Making a cake for someone who has requested caramel icing

[Isolda]

The sound of it makes my teeth hurt. Yeah, I know I'm in the minority, but I don't love caramel and have never made a caramel icing. Anyone got a simple recipe? Do I just caramelize some sugar, then add cream, butter and vanilla and beat it? Or is there some trick to this? It will go on a yellow cake and I'd like for it to look nice and not be grainy.

[almond tree]

My old Fannie Farmer cookbook had an easy, tasty caramel frosting recipe, given here http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/...
I would add 1 tsp. vanilla extract and 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. salt.
To balance the sweetnes, you could top the whole iced cake (or part of it, to suit everyone's preferences) with coarsely chopped walnuts, pecans or .. why not? ... almonds.

[greygarious]

There is a delicious caramel frosting as part of Maya Angelou's caramel layer cake recipe. Why not go all the way? http://www.marthastewart.com/257425/c...

[chowser]

You could make salted caramel frosting so the saltiness takes away some of the sweetness.

http://www.chow.com/recipes/12100-sal...

I mix dulce de leche into cream cheese/butter for frosting. It's not too sweet (because you control the amount). I don't know if it's caramel enough for your friend, though.

[danna]

I really liked that salted caramel frosting! But let me point out that there is an old fashioned southern specialty frosting that is cooked like candy and poured over a cake, setting up like a blond fudge. If the OP thinks that might be what her friend is after, then maybe google for something like that http://community.southernliving.com/s...

My grandmother made that cake, but one of my cousins has taken over caramel cake duties, so I have never done it and can't comment on recipes. I'm in charge of coconut cake ;-)

[Isolda]

This may be more what she wants. She is an elderly southern lady, so I'm guessing her memory of caramel frosting is more in line with the recipe in your link. Thank you!

[Isolda]

I thought about salted caramel, but it's for an elderly lady who is probably expecting a cake of a certain era. Not sure they had salted caramel back when she was a child (she's 85), but I really don't know. I won't be eating the cake, that's for sure, so if she's happy, I'm happy!

[S_K]

I like the idea of the dulce de leche into cream cheese for frosting. It sounds like something quick and easy to try.

[chowser]

I like it and like being able to control how sweet it is, too. Super easy.