Chocolate Caramel Cake

I'll be truthful, it wasn't until being diagnosed with my life limiting illness just prior to turning 55 that I developed a sweet tooth; it was always the starter, never the dessert. If I had something sweet it would be caramel and even then perhaps every 5 years or so, I never received an Easter egg as it did nothing for me, then one day it all changed. Nowadays, if I don't have a box of Millionaire Slices on the go or chocolate in the fridge I have to go to the reserves, the second option, it has been demoted, savoury. This cake is a classic, old fashioned, yet a quick and easy chocolate caramel cake option. Soft, and moist with caramel icing to indulge oneself in on a sunny day in the glass room.

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 45 mins

Total Time 55 mins

Cooking Method: Baking

Courses: Desserts & Sweets

Difficulty: Advanced

Servings: 10

Dietary: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Cake

415 g sugar
220 g plain flour
65 g cocoa (powder)
1½ tsp baking (powder)
1½ tsp baking (soda)
2 eggs (Large)
250 ml buttermilk
125 ml Oil
1 tbsp vanilla extract
250 ml water (boiling)

Icing

800 g milk (evaporated)
415 g sugar
375 ml buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla (extract)

Buttercream

250 g butter (softened)
500 g icing sugar
¼ tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp instant coffee granules
11½ tbsp boiling water

Instructions

1
In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs, the milk, the oil, vanilla extract and whisk until smooth then set it aside. In another mixing bowl, mix together the sugar, the flour, the cocoa, baking powder and baking soda until thorughly combined. Add the dry mixture into the wet batter, slowly adding and alternating with the hot water and mix until just combined.
Once the flour is incorporated, stop mixing as soon as the batter is uniform; overmixing can make the finished cake tougher.
2
Pour the batter into a greased and floured round cake pan 9" x 3". Bake at 180°C for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted in the centre and come out clean. When done, set aside on a wire rack and allow the cake to cool down completely.
Check the deepest centre of the cake. A few moist crumbs are fine, but visible wet batter means it needs longer. Cool completely before adding either filling or icing.
3
Whilst the cake is baking and cooling, prepare the icing. In a non stick pan, add the buttermilk, evaporated milk, and sugar and cook over a medium heat until everything has fully melted and combined.
4
Reduce the heat to a low setting and stirring often for the next 1.5 to 2 hours, yes, don't be tempted to rush this step, ensuring it doesn't burn and it has thickened and darkened to a golden brown color. It is ready when it can coat the back of a spoon without running straight off.
As the mixture thickens, stir more frequently and scrape the base and corners of the pan to prevent scorching.
5
Remove from the heat and add in the vanilla extract. Let it cool for 30 - 40 minutes and allow it to thicken even further.
6
To make the buttercream for the internal layers if you choose to create a multi layered cake, ensure you leave your butter out of the fridge to soften before attempting to progress, otherwise you'll have an uphill battle to make it perfectly smooth.
The butter should be soft enough to beat smoothly but not melted or greasy.
7
Dissolve the coffee in the water and allow to cool completely before adding it to the buttercream (otherwise it’ll melt the butter). Add the coffee very gradually and beat each addition in thoroughly before adding more. This will help ensure that you get a nice smooth buttercream.
Add only as much cooled coffee mixture as needed for flavour and consistency; adding liquid gradually makes the emulsion easier to control.
8
Beat your buttercream on a low-medium speed. It’s tempting to turn the speed up high to get it made quicker but you’ll end up with lots of air bubbles. If you can, try and mixing it by hand for a really smooth consistency. If your buttercream is still a little too thick once you’ve added all your coffee, add a little milk to get it to the right consistency.
9
Pour the icing on top of the cooled cake and use a spatula to spread it out evenly.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 10

Amount Per Serving
Calories 1051.71kcal

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 41.06g64%
Saturated Fat 19.69g99%
Cholesterol 92.75mg31%
Sodium 429.30mg18%
Potassium 487.91mg14%
Total Carbohydrate 164.84g55%
Dietary Fiber 3.00g12%
Sugars 91.02g
Protein 12.55g26%

Vitamin C 0.61 mg
Calcium 305.30 mg
Iron 1.57 mg
Vitamin D 0.73 IU

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Note

Best served in silence. Caramel icing endpoint: cook until thickened and darkened, and it coats the back of a spoon without running straight off.