Caramel Cake

After many tries, I came up with this cake.  I may still tweak the recipe a little in the future, but this is pretty great. 

Gluten Free CARAMEL CAKE
1 cup rice flour
2/3 cup cornstarch
2/3 cup tapioca starch
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or shortening
3 eggs
1 egg yolk
½ cup applesauce
2 tsp. maple or vanilla flavoring
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Sift dry ingredients together. (sifting makes sure no lumps of the starches are left in the mix). Cream sugar and butter or shortening until light and fluffy. Add eggs, yolk, applesauce and flavorings and mix until just blended. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk. Reserve a little flour to coat the nuts and add. Bake in 8 in layers about 30 minutes or 9x13 for 35- 40 minutes at 350 degrees. When cool, frost with Caramel frosting:


Caramel Frosting
1/4 - 1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 3/4 - 2 cup powdered sugar
Melt butter and add brown sugar. Cook together until thick (about 2 minutes). Add milk, continue to cook until mixture comes to a boil. Cool. Add sifted powdered sugar to right consistency. Spread immediately as it sets up quickly. This is great on spice cake.