parchment, pour in the batter, and spread it evenly.
6. Cover and cook on the lowest heat for about 30–40 minutes, wiping the lid now and then, until the cake rises, the edges set, and the center is just slightly moist.
7. Flip it: lay parchment and a plate on top, turn the skillet over, peel off the parchment, slide the cake back in, and cook about 10 minutes more. Take it off the heat and let it cool in the skillet.
8. Milk soak: bring the milk and sugar to a boil. Poke holes all over the warm cake with a fork, then spoon the soak over gradually so it absorbs evenly. Let the cake cool completely.
9. Whipped cream layer: whip the cold cream to stiff peaks, spread it over the cooled cake, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
10. Caramel: melt the sugar with the water and cook to a deep amber. Off the heat, stir in the room-temperature butter, then the room-temperature cream. Let it cool until spreadable, then spread it over the set cream layer.
11. Decorate: softly whip the remaining cream, pipe thin lines over the caramel, and finish the pattern with a toothpick.
12. For the cleanest slices, chill at least another hour — then cut and lift with a non-metal spatula.

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Today we're making a simple caramel cream cake cooked right in the skillet. To start, combine about one and a half cups of all-purpose flour with two teaspoons of baking powder. That's what I like about this recipe. It's very simple. Mix up the batter, pour it into the skillet, cover it, and let the stove do the work. No oven and no special cake pan needed. Next, set the dry ingredients aside for a moment. Crack two eggs into a clean bowl. Room temperature eggs work best here. Add half a cup of sugar, and if you have it, add one teaspoon of vanilla extract. Then pour in half a cup of milk. Just like the eggs, it's better if the milk isn't pulled straight from the fridge. Now add about five tablespoons of a neutral oil. The oil helps give the cake a soft, moist crumb, which keeps it tender even after being chilled. Mix everything well until the mixture looks pretty smooth and evenly combined. Next, add one third cup of shredded coconut and a pinch of salt for that perfect balance. The coconut is optional, so the cake will still work without it, but it adds a lovely flavor and a little texture. Now start adding the dry ingredients, but don't toss in everything at once. Add them in portions. Go by the texture of the batter. It should flow slowly from the spatula, not too thick and not too runny. Even if you have about a tablespoon of flour left, it's completely fine. Mainly, try not to overmix. Stir just until the ingredients come together. Now take a skillet. A nonstick skillet with a thicker bottom is best if you have one. Either way, I recommend greasing it well with butter or oil, especially along the sides. I also like to line the bottom with parchment paper, just to be on the safe side. Pour all of the batter into the skillet and spread it out evenly. Place the skillet on the stove, cover it with a lid, and cook on the lowest heat. I'd be cautious for this part. If the heat is too high, the bottom can burn before the center has time to cook through. As the cake cooks, moisture will collect on the lid, so wipe the lid a few times. This stops the water from dripping back onto the cake. After about 30 to 40 minutes, the cake should rise, the edges should set, and the center may still be a little moist. Cover it with a sheet of parchment paper, place a plate on top, and carefully turn the skillet upside down. Peel off the parchment from the cake, then return the cake to the skillet, and cook for about 10 more minutes. The exact time depends a lot on your stove and your skillet, so check under the edges to make sure the bottom is not burning. Remove the skillet from the heat and let the cake cool a bit right in the skillet. In the meantime, let's make the milk soak. Add one tablespoon of sugar with one-third cup of milk. Bring it to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it sit for a moment. Next, make little holes all over the warm cake with a fork. These help the milk soak in more evenly. Spoon the milk mixture over the cake gradually. Add a little at a time so the cake has a chance to absorb it without becoming too wet. After that, let the cake cool completely. While it chills, we'll make the cream layer. Add one and a quarter cups of cold heavy whipping cream to a bowl. Beat on medium speed until you get stiff peaks. Cold cream is important here. It whips faster, holds more volume, and gives you a cream layer that keeps its shape better. Spread that whipped cream evenly over the chilled cake, but make sure the cake is not warm at this point. If it is, the whipped cream will soften, slide around, and lose its shape. Then, pop the cake in the fridge for at least 30 minutes until the cream layer sets. Next, we'll make our caramel. Add half a cup of sugar and two tablespoons of water to a clean saucepan. The water really helps the sugar melt more evenly. Stir well, then place the saucepan over medium heat. Cook the caramel until it reaches a deep amber color. If it's too pale, the flavor won't be as rich, but watch it super closely because the line between deep caramel and bitter burnt caramel is very thin. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in room temperature butter. The butter makes the caramel richer and much easier to spread. Then, add one quarter cup of heavy cream, also at room temperature. Cold dairy can make hot caramel splatter and turn lumpy, so room temperature is the much safer option here. Go ahead and pour the sauce into a separate dish and chill it until it thickens enough to spread. Spread the cooled caramel over the chilled cream layer. Quick tip, if you want the caramel to have more time to thicken, you can make it at the start, before cooking the cake. It's time to make the cream for decoration. Add one quarter cup of cold heavy cream to a bowl and beat it on medium speed just until it becomes softly whipped and thick enough to pipe. Transfer the cream to a piping bag. If you don't have one, a regular plastic bag works too. Pipe thin lines of cream over the caramel. And if you're enjoying this simple stovetop cake, it would mean a lot if you liked the video and subscribed to the channel. Finally, use a toothpick to finish up the design. In an ideal world, I'd chill the cake for at least one more hour, but I don't have that kind of patience today, so I'm going to slice it right away. One important warning though, don't use a metal knife in the skillet. It'll scratch the non-stick coating, so use any non-metal spatula to separate and lift the pieces. And here it is, a soft, airy skillet cake with a light coconut flavor, a creamy whipped layer, and gooey homemade caramel on top. It's tender, creamy, and just a little sticky in the best way.