This months Daring Baker’s Challenge was Caramel Cake and icing hosted by Delores , Alex, Jenny & Natalie enjoyed making this cake for two reasons, I have never made a caramel syrup, and secondly I would love to get better at making cakes. This cake has a unique flavor from the syrup and a denser consistency almost like a pound cake, but very the icing is super sweet a little goes a long way. I baked them in them in a flower shaped pan muffin pan.
First off you have to make the Caramel Syrup
Ingredients: 2 cups sugar, 1/2 cup water, 1 cup water (for “stopping” the caramelization process)
Mix 2 cups sugar and 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil
Once the sugar starts to turn to a golden color, add 1 cup water, be careful it could splash back on you.
Whisk until slightly reduced and sticky. Remove from heat and set aside to use in the cake and icing.
Cake Ingredients:10 Tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, 1 1/4 Cups granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/3 Cup Caramel Syrup (see recipe below), 2 each eggs, at room temperature, splash vanilla extract, 2 Cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 cup milk, at room temperature
Start off with butter and sugar and cream until fluffy
Add salt, and room temp Caramel syrup
Add eggs and a splash of vanilla
Scrape the sides down well
Sift the flour and baking powder
on low speed add 1/3 dry ingredients and half the milk, the dry then milk until incorporated.
Butter the dish and add the batter, slightly tapping the pan to prevent air bubbles
Bake until slightly golden on the edges @ 350 for 30-45 minutes depending on the type of pan used
Icing Ingredients: 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 pound confectioner’s sugar, sifted, 4-6 tablespoons heavy cream, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 2-4 tablespoons caramel syrup, Kosher or sea salt to taste
Melt butter in sauce pan to brown
after about 5 minutes remove brown butter and pour through a seive
Add cooled butter to bowl with whisk attachment
slowly add confectioners sugar
Add 3-4 T caramel Syrup, 2 tsp vanilla extract, and 4-6 T heavy cream
Until you reach the right consistency
Then Ice the cake as you wish, Enjoy!
CARAMEL CAKE WITH CARAMELIZED BUTTER FROSTING
Author Shuna Fish Lydon’s recipe (http://blogs.kqed.org/bayareabites/2006 … he-recipe/)
10 Tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/4 Cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 Cup Caramel Syrup (see recipe below)
2 each eggs, at room temperature
splash vanilla extract
2 Cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk, at room temperature
Preheat oven to 350F
Butter one tall (2 – 2.5 inch deep) 9-inch cake pan.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth. Add sugar and salt & cream until light and fluffy.
Slowly pour room temperature caramel syrup into bowl. Scrape down bowl and increase speed. Add eggs/vanilla extract a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down bowl again, beat mixture until light and uniform.
Sift flour and baking powder.
Turn mixer to lowest speed, and add one third of the dry ingredients. When incorporated, add half of the milk, a little at a time. Add another third of the dry ingredients, then the other half of the milk and finish with the dry ingredients. {This is called the dry, wet, dry, wet, dry method in cake making. It is often employed when there is a high proportion of liquid in the batter.}
Take off mixer and by hand, use a spatula to do a few last folds, making sure batter is uniform. Turn batter into prepared cake pan.
Place cake pan on cookie sheet or 1/2 sheet pan. Set first timer for 30 minutes, rotate pan and set timer for another 15-20 minutes. Your own oven will set the pace. Bake until sides pull away from the pan and skewer inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool cake completely before icing it.
Cake will keep for three days outside of the refrigerator.
CARAMEL SYRUP
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup water (for “stopping” the caramelization process)
In a small stainless steel saucepan, with tall sides, mix water and sugar until mixture feels like wet sand. Brush down any stray sugar crystals with wet pastry brush. Turn on heat to highest flame. Cook until smoking slightly: dark amber.
When color 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 ready a bowl of ice water to plunge your hands into if any caramel should land on your skin.
CARAMELIZED BUTTER FROSTING
12 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound confectioner’s sugar, sifted
4-6 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-4 tablespoons 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 confectioner’s sugar a little at a time. When mixture looks too chunky to take any more, add a bit of cream and or caramel syrup. Repeat until mixture looks smooth and all confectioner’s sugar has been incorporated. Add salt to taste.
Note: Caramelized butter frosting will keep in fridge for up to a month.
To smooth out from cold, microwave a bit, then mix with paddle attachment until smooth and light
