Naked Caramel Cake
Bake it naked
A naked cake is a delicious dessert that lacks the traditional frosting or marzipan edges. Distinct, visible layers expose the beautiful textures and colours of the flavours inside. Bake it with steam for taller layers and a fluffier, more professional result.
Ingredients (makes around 10-12 pieces)
Vanilla cardamom cake:
75 g butter (plus extra for greasing the pan)
1.5 dl milk
225 g egg (about 4–5 eggs)
340 g caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla powder
1 tablespoon ground cardamom
270 g all-purpose flour (plus extra for dusting the pan)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 pinch of salt
Butter cream frosting:
360 g caster sugar
1.5 dl water
80 g egg yolks (about 4 yolks)
100 g egg (about 2 eggs)
1 teaspoon vanilla powder
500 g butter, softened
Caramel sauce:
225 g caster sugar
1.5 dl full-fat cream
100 g butter, cold and cubed
1 pinch of sea salt
Directions
The cake:
1. Preheat oven to 175°C.
2. Butter three 20 cm cake pans and dust with flour.
3. Melt the butter. Add the milk and set aside to cool slightly.
4. Beat the eggs, sugar, vanilla and cardamom until light and fluffy.
5. Add the milk-butter mixture to the batter and stir until unified.
6. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl and mix.
7. Fold down the flour mixture in the batter until smooth and combined.
8. Dived the batter evenly between the three cake pans. Bake the cakes for around 20–25 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Leave the cakes to cool for a while in their pans, then flip them onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
The butter cream:
1. Pour sugar and water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat to 119°C (use a thermometer). With a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; whisk egg yolks, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. When the syrup reaches 119°C, remove from the heat and with the mixer on low speed, slowly add the syrup to the egg mixture. Stop pouring every 10 seconds and increase the speed to high, then switch back to low and drizzle in more syrup. Repeat until all the syrup is incorporated. Beat until cool.
2. Whip the butter until fluffy with an electric hand mixer.
3. Add one spoon of butter at a time to the egg mix, with the mixer on low speed. Mix well between each spoonful, repeat until all butter is fully incorporated and the butter-cream is smooth.
The caramel sauce:
1. Melt sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over a medium heat to a golden caramel. At the same time; heat the cream in a separate saucepan. When the sugar is golden, add cream in batches whilst stirring.
2. Add one butter cube at a time to the simmering caramel and stir until the butter is fully incorporated. Repeat until all butter is fully incorporated and you have a thick and smooth caramel sauce. Season with a pinch of sea salt.
Assembly of the cake:
1. Place the first cake layer on a cake stand and spread a fairly thick layer of frosting on top. Repeat until you have used all three layers, ending with a layer of frosting on top. Spread a thin layer of frosting over the whole cake and put it in the fridge to set for around 10–20 minutes.
2. Pour the slightly cooled caramel over the top of the cake.
