Burnt Sugar Caramel Cake

This unique and absolutely divine burnt sugar caramel cake gets its flavor from burnt sugar syrup. Cook sugar until caramelized then add boiling water. Well use the syrup in both the cake and frosting. Add salted caramel for extra flavor and toasted pecans for a lovely garnish. Its soft buttery and totally worth every minute of prep time.
Ingredients
Burnt Sugar Syrup
1 cup 200g granulated sugar
34 cup 180ml boiling water
Cake
2 and 12 cups 285g cake flour spooned leveled

2 teaspoons baking powder
12 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
34 cup 12 Tbsp 170g unsalted butter softened to room temperature
1 cup 200g granulated sugar
12 cup 120ml cooled burnt sugar syrup
4 egg whites at room temperature
12 cup 120g sour cream at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
12 cup 120ml whole milk at room temperature
Burnt Sugar Frosting
1 cup 16 Tbsp 226g unsalted butter softened to room temperature
4 cups 480g confectioners sugar
12 cup 120ml cooled burnt sugar syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons 30ml whole milk or heavy cream
14 teaspoon salt
For Assembly
Homemade Salted Caramel cooled
12 cup 50g chopped pecans
Instructions
For best success read the recipe in full and watch the video tutorial in the post above before starting.
Prepare the burnt sugar syrup first so it has time to cool. Make sure you have boiling water at the ready. For the burnt sugar syrup place sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Best to use a 3 quart heavybottomed quality saucepan. Stirring constantly with a wooden spoon cook until the sugar has completely melted and is amber brown about 810 minutes. If the sugar is clumpy break up the lumps with your wooden spoon. A candy thermometer is not necessary but if youre using one the sugar temperature should reach about 300F 149C when its ready. Turn the heat to low and very carefully and slowly drizzle in the boiling water a little at a time. Stir after each addition and stand back as the mixture will rapidly sizzle and bubble. After all of the boiling water is stirred in stir and cook the sugar syrup for 3 more minutes on low. Turn off the heat and let it cool completely overnight preferred. Its imperative that the sugar syrup is completely cool. You will have about 1 cup of syrup.
Preheat oven to 350F 177C. Grease two 9inch cake pans line with parchment paper rounds then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. If its