Antique Caramel Cake with Salted Caramel Sauce

Wow. This cake. It has to be one of the most popular things I have ever baked. And with good reason too, after all - who doesn't like Caramel? - especially proper, salty caramel, swirled onto tangy Caramel Cream cheese frosting enveloping a soft, tender Caramel cake. It's bliss...

 I made this cake on Monday for my sweet sweet workmate Paula's birthday - she is a sweet and classy lady and she deserved a sweet and classy cake. Then, as I had the Caramel Sauce left over, and I NEEDED more of this cake, I made it again Saturday for my lovely Sister-in-law Tracey's baby shower. It keeps really well, though it tasted pretty amazing straight from the oven too (you have to trim it flat....and someone had to eat the trimmings!). The icing is AMAZING...sweet but not achingly so, and silky smooth.

If you didn't want to make your own Salted Caramel sauce for the top and filling, you could get a good quality bought one instead.

There are quite a few steps, but don't hesitate to make this for your next special occasion - it really is a winning cake!

Antique Caramel Cake with Salted Caramel Sauce

Adapted from Laura's Sweet Spot

Ingredients

For the Caramel Cake:

• 160g unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes
• 1 cup Caster sugar
• ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp Heilala Vanilla Paste
• 2 cups plain flour, sifted
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar

For the Caramel Frosting:

• 60g unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• ½ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• ⅓ cup cream
• 70g unsalted butter, softened
• 220g cream cheese (from the fridge)
• 1 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted

For the Salted Caramel Sauce

• 1 cup caster sugar
• 2 tablespoons liquid Glucose
• 1/4 cup water
• ½ cup cream
• 1 teaspoon fleur de sel (or whatever flash/flaked salt you have)
• ¼ cup sour cream

Instructions
For the  Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C
2. Line the bases of two 20cm non-stick cake tins, spray well with oil.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add both sugars and beat until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes or more. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and add the vanilla and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the bowl again and add the salt, and flour in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour (do this on the lowest speed).
4. In a small bowl or cup, dissolve the baking soda in the vinegar and beat it into the batter until just combined.
5. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and smooth the tops. 
6. Bake for 32 to 37 minutes, rotating the pans (very carefully, any knocks will cause the cakes to deflate a bit) halfway through the baking time, until the cake tops are slightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto the racks and let cool completely.

For the Frosting:

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir together the brown sugar and butter (60g) until melted and combined. Bring the mixture to a boil and boil for 30 seconds, or until dark golden and frothy. Remove from the heat, whisk in the cream, and transfer the mixture to a bowl to cool completely. 
2. Once the brown sugar mixture is nearly cool, place the remaining 70g of butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until it is lump free. Add the cream cheese in small amounts, bit by bit, and continue beating until mixture is smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat again for until light and creamy. Turn the mixer to low and stream in the brown sugar mixture. Scrape down the bowl again, add the icing sugar, and beat until smooth. If the mixture feels too loose, refrigerate it for 5 to 10 minutes until it firms up.

For the Salted Caramel Sauce

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and liquid glucose with ¼ cup water, stirring them together carefully so you don’t splash the sides of the pan. 
2. Cook over high heat until a sugar/candy thermometer reads 350 degrees F, or until the mixture is dark amber in color (keep a close eye on the caramel at all times, as it goes from golden brown to black and burnt very quickly), 6-8 minutes. 
3. Remove from the heat, and slowly add the cream (careful, it will bubble up) and then the fleur de sel. Whisk in the sour cream. Set aside to cool.

Assemble the Cake: 
Place one cake layer on a serving platter, normal way up. Trim the top with a bread knife to create a flat surface, and drizzle generously with the salted caramel sauce, spreading with the back of a spoon to allow the cake to absorb it. Evenly spread about ¾ cup frosting on top. Trim the second cake the same way, and repeat the caramel layer on the cut surface. Turn the second cake upside down and place, caramel side down, onto the first cake and frosting. This leaves the flat base of the base as a nice smooth surface for the icing. Ice the sides and top of the cake with the remaining frosting, swirl with the caramel sauce and refrigerate the cake for 15 minutes to set before serving.
The cake can be stored in the refrigerator, covered with a cake dome or in a cake server for up to 3 days. Allow it to come to almost room temperature before serving.

