I know that I typed “butterscotch” a lot in that first paragraph, but this layer cake truly is ALL butterscotch. That classic deep, sweet, buttery flavor is in every layer and every element of this dessert. If you are a butterscotch fan, then this Butterscotch cake is going to be your new favorite thing. It’s also a great option to make for a special birthday or a holiday party. Love Layer Cakes? Try making this amazing classic Red Velvet Cake, an Easy Banana Cake, a Chocolate Sunflower Cake, or a Funfetti Layer Cake. My chocolate Ding Dong Cake is completely decadent too!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Key Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this Butterscotch Cake Recipe: Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
All-Purpose Flour, Baking Soda, Baking Powder, and Salt – These are the dry ingredients for our scratch butterscotch cake recipe. Granulated Sugar and Brown Sugar – Because we want this cake to have a rich flavor, both brown and white sugars are included in the batter. Unsalted Butter: Soften the butter before mixing up your batter.Eggs and Milk: You need a few eggs to make a cake! I suggest letting your eggs come to room temperature before adding them to any baked goods recipe. Milk adds needed moisture. Butterscotch Pudding Mix: This gives the cake its amazing flavor! Be sure to buy instant pudding and not cook and serve. Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla makes all baked goods taste better. Butterscotch Frosting: A classic American Buttercream but with the addition of melted butterscotch baking chips. Butterscotch Ganache: To make the sweet and pretty drips, more butterscotch chips are melted with heavy cream to make a thick sauce.
Do you know what else you can make with a bag of butterscotch chips? Butterscotch Haystacks or Magic Seven Layer Bars!
How To Make Butterscotch Cake
Get ready by preheating the oven to 350°F/180°C, and lightly greasing and lightly flouring three 8-inch round cake pans. You can also use parchment paper rounds if you prefer.
Make the Frosting and Ganache
Assemble the Layer Cake
Recipe Tips
Avoid Overmixing: an overmixed cake batter will turn into a tough cake after baking. Mix ingredients just until combined. Measure Correctly: I have some tricks for making sure you’re measuring your ingredients correctly! When baking, it’s important to accurately measure everything to get the best results in the end. An Offset Spatula will help you to smooth out the frosting easily. Don’t make the butterscotch frosting ahead of time. While you can usually whip up refrigerated buttercream to get it smooth again, this frosting will have hard spots from the melted butterscotch chips if you try to do that. Instead, make the frosting after the cakes have cooled, and just before you’re ready to assemble the cake.It’s important to let the ganache cool down to room temperature before trying to create the drip. It’s also very important to let the cakes cool before icing them. Buttercream on warm cakes is a disaster, trust me!
Storing Tips
Store your cake in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days. Before enjoying a slice of butterscotch cake, let it sit out at room temperature for a bit so that the frosting softens. You can freeze the cake layers, but not the frosting for this recipe. Wrap each layer with plastic wrap and place it into an airtight container before freezing for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw fully before stacking. If you love butterscotch, you are going to go nuts for this ultimate Butterscotch Cake! Make sure you pin the recipe so you don’t lose it! © Little Sunny Kitchen
