SALTED BUTTER CARAMEL CAKE
Iam a great fan of salted butter caramel. After lots of experiments, I’ve come up with this delicious recipe, which is made of layers of salted butter caramel biscuit baked into a rich dark chocolate cake. Serves 8-10 Prep time: 35 mins, plus chilling time Cooking time: 45 mins 200g dark chocolate, roughly chopped 100g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing 150ml milk 4 eggs, separated 125g golden caster sugar 100g plain flour pinch of sea salt, to decorate
FOR THE CARAMEL BISCUIT 225g digestive biscuits 300g golden caster sugar 2 tbsp water 100ml single cream 100g salted butter, plus extra for greasing 2 pinches of sea salt
FOR THE CHOCOLATE GLAZE 200g dark chocolate, chopped 200ml single cream
1First make the caramel biscuit. Grease two sandwich cake tins that are 22cm in diameter and line the bases with baking paper.
2Put the biscuits into a food processor and blitz to make fine crumbs. Put sugar and water into a heavy-based pan and dissolve over a low heat. Increase the heat and cook until it forms an amber caramel. Remove from heat and carefully stir in cream, followed by butter and salt. Stir biscuit crumbs into caramel, then divide between the prepared tins and press with the back of a spoon. Freeze to set.
3To make the sponge, preheat the oven to 180°C (fan 160°C). Grease a deep 22cm-diameter loose-bottomed cake tin and line with baking paper.
4Melt chocolate, butter and milk together in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the surface of the water does not touch the bowl.
5In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar together using an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Stir in the chocolate mixture, then fold in flour. In a clean, dry bowl, whisk egg whites to soft peaks, then gently fold into chocolate mixture.
6Remove the caramel biscuit discs from the freezer and take them out of the tins, discarding the lining paper. Place one of the discs on the bottom of the prepared cake tin and spread with half the cake mixture. Lay the other biscuit disc on top and cover with remaining mixture.
7Bake in the oven for 25 to 30 mins or until the cake is just cooked – it should be almost undercooked for extra gooeyness. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out on to a cooling rack to cool completely.
8To make the glaze, put chocolate into a heatproof bowl. Put cream into a pan and heat to simmering point, then pour one-quarter over chocolate. Leave for a minute until chocolate starts to melt, then gently stir in the rest of the cream until smooth and glossy.
9Cover the cooled cake with the chocolate glaze and use a palette knife to spread it evenly over the top and down the side. Lightly sprinkle sea salt crystals on top of the cake, then chill it in the fridge until set.