Caramel Slice Cake

I adapted caramel slice into a cake.

This cake is a combination of a few recipes. It has a coconut sponge (recipe for sponge taken from here: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018495-classic-coconut-cake?action=click&module=Global%20Search%20Recipe%20Card&pgType=search&rank=1), a chocolate ganache and caramel filling and a caramel icing (recipe for filling and icing taken from here: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021870-southern-caramel-cake?action=click&module=Local%20Search%20Recipe%20Card&pgType=search&rank=1). It is the kind of cake people will call sweet and then be unable to stop eating. Like caramel slice.

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

3 US cups / 435g plain flour

2 US cups / 170g desiccated coconut

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 ¼ cup / 300ml / 310g buttermilk or low-fat plain yogurt, at room temperature

The cheap stuff, don’t forget to throw in that gross yogurt water at the top

1/3 cup / 80ml / 75g coconut oil, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup / 225g unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups / 400g sugar, granulated or caster

4 large eggs, at room temperature

Ganache:

4/5 cup / 205ml / 200g double cream

1 cup / 200g semisweet chocolate

½ cup / 100g milk chocolate

1 tsp vanilla extract

Caramel Icing:

1 cup / 225g unsalted butter

2 cups / 440g dark brown sugar

½ cup / 120ml / 125g buttermilk or plain yogurt, at room temperature

¼ tsp salt

3 cups / 375g icing sugar, sifted

1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

For the Ganache:

In a double boiler over medium heat, whisking occasionally, heat the cream until scalding and small bubbles form around the outside.

Keep an eye on it, it will burn and smell terrible.

Add the chopped chocolate and let sit for 1-2 minutes.

Whisk until smooth.

Whisk in vanilla extract.

For the Cake:

Preheat the oven to 325˚F / 165˚C.

In a bowl, combine the flour, coconut, baking powder and salt, set aside.

In a separate bowl or receptacle, combine the buttermilk, coconut oil and vanilla extract, set aside.

In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or using a handheld mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, c. 3 minutes.

Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Continue beating until the mixture is very pale and nearly doubled in volume, c. 4 minutes.

Reduce the speed to medium-low, and add in c. 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat until combined, then add in c. ½ of the buttermilk mixture, beat until combined.

Repeat this process with another c. 1/3 of the flour mixture and the other ½ of the buttermilk mixture, and finish with the remaining flour mixture.

Grease and flour 3 x 8 inch cake pans.

Divide the batter evenly among the pans and smooth out the tops.

This is a thick batter, you will have to spread it.

Bake 30 minutes, until the cakes are puffed, pale golden brown on top and starting to pull away from the sides, or until a cake tester inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Let cool c.10 minutes in pans before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Icing:

As the cake bakes, make the icing.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat.

Add the brown sugar and whisk to combine.

Bring to a gentle boil over medium and let the mixture bubble for 5 minutes, whisking constantly.

Carefully and slowly add the buttermilk, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a full, rolling boil.

Remove from heat and add salt.

Transfer mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.

With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the sifted icing sugar, mixing until smooth, then add vanilla extract and mix to combine.

The icing should look glossy and pour easily from the bowl.

Let this cool for a few minutes, otherwise it will melt the ganache.

For the Assembly:

Put the first layer on your cake board, and pipe a rim of ganache around the edge.

You do not need to put on a piping tip, just snip the end off.

Pipe smaller circles of ganache moving towards the centre.

Fill in the space between the ganache circles with the caramel icing.

Also use a piping bag with the end snipped off.

Repeat with the second layer.

With the remaining ganache, spread a thin coat over the cake, filling in any gaps.

Use the icing to finish the job when you run out of ganache, it will mix with the ganache and be fine.

Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Spread a layer of icing over the cake.

Work fast as this will set, it may mix with the ganache, this is fine, lean into it.