(Makes two small cakes, serves 8-10, salted caramel recipe adapted from David Lebovitz’s recipe, cake adapted from my regular yellow cake recipe)

For the cake:

90g (about 3/4 cup) plain flour (all-purpose)

1 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

60ml (1/4 cup) milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

60g (1/4 cup) sugar (preferably caster/superfine)

60g (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 medium egg

For the caramel: (note, make sure you read David Lebovitz’s post for tips if you are new to making caramel)

1 cup heavy cream (use pure/pouring cream in Australia)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or bean paste

Heaped 1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes

1/2 cup (160 g) light corn syrup or golden syrup (I used Lyle’s Golden Syrup)

1 cup (200 g) sugar

4 tbsp (60 g), butter, cubed, at room temperature

For the milk chocolate ganache:

200g (7 oz) milk chocolate, finely chopped (please use good quality chocolate)

150ml (2/3 cup) pure/pouring cream (or heavy whipping cream in the US, min 35% fat unthickened)

Optional: crushed Twix bars to place between the cake and caramel, to give it some crunch

Grease and line two 20cm x 10cm (8x4inch) loaf tins (standard sized tin, it actually measured closer to 21x11cm when I checked it) with baking paper. If you only have one tin available, you will have to bake the cake first and then reuse the tin for the caramel. Prepare the cake; preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Mix milk and vanilla together in a measuring jug.

Using an electric mixer on low speed, beat sugar and butter in a large bowl until blended. Increase speed to high and beat for 2 mins or until pale and creamy. Reduce speed to medium, add egg and beat well until smooth. Alternately add flour mix and milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture (I did it by adding 1/3 of of the dry mixture followed by 1/2 of the wet mixture at a time). Beat until smooth, occasionally scraping bowl with a spatula. Pour batter into one of the prepared tins, smooth top with a spatula and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer into the centre comes out clean and the outside is golden. Cool in tin for 5 mins and then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Continue reading →