Salted caramel cake

THIS is our best-selling cake – we have customers who order it every year for birthday celebrations.

FOR THE CAKE

● 70ml (2½fl oz) whole milk

● 4 large eggs

● 65g (2¼oz) cocoa powder

● 250g (9oz) self-raising flour

