Caramel Cake with Caramelised Butter Frosting ~ The Daring Bakers!

This month at “The Daring Bakers”, we are back to sweet treats with the holidays looming near. Sugar is absolutely the celebrity of this shindig! This month’s wonderful cookbook recipe is courtesy of author Shuna Fish Lyndon of Egg Beater and the recipe is published on Bay Area Bites. Our host this month is Dolores of Culinary Curiosity ~ Co-hosts Alex (Brownie) of the Blondie and Brownie & Jenny of Foray into Food and for Gluten Free Baking Natalie of Gluten-a-Go-Go. My thanks go to all our hosts for this month’s challenge.

There is also an optional challenge for Golden Vanilla Bean Caramels recipe from Alice Medrich's Pure Dessert, Artisan Press, Copyright 2007, ISBN: 978-1579652111. However, due to my family not eating caramels, I sadly refrained from this optional challenge.

I have found it very exciting this month; this is my first time of making caramel syrup. I was a little apprehensive at first but following the instructions to the latter it was straightforward to accomplish. I will in the future be incorporating this recipe for caramelised butter frosting in some of my future bakes! It is one of the most delicious butter frostings I have ever tasted. We were also fortunate this month to have freedom on size/ shape of cake/ extra flavours and decor.

I had thought of making cupcakes at first then last minute went with a sandwich cake. I used 2 x 20cm (8 in) tins and it worked well. I altered the amount of time in the oven for baking to 25 minutes and the sponges came out golden and baked through perfectly. I sandwiched the two sponges together with frosting and then spread frosting over the top of the cake. Drizzled a little caramel syrup in the centre and added few sugar coated chocolates. Finally, I sprinkled a little edible gold glitter over the top for that shindig feeling.

Here is the recipe ~ slightly adapted to the original

For The Sponge
10 tbsp (5 oz) unsalted butter at room temperature
1¼ cups granulated sugar
½ tsp kosher salt
1/3 cup Caramel Syrup **see recipe below**
2 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 cups plain flour (all-purpose)
½ tsp baking powder
1 cup of milk, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 180°C/fan oven 160°C/350°F/Gas mark 4. 2 x 20cm (8 in) tins greased with a little butter and floured, tapping out any loose flour.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and salt and then cream until light and fluffy. Slowly pour room temperature caramel syrup into bowl. Scrape down bowl and increase speed. Add the eggs/vanilla extract a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the bowl again, beat mixture until light and uniform. Sift flour and baking powder together. Turn mixer to lowest speed, and add one third of the dry ingredients. When incorporated, add half the milk and finish with the dry ingredients. Take off the mixer and by hand, use a spatula to do a few last folds, making sure the batter is uniform. Divide the batter equally between the two tins and smooth the tops with a spatula. Place the tins into the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tins for 5 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to completely cool.

Caramel Syrup
2 cups sugar
½ cup water
1 cup of water **for “stopping” the caramelisation process**

In a small stainless steel saucepan, with tall sides, mix the water and sugar until mixture feels like wet sand. Brush any stray sugar crystals with a wet pastry brush. Turn on heat to highest flame. Cook until smoking slightly; dark amber colour. When colour is achieved, very carefully pour in one cup of water. Caramel will jump and sputter about!! It is very dangerous, so have long sleeves on and be prepared to step back. Whisk over medium heat until it has reduced slightly and feels sticky between two fingers. **Obviously wait for it to cool on a spoon before touching it.**

**NOTE: For safety reasons, have a bowl of ice water to plunge your hands into if any caramel should land on your skin.**

Caramelised Butter Frosting
12 tbsp (approx 6 oz) unsalted butter
1 lb icing (confectioner’s) sugar, sifted
4-6 tbsp vanilla extract
2-4 tbsp caramel syrup
Kosher or sea salt to taste

Cook butter until brown. Pour through a fine meshed sieve into a heatproof bowl, set aside to cool. Pour cooled brown butter into mixer bowl. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment add the icing (confectioner’s) sugar a little at a time. When mixture looks too chunky to take anymore, add a bit of cream and or caramel syrup. Repeat until mixture looks smooth and all icing (confectioner’s) sugar has been incorporated. Add salt to taste.

To assemble the cake; place the bottom sponge cake on a serving plate and apply approx quarter of the frosting to the top and smooth over with a spatula. Place the second sponge on top and apply a good quantity of frosting on top smoothing over with a spatula, making a few lines for decor if wished. Fill a piping bag (using a star nozzle) with the remaining frosting and pipe around the top edge. With a little caramel syrup drizzle over the centre top of the cake then place a few decorations in the centre (I used sugar coated heart shaped chocolates) and sprinkle over a little edible gold glitter.