Dark Brown vs Light Brown sugar

Brown sugar mixture for the frosting

Add the brown sugar mixture into the frosting

Ready to be iced

White Chocolate Chip Cookies - an old favourite and a new one

Today I've got two choc chip cookie recipes to share with you - one is hands down my absolute fave cookie for any type of choc chip - I often make this with milk & dark, triple choc, caramel bits, or dark choc & ginger. This is a Nigella Recipe from Kitchen, and it has been thrashed again and again in my kitchen. The dough itself is one of the most delicious things you will ever taste (I have been known to bring slices of dough to my addicted workmates), and they are pretty quick to make as you don't have to cream the butter and sugar for ages. White Choc & Cranberry is our favourite combo though, and that's what I have made today:

The next one is a new recipe, and I think I'm onto a winner here - White Choc, Lime, Coconut & Oat. The recipe is quite similar to the one above - brown and white sugars - and I could tell it would be worth doing another batch when I read through this recipe (even though I had just made the ones above).They would still be delicious without the white choc, but the combination is really good - thankful for my bottle of Lime Oil for taking these cookies to a new level. Warning - the smell of these cooking is enough to make you want to devour about five in one sitting :)

Back to our old favourite:

White Chocolate & Cranberry Cookies

Adapted from Nigella Lawson's Kitchen
150g soft unsalted butter
125g soft light brown sugar
100g caster sugar
1 teaspoons Heilala Vanilla Paste
1 egg, fridge-cold
1 egg yolk, fridge-cold
300g plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soada
220g white chocolate, cut into chunks (Big or small, your call! I used Cadbury Dream)
3/4 cup dried Cranberries

Preheat the oven to 170C. Line a baking tray with baking paper or a silicone sheet.

Melt the butter and let it cool a bit.  Put the brown and white sugars into a bowl, pour the slightly cooled, melted butter over them and beat together.
Beat in the vanilla, the cold egg and cold egg yolk until your mixture is light and creamy.
Slowly mix in the flour and baking soda until just blended, then fold in the chocolate chips (If you have a kitchen aid, do this on the lowest level).
Scoop the cookie dough into a quarter-cup measure or a 60ml round ice-cream scoop and drop onto the prepared baking sheet, plopping the cookies down about 8cm apart. (I only 3/4 fill the scoop or measure otherwise they are huge)
Note: these taste even better if you wrap the dough in cling-film and refrigerate overnight - it helps the texture. You can also freeze the un-baked cookies at this point, then thaw and bake another day - this works really well too.
Bake for 15-17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted.  Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks.

Creamy deliciousness

Oatmeal Cookies with Lime, Coconut and White Chocolate

adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

1/2 cup soft brown sugar
1/2 cup caster sugar
125g softened unsalted butter
1 egg
1 tsp. Heilala vanilla paste
Zest of 1 lime
3 capfuls of Lime Oil
pinch of Salt
1/2 tsp. Baking powder
1/2 tsp. Baking soda
1 1/4 cup plain flour
1 1/4 cup oats
About 3/4 cup coconut (I used coconut chips)
About 1 cup white chocolate chunks (or chips)
Cream the butter with the sugars until soft and creamy, using a mixer. Add in egg and vanilla and mix again, then lime zest and oil.  Mix briefly. 

In a separate bowl combine the salt, baking powder, soda, flour. Add to wet ingredients. 
Mix until blended. Add your oats and then your coconut and chocolate. 
Roll into balls and place on tray, flatten slightly with a fork.
Bake at 170 for 10-12 minutes - just lightly golden around edges (longer if you want them crisper, shorter if you like soft and chewy).

Coconuty-chocolatey-limey-brown-sugary-goodness

Quinoa & LSA Delish Porridge

Ah, Autumn. It's kind of a relief to see the end of this long hot Summer. Although it has been stellar this year, now it's time to get a little cooler and start changing what we eat. For me, the worst thing about summer would be the fact it's too hot to eat porridge. I LOVE porridge.  So I eat it pretty much 9 months of the year, and it's a sad 3 months without it in the morning.

