Caramel Cake

Caramel Cake

Ingredients

Milk 1 cup
Egg whites 4
Vanilla essence 2 tsp
Flour 3 cups
Corn flour 2 tbsp
Caster sugar 1 ½ cup
Baking powder 4 tsp
Salt ¾ tsp
Unsalted butter ¾ cup
Cream ¾ cup

Ingredients for Icing
Icing sugar 3 cups
Light corn syrup 3 tbsp
Milk 1 ½ cup
Unsalted butter ½ cup
Vanilla essence 1 tsp
Cream ½ cup

Method

In a bowl, mix 1/4 cup of the milk with the egg whites and vanilla essence. 

Mix the flour and corn flour with the sugar, baking powder and salt. 

Add the butter and the remaining 3/4 cup of milk. 

Beat until blended. 

Beat in the egg white mixture in batches. 

Beat the cream until soft peaks form. 

Stir a little of the whipped cream into the batter, then fold in the rest. 

Divide the batter between the 3 greased and lined pans and smooth the tops. 

Bake at 180 degrees C for 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool on a rack for 10 minutes. 

For the icing, in a saucepan, stir 2 1/2 cups of the icing sugar with the corn syrup and milk. 

Cook over moderate heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. 

Keep warm. 

Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar in a saucepan. 

Cook the sugar over moderate heat, swirling occasionally, until an amber caramel forms. 

Carefully pour the warm milk mixture over the caramel. 

Cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until the caramel dissolves. 

Stop stirring and cook until the caramel registers 235° on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat. 

Stir in the butter, vanilla and ¼ cup of the cream. 

Strain the caramel into the bowl of a standing mixer. 

Let cool for 15 minutes. 

Beat the caramel at medium speed, gradually adding the remaining ¼ cup of cream, until creamy, about 15 minutes. 

Set 1 cake layer on a plate. 

Pour enough icing over the layer to cover the top. 

Top with a second cake layer and cover it with icing. 

Add the final cake layer and pour the rest of the icing over the top of the cake, letting it run down the sides. 

Working quickly, use an offset spatula to spread the icing gently around the cake. 

Let the cake stand for 2 hours to set the icing before serving.

Caramel Cake by Zarnak Sidhwa