This Snack Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting is perfect for cravings or when you want to whip up a quick and delicious treat just for you and your loved ones to share. Try my White Cake Recipe for another easy to make snack cake.
Snack Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting
So what does this snack cake taste like? It’s a delicate yellow cake with a dense crumb. And, the cake is as easy to make as it is delicious. With just a few ingredients, you can have a moist cake ready to share. The salted caramel frosting is the perfect complement to the cake. In fact, it’s the same buttercream frosting I used on my Ooey Gooey Banana Bars.
Snack Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting Recipe
There are two parts to this dessert–the cake and the buttercream frosting.
Cake Ingredients (full recipe below)
- Butter
- Granulated sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Corn starch
- Baking powder
- Whole milk
- Eggs
Salted Caramel Buttercream Ingredients
- Unsalted butter
- Confectioners’ sugar
- Salt
- Caramel topping
- Whole milk
How to Make the Snack Cake
Get out an 8-inch square baking dish, spray it with nonstick spray, and preheat the oven to 350°F. This cake comes together so easily.
- Using a handheld mixer on medium speed, beat the butter until it is creamy. This usually takes 3-4 minutes.
- Gradually add the sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
- Sift together the flour, corn starch, and baking powder.
- Alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk, ending with the flour mixture, beating at a low speed just until blended.
- In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with a fork.
- Gently fold the eggs into the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 35-38 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few crumbs, but no wet batter.
- Let the cake cool before adding the frosting.
How to Make Salted Caramel Buttercream
Having your butter and milk at room temperature helps greatly in this buttercream recipe. You can substitute whipping cream for milk, but it is not necessary if you get the butter whipped up nicely. (I do not recommend skim milk in this recipe.)
First, in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the butter, confectioners’ sugar, salt, and caramel topping. Mix on low until every ingredient is combined. Next, mix it on high for a couple of minutes, or until the buttercream is smooth and fluffy.
Finally, add the milk. The milk is added for your desired consistency, so start with just a little bit, and continue to add more milk to make it smoother. Buttercream can be made in advance, so to save some time, make it ahead of time! Store it in the refrigerator for up to a week or the freezer for up to 3 months.
Looking for More Cake Recipes?

Snack Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- ½ cup (1 stick or 113g) butter, softened
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1½ cups (187.5g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ cup (122.5g) whole milk, room temperature
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
Salted Caramel Buttercream
- ½ cup (1 stick or 113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups (250g) confectioners' sugar, sifted
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (82g) caramel topping
- 1½ teaspoons whole milk, as needed
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare an 8-inch square pan with butter and flour or baking spray.
- Beat the butter at medium speed with a handheld mixer until creamy, roughly 3-4 minutes.
- Gradually add the sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
- Sift together the flour, corn starch, and baking powder.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat at a low speed just until blended after each addition.
- In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with a fork and then gently fold the beaten eggs into batter. Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake for 35-38 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool before adding the frosting.
Salted Caramel Buttercream
- Combine the butter, sugar, salt, and caramel topping in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
- Start mixing on low speed until the sugar is incorporated with the butter.
- Increase the mixing speed to high and beat until smooth and fluffy (about 2 minutes).
- Adjust the consistency with milk, as needed.
- Frost the cake with the buttercream after the cake has cooled completely.
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
Hi – do you cool the caramel first before whipping with the powdered sugar?
Hi. Is this frosting stiff enough to pipe on cupcakes?
Yes