So now we are officially 20 days into Autumn, it's time to get out the porridge pot and back into the swing of things.

This is my favorite porridge recipe, a much healthier twist on the original, full of whole grains and healthy fats, carbs and protein. Porridge is known for keeping you full, and this version really goes the extra mile. I add Quinoa to increase the protein and LSA for further protein and good fats, and both of these really add a delicious nutty texture to otherwise boring porridge. Soaking the oats overnight gives creaminess without having to use much milk, and also helps it cook faster. Adding protein powder is a easy way to further bump up the protein levels, and I much prefer having protein powder this way compared to drinking it in a shake (I still struggle with that!), but the protein powder is completely optional.

Quinoa & LSA Delish Porridge

Makes 3-4 servings

1/4 cup Quinoa
3/4 cup rolled oats (or rolled oats/jumbo oats mix). I like Harraways rolled oats, but the jumbo oats have a lower GI so keep you fuller for longer.
2 Tablespoons ground LSA (Healtheries do one in the supermarket, or fruit and veg shops do a better value one)
2 1/2 cups water
1 cup trim milk
Optional: 1-2 tablespoons Chia seeds, 1 tsp vanilla extract.

Toppings:
1 tablespoon vanilla protein powder per serving
Cinnamon
Fresh fruit or stewed fruit - My Roasted Rhubarb & Apple compote is perfect
Greek Yoghurt
Flaked almonds
Heilala Vanilla syrup (if you really need some extra sweetness).

Directions:

Night before:
Measure Quinoa and oats into a medium-large saucepan, add 2.5 cups hot water, put on the lid and leave to soak overnight if possible. If making in the morning and you didn't soak it, you can just cook it for longer.

Morning:
Add 1 cup trim milk, turn on heat and bring to a gentle simmer for approx. 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until porridge is thick and creamy, and quinoa is cooked. Add LSA (and Chia and Vanilla if using) stir well, and take off the heat.

Divide between 3 serving bowls. Mix in 1 tablespoon vanilla protein powder, top with cinnamon, fruit, yoghurt, and flaked almonds, and serve.

I make this every 3 days and just put the other 2 servings into plastic containers in the fridge - this makes a super quick and easy breakfast on the other 2 mornings - simply microwave until hot, add a bit more milk or water to thin down, and serve as before.

Fresh figs and blueberries - amazing treat for breakfast

Tiramisu Cupcakes

These are the cupcakes I came up with for Matt & Winnie's wedding, and I'm so happy with how they came out. I ended up adapting 4 recipes into this one, and did about 7 batches before the big day to perfect the recipe.

These cupcakes are a real standout - moist (even surviving the fridge, and being made days before eating), flavourful, and very true to the taste of Tiramisu. The buttercream icing is amazing too, and very easy to pipe. I replaced some of the normal flour with almond meal, to keep them moist and to add texture and flavour. Yes, there are quite a few steps, but these taste so good it is totally worth it!

Tiramisu Cupcakes 

(adapted heavily from The Hummingbird Bakery and the Barefoot Contessa)

For the Tiramisu Cupcakes:

(makes 16-18 cupcakes)

• 85 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 1 1/3 cups caster sugar

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup almond meal/flour

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 2 large eggs, at room temperature

• a "scant" 1 cup whole milk, at room temperature

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste

For the Coffee Soaking Syrup:

(enough for 16-18 cupcakes)

• 1 cup coffee, strong (or 2 double shots of espresso)

• 5 tablespoons Kahlua coffee liqueur

• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

For the Mascapone filling:

• 3  egg yolks, at room temperature 

• 2 tablespoons sugar 

• 2 tablespoons Kahlua

• 2 tablespoons espresso

• 400g or 1 tub mascarpone cheese (Kapiti or Bouton D'or is best)

For the Kahlua Buttercream Frosting:

• 4 tablespoons Kahlua (or 2 tablespoons espresso) - or to taste
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 340g unsalted butter, softened

• 3 cups icing sugar, sifted.

