VANILLA CARAMEL CAKE

VANILLA CARAMEL CAKE

PREP TIME 50 MINS
COOK TIME 33 MINS
TOTAL TIME 1 HOUR 23 MINS
Serves: 1 cake

This Vanilla Caramel Cake wows with easy caramel buttercream frosting and crumbled chocolate caramel popcorn on a classic white cake.

INGREDIENTS
Cake

• 2 and ¾ cups cake flour*
• 1 and ⅔ cups granulated or superfine sugar
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• ¾ tsp. salt
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened*
• 4 large egg whites, plus 1 whole large egg
• 1 cup whole milk*
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. almond extract

Frosting

• 1 and ½ cups unsalted butter, softened
• 4 and ½ cups confectioners' sugar
• Pinch of salt
• ½ - ¾ cup caramel sauce*

Topping

• 2 cups chocolate caramel popcorn*

INSTRUCTIONS
Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare two 8 inch round cake pans by first spraying the bottoms with cooking spray, covering bottom with a round-cut piece of parchment paper, then spraying the entire pan. Set aside.
2. Using a stand mixer, combine all dry ingredients on low for 1-2 minutes or until fully mixed. Add in softened butter and allow to mix until crumbly like damp sand, about 2 minutes.
3. While mixer is running, add in the four egg whites, one at a time, allowing 1-2 minutes of mixing time in between each egg white to fully incorporate. I found after the second egg white I had to increase the speed up one or two notches as the batter became thick. Once all the egg whites have been added, add the final whole egg and let mix for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix until batter is thick and smooth.
4. In a small bowl, whisk the milk with both extracts. Pour into the batter, ⅓ at a time, leaving 1-2 minutes to mix in-between.
5. Evenly pour batter into two prepared cake pans. Using the back of a spoon, gently swirl the batter to make the tops level. (It doesn't need to be perfect.) Tap cake pans on the counter to release air bubbles, then bake both in the preheated oven on one rack for 27-35 minutes (mine was 33 minutes). The cakes will be light brown on top and will not be jiggly in the centre when touched.
6. Let cool in pans for 5 minutes, then very carefully place one flat hand on the top of the cake and one on the bottom of the pan and flip over, removing the parchment circle. The cake is very tender and prone to crumbling, so be careful when flipping. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

Frosting and Topping

1. While cake layers are cooling, cream together butter, sugar and salt until smooth and combined. Pour in the caramel sauce and then beat until light and fluffy. Set aside.
2. Add chocolate caramel popcorn to a food processor for 1-2 pulses, or until popcorn is broken down into chunks about ¼ to ½ the normal size. Set aside.

Assembly

1. Spread frosting on top of one cake layer, then add the second layer on top. Frost the top and sides of the entire cake. Sprinkle the chocolate caramel popcorn chunks on the top, to garnish.

NOTES
*To make your own cake flour, remove 2 tbsp. of flour from every cup used. Add in 2 tbsp. cornstarch to replace the flour, then sift well.
*You'll need really soft butter for this, so leave your butter out at room temperature, covered, for at least 2 days.
*Use 3% or 3.25% milk for the best results.
*Try to find thick, rich caramel sauce at the grocery store, or make your own. I used caramel ice cream topping in a pinch, but the icing can be too sweet if you aren't a fan of sugar.
*I used a box of dark chocolate caramel popcorn that I got as a gift, but anything small and chocolatey would work, such as chocolate almonds, chocolate clusters, etc.

source : https://crumbkitchen.com

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