Lighter Caramel Icing

**Update** I updated the Chicken Freezer Meal Inventory sheet. I didn’t realize it had converted into PDF on 2 pages instead of one. That is now fixed.

Recipe: I wanted a caramel frosting that was light in calories, but still delicious. This fit the bill. I know chocolate cake should have chocolate frosting, however, I wanted to try something different on my chocolate cake. This chocolate cake recipe was also altered for the first time by replacing half of the oil with applesauce. It worked! It was a little gummy due to the applesauce of course, but it worked! I could tell and I would never have served it at a wedding or party, but I think it did fantastic for a family birthday celebration.

This recipe also uses everyday ingredients. I know it is not as “convenient” as opening up a jar of trans fats – er, I mean, tub of frosting – but it is more convenient for me to just pull stuff out of the pantry that I already own. You could put this on vanilla cake, applesauce-raisin, chocolate, or anything that needs a little caramel.

*TIP* I always sift my powdered sugar if I am serving guests or selling the product. The frostings and icings from sifted powdered sugar are always 100% smooth. I get mixed results when I do not sift.

Caramel Icing
Covers 1 – 9×13 cake
Double the recipe if you want a thicker layer. This is a very thin, but rich, layer of icing.

1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup low-fat milk
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a medium or large pot, combine the dark brown sugar, milk, salt and butter. Stir that on medium high heat until it comes together. It will boil. Bring the heat down to medium low and simmer for 5 minutes. You can stir once in a while during this time.
2. Take the pot off of the heat and add in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Whisk Together. It will all come together and thicken as it stands. Let it stand up to 5 minutes – and probably no more. It got too thick when I let it stand longer. Now, you can pour that icing all over your cake and spread.