Southern Chocolate Caramel Cake Food

LIZZIE'S OLD FASHIONED COCOA CAKE WITH CARAMEL ICING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and lightly flour two 9-inch cake pans
• For the cake: Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt and set aside. With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Add the flour mixture in stages with 1 1/3 cups water, beginning and ending with the flour.
• Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Turn the layers out onto racks that have been sprayed with cooking spray.
• For the caramel icing: Mix 3 cups of the sugar and the milk in a heavy 3-quart saucepan. Bring slowly to a boil and keep it hot. Caramelize the remaining cup of sugar in an iron skillet. Do this by cooking over medium-high heat and stirring and scraping the pan with a flat-edged spatula as the sugar melts. Continue to cook until the syrup turns to medium or dark brown in color. This occurs at about 320 degrees F to 350 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Do not scorch the syrup. Stream the syrup into the boiling sugar and milk mixture and cook to the soft ball stage, about 238 degrees F. Add the butter, vanilla extract and baking soda.
• Pour the hot mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer and beat as it cools until the icing is creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Watch the icing because it will go from runny to too thick very quickly. Spread on the cake layers while the icing is still warm. If it becomes too stiff, add a few drops of hot water.

SOUTHERN CHOCOLATE CARAMEL CAKE

Steps:

• Sift together first four cake ingredients in medium bowl, set aside.
• With mixer, beat butter at high speed until smooth. Lower mixer speed and add eggs, one at a time and mix until blended. Add sugar and vanilla and mix at medium speed until smooth and sugar is completely dissolved (no longer grainy).
• At low speed add dry ingredients and buttermilk, alternating. Blend all ingredients just until mixed.
• Spread into two greased and floured 9 inch round cake pans (batter will be thick)
• Bake for 30 minutes in an over preheated to 350 degrees. When done, cool on rack in pan until room temperature. Frost with caramel frosting when completely cooled.
• To prepare frosting, add butter, sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar and salt to a medium saucepan. Bring to boil and cook over medium high heat for two minutes, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat, add extracts, stir and let mixture cool for five minutes.
• Pour into large buttered mixing bowl and beat at medium speed for three minutes until glossy smooth. This should look like melted caramels at this point.
• Add powdered sugar one cup at a time. Be sure to scrape down sides so all powdered sugar is added.
• When frosting cake, be sure to work quickly and be careful that cake does not crumble if frosting becomes too hard. If this happens, pop the frosting bowl back into the microwave for 30 seconds to soften it up and make it spreadable again. If you like, you can microwave it at 30 seconds intervals until it is pourable and pour over your cake. While I frosted it traditionally, I did take the last bit left in the bowl and do this and poured over the top so there was nothing wasted. Enjoy!

CARAMEL CAKE

Steps:

• Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease two 9-inch round cake pans with solid vegetable shortening, then dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour. Set the pans aside.
• Place the cake mix, milk, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minutes. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. The batter should look well blended. Divide the batter between the prepared pans, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place the pans in the oven side by side.
• Bake the cakes until they are golden brown and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 27 to 29 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 10 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edge of each layer and invert each onto a rack, then invert them again onto another rack to that the cakes are right side up. Allow them to cool completely, 30 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, prepare the Quick Caramel Frosting.
• Place one cake layer, right side up, on a serving platter. Spread the top with the warm frosting. Place the second layer, right side up, on top of the first layer and frost the top and sides of the cake with clean, smooth strokes. Work quickly, as the frosting will set. (If the frosting gets too hard to work with, place the pan back over low heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly, to soften it up.) Once the frosting has set, slice and serve.
• Store this cake, covered in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, at room temperature for up to 1 week or freeze, wrapped in foil, for up to 6 months. Thaw the cake overnight on the counter before serving.
• Place the butter and brown sugars in a medium-size heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir and cook until the mixture comes to a boil, about 2 minutes. Add the milk, stir, and bring the mixture back to a boil, then remove the pan from the heat. Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Beat with a wooden spoon until the frosting is smooth.
• Use immediately (while still warm) to frost the cake of your choice or the frosting will harden. If it does harden while you are frosting the cake, simply place the pan back over low heat and stir until the frosting softens up.

EASY CARAMEL CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter two 20cm springform tins and line the bases with baking parchment.
• Beat the butter and both sugars in a bowl with an electric whisk for a few mins until lighter in colour and fluffy. Add the vanilla and the eggs, one at a time, adding a spoonful of flour and beating in between each egg. Add the remaining flour and milk. Divide between the cake tins and bake for 25-30 mins until they're golden, spring back when pressed, and a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle. Cool in the tins for a few mins, then tip out and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, for the icing, put the butter and icing sugar in a bowl and whisk for a few mins until light and airy. Whisk in the caramel briefly, adding 1 tbsp of boiling water to loosen, if needed. Set aside until the sponges are completely cool before assembling, or the icing will melt.
• Use half the icing to sandwich the cakes together, then spread the remainder over the top, smoothing it out with a knife or the back of a spoon. Leave in a cool place until ready to serve. Drizzle with the 3 tbsp extra sauce (warm briefly in the microwave if it's a little stiff), allowing some to drip down the sides if you like, and scatter over the toffee, chocolate or caramel pieces to serve. Edible glitter, birthday candles or sparklers, optional.

SOUTHERN CARAMEL CAKE

Steps:

• Use the first 10 ingredients for the cake.
• Sift cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium sized bowl.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray three 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray OR grease and flour them.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream 1 cup unsalted butter, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, and 2 1/2 cups sugar on high until fully incorporated and light and fluffy, about 5 to 6 minutes.
• Turn mixer to medium speed and mix in eggs and egg yolks one at a time until well incorporated.
• Add in vanilla extract and mix.
• With the mixer on slow speed, alternate adding in flour mixture and sour cream, ending with flour until mixed through.
• Do not overmix.
• Divide batter evenly between prepared pans.
• Bake in preheated oven for 23-30 minutes or until fully baked. (Over-baking will dry these cakes out).
• 11. Place on cooling rack for 10 minutes.
• Remove cakes from pan and cool completely.
• Use last four ingredients for Caramel Icing.
• Add butter, evaporated milk, and 2 cups sugar to saucepan over medium heat until everything has melted together.
• Leave over medium to low heat, stirring periodically, for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours (keeping an eye on it so it doesn't burn) until thickened and caramel has darkened to a golden brown. It should coat the back of a spoon. Reduce heat while cooking if necessary to prevent burning.
• Remove from heat and add vanilla extract.
• Cool for 15 to 20 minutes before icing the cake.

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Lightly grease 2 x 23cm loose-bottom cake tins and line with a circle of baking parchment. Beat together the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition, then add the baking powder, cocoa and a third of the flour. Mix well to combine, then stir in half the soured cream. Alternating between adding the flour and soured cream, mix everything until just combined. Spoon into the prepared tins, then smooth over the surface with a spoon.
• Bake for 30 mins or until the cakes are firm to touch and a skewer inserted into the centres comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tins for 5 mins, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely.
• When you're ready to serve, whip the double cream with 2 tbsp Dulce de leche until soft peaks form. Place 1 cake on a serving plate and spread with half the cream, then drizzle over the remaining Dulce de leche. Top with the other cake, then spread the remaining cream on top. Sprinkle with the chocolate. Chill until ready to serve.