• 3 tablespoons milk

For the Tiramisu Cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C, and line a muffin tin with cupcake cases.
2. Using a handheld beater or stand mixer, beat butter, flour, almond meal, sugar and baking powder on low speed until the ingredients are well incorporated and have the texture of fine breadcrumbs. 
3. Break 2 eggs into a Pyrex measuring cup, then add 1 'scant' cup whole milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and whisk together by hand.
4. With the mixer running on a low speed, slowly pour three-quarters of the wet ingredients into the flour and butter mixture. Once everything has been mixed together, scrape down the sides of the bowl to pick up an ingredients that were missed, then add the rest of the milk mixture and continue mixing the batter until it is smooth and even.
5. Divide the batter between the paper cases, filling each case with 2 tablespoons of batter (or, filling each up to two-thirds full).
6. Bake for 18-20 minutes in the preheated oven until well risen and the tops bounce back when touched. Leave to cool slightly before removing them from the tin, then place on a wire rack to cool completely while you make the coffee soaking syrup. 

For the Coffee Soaking Syrup:

1. Pour 1 cup coffee into a saucepan and whisk in 3 tablespoons granulated sugar. 
2. Place the pan on your stovetop and bring to a boil, allowing the liquid to reduce by about half the pot, then remove from heat and add Kahlua, and set aside to cool.

For the Mascapone filling:

1. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on high speed for 5 minutes, until very thick and light yellow. 
2. Lower the speed to medium and add the kahlua, espresso, and the mascarpone. Whisk until smooth. 

For the kahlua frosting:

1.  Beat butter in bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 1 minute.  Reduce mixer speed to low.  Add icing sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating for a few seconds between each addition.  Increase mixer speed to medium and beat for about 3 minutes. 
2.  Add the Kahlua, beat on low speed to combine.  Scrape down sides and bottom of the bowl.  Increase mixer speed to medium and beat until fluffy, about 4 minutes.  Frosts 18 cupcakes.

To assemble:

1. When cool, cut a cone out of the top of the cupcake at about 90 degrees, or use a cupcake corer. reserve cone.
2. Fill each hole with about 1 tablespoon of Kahlua syrup, trying especially to get down the sides, not just the bottom of the hole. 
3. Fill each hole with the marscapone mixture, approx 1 teaspoonful.
4. Dip the leftover cone in the Syrup, and replace back on the cupcake, pushing down gently to get as flat as possible
5. Frost as desired with Kahlua Buttercream frosting, and decorate with a dusting of cocoa, or shaved dark chocolate.

Matt & Winnie's wedding dessert table

A month ago my brother Matt married Winnie in a stunning evening ceremony at my parent's place in Tamahere. It was an awesome night, fantastic party and very very cool to see these two get married, and to have Winnie as a part of our family (officially). Matt and Winnie asked me to make Cupcakes instead of a wedding cake for them, and these are some of the photos of the journey to the table.

The stats: 247 cupcakes, 13 hours start to finish on the day, plus 4 hours prep the day before (measuring ingredients). 2 trials of red velvet, 7 trials of Tiramisu.

I made Red Velvet cupcakes - Matt & Winnie's request, and Tiramisu cupcakes, as this is one of their favourite desserts. My talented sister Lauren made some completely addictive milk chocolate and white chocolate fudge, and we topped the table off with some fresh green grapes.

Mum and I decorated the dessert table, and Lester & I designed the cupcake toppers (with Jimmy's artwork) - the bridesmaids and Winnie faithfully cut these out the day before - nice work girls!

All in all, a great success, and a real honour for me to bake for those I love on their special day. I'll post the tiramisu recipe soon.

Congrats, Matt and Winnie!

Oven on, ingredients ready

a sea of red velvet

lucky mum and I have a lot of Sistema = 247 cupcakes, ready to travel

Lyn came and helped with the icing - thankyou SO much Lyn!

Tiramisu production line. In love with my cupcake corer!

Debbie: official re-corer. Lyn: Mascapone master. Gem: Kahlua syrup injector

Lauren's amazing fudge

The happy couple

Lime & White Chocolate Biscuits

Our holidays usually revolve around great food and beautiful restaurants, and our trip last Winter to the Hawke's Bay was no exception. My favourite restaurant was the stunning Pipi Cafe, in Havelock North. Simple, delicious italian-inspired food with a good Pinot Noir was thouroughly enjoyed, at a bright pink candle-lit table. I was so enamored I bought the owner, Alexandra Tylee's, cookbook of the same name, which she signed for me as we paid the bill.

