Caramel Cake with Caramel Syrup and Caramelized Buttercream Frosting
If I am forced to make frosting for this cake I will make it with cream
cheese. Or Neufchatel or even just straight whipped cream. There will
be
no butter cream.
Note: Even though the cake was very moist. As extra added insurance,
I
diluted some of the caramel syrup with a little bit of water and
drizzled it
over the cut cake. I think that it added a nice depth to the flavor.
CARAMEL CAKE
10 Tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature [1]
1 ¼ Cups granulated sugar
½ 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
½ 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 and dust with raw
sugar.
[2]
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 [3], 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 almost mahogany.
When color is achieved, very carefully pour in one cup of water.
Caramel
will jump and sputter about! It is very dangerous, so step back and add
the
water with your hand covered with a pot holder.
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. Hot sugar will
continue
to burn so be very careful.
CARAMELIZED BUTTER FROSTING
Note: This frosting is REALLY sweet, I do not recommend using it.
Instead
I suggest adding the caramel syrup to whipped cream and using that as
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
(recipes above courtesy of Shuna Fish Lydon)
G. Raquel Vega Avon representative
www.youravon.com/graquelvega1
e-mail:
[email protected]
My group:
[email protected]
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