THE ICING ON THE CAKE

CELEBRATING AND SIMPLIFYING THE SOUTH'S MOST FINICKY FROSTING

- BY JOSH MILLER

If you've ever made a caramel cake from scratch, you have a war story. Whether it's your first attempt or your 50th, the fickle icing tries the patience of even the most experienced cooks.

From grandmothers who've made it for countless birthdays and potlucks to professional pastry chefs and celebrated cookbook authors, most Southerners approach this beloved yet confidence-shaking dessert with a sense of trepidation.

“It's a heck of a lot of trouble,” says Anne Byrn, best-selling author of Baking in the American South. “But if you make a good caramel cake, you get to whine about how much trouble it was.”

If you get it right—or even close—one bite of that sweet icing with a little balancing bitterness of almost-burnt sugar outshines any and all curveballs and cussing that happen along the way. The rich flavor and texture make it better than any buttercream.

“When the icing is smooth and the sugar is the perfect level of caramelized, it makes your taste buds respond, ‘Ah, this is special,’” says Judy Miller, an everyday Southern baker who happens to be my mom. Her mother taught her how to make this treasured dessert—one that challenges her to this day. “Caramel icing is my nemesis,” she says. “It knows when you need it to work the most, and it'll turn on you just out of spite.”

Although there are countless recipes for caramel, they all depend on the same thing: caramelized sugar. Whether you're relying on an experienced eye or a candy thermometer, this process demands certain things from the cook—namely time and careful attention. The sugar’s shift in color from golden to amber is subtle, fast, and crucial. “You almost need to know what you're looking for before you ever begin,” Byrn says.