I very quickly decided that Lime & White Chocolate biscuits would be the first thing to be made, but it has been no mean feat trying to find the required Lime oil. A few weeks ago I finally found some in Cambridge at Dante's Fine Foods, and also picked up some Equagold White Chocolate bits. If you are in Cambridge, Dante's is worth a look - the owner Vicki is super lovely and very knowledgeable, and their Tea Total selection is pretty impressive too.

So, back to the biscuits. Easy to make, easy to ice, and they taste and look delicious. Lime & white chocolate is an amaaaaazing combination. If you see this book around, don't hesitate -  it's a beautiful read and full of comforting flavours.

Lime & White Chocolate Biscuits - from Pipi, The Cookbook, by Alexandra Tylee

For the Biscuits (makes approx. 20)

125g butter, softened
1/4 cup caster sugar
3 tablespoons condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup white chocolate, cut into chunks ( I used Equagold White Choco-lettes)
1/4 tsp Lime Oil (or more, to taste) - available from Sabato or Dante's

For the icing:

125g (half a block) of white chocolate
knob of butter
zest of 1 lime (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

For the biscuits, cream the butter, sugar, condensed milk and vanilla together until thick and creamy. Beat in the lime oil. Mix the flour and baking powder together, then fold into the butter mixture.

Roll the mixture into balls and put them on the tray. Squash them with a fork, but don't make them too flat.

Bake for about 15 minutes, or until just lightly golden.

For the icing, break up the chocolate and melt in short bursts in the microwave, or in a bowl over a pot of simmering water. Add, the butter, mix together until all melted and smooth, and spoon into a small ziplock or plastic bag. Snip off the corner, and pipe lines freely across the biscuits. Using a microplane, finely zest a lime over the top of the un-set icing, and place biscuits in the fridge for a short while to set the icing.

Cranberry, Ginger & Pistachio Christmas Truffles

Christmas baking is the highlight of December for me - apart from Christmas day itself - and I look forward to trying new recipes and playing around with Christmas flavours in treats to give to family and friends. I also (somewhat stupidly) started catering our work Christmas customer night a few years back, so I have a pretty decent collection of nibbles to call on this time of year.

Truffles are up there in my book - small and sweet - enough of an indulgence without inducing a compulsory 5 km run, but all of the flavour and cuteness. This recipe I found in a House & Garden mag when I stayed at a good friend's place, and I have very liberally switched it up to make it more Christmas-sy.

Four batches in and these have been a hit so far, so I highly recommend you find the time in the next 12 days to whip them up as gifts or just a nice treat on Christmas day.

Cranberry, Ginger & Pistachio Christmas Truffles 

Makes about 40

250g (1 packet) wine biscuits
12 dried apricots, diced
8 pieces crystallised ginger, diced
1/3 cup dried cranberries, diced
70g pistachios, chopped
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp mixed spice
100g butter, melted
1/2 can sweetened condensed milk

For decoration:
1 bag white choc melts
chopped pistachios
chopped cranberries
silver balls

Crush biscuits to coarse crumbs in a food processor. Add all remaining ingredients, and blitz until mixture  is even and comes together.

Using dampened hands, roll into small walnut-sized balls, place on a tray and chill in freezer for at least 30 minutes. You can leave in the freezer for longer if needed, and ice them from frozen when you are ready.

Melt chocolate in microwave in short bursts on medium, stirring regularly. Dip each truffle ball into the chocolate, place on baking paper or a silicone sheet, and sprinkle chopped cranberries, pistachios and silver balls over the top before the chocolate sets.

Store in an air-tight container for a few days, or keep in the freezer for longer.

The dipping is much easier to do if you keep the balls frozen - don't let them get too warm - and use a dipping coil.

I make two batches at a time - one after the other in the processor, then roll the whole lot into balls and dip. Trust me - you are going to want to stock up on the ingredients for these!

Treats for our customers - truffles, smoked salmon & creme fraiche blini, brownie bites with fresh raspberry buttercream, mini red velvet cupcakes and strawberry & lemon marscapone tartlets