Mincemeat Cake

1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 (9 ounce) package condensed mincemeat, crumbled
1 recipe Caramel Cream Frosting

1 Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease and flour two 8 inch, round, cake pans.

2 Cream butter or margarine in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs one at a time, beating mixture well after each addition.

3 Dissolve soda in buttermilk, stirring well. Mix flour into creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix well after addition. Stir in crumbled mincemeat. Spoon batter into prepared pans.

4 Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes. Remove layers from pans, and cool completely. Fill and frost the cake with Caramel Cream Frosting.

Makes 16 servings

Frosting:
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 Place 2 tablespoons sugar in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and becomes golden brown in color. Set aside.

2 Combine remaining 1 cup sugar, butter, and cream in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in caramelized sugar, and return to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Beat until frosting has a good spreading consistency.