Caramel Cake

For the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 9-inch round, straight-sided cake pans.

In a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a hand-mixer, beat in the butter, one slice at a time. Slowly add the buttermilk mixture and beat until light and fluffy. Scrape the batter, equally, into the pans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean, from the middle. Let cool about an hour and remove from pans.

For the frosting: Heat one stick (8 Tablespoons) of butter, the brown sugar, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat until small bubbles appear around the edge of the pan. Whisk in the heavy cream and cook until bubbles reappear. Remove from heat and add the vanilla. Pour the hot frosting into a bowl and slowly add powdered sugar, while mixing with a hand-mixer. Beat for about 5 minutes. Add the remaining 4 Tablespoons of butter and beat until melted and the frosting is light and fluffy.

To assemble: Place 1 cake round on a platter. Spread about 3/4 cup of the frosting on the top of the first layer. Add the second layer and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides. Let sit about 30 minutes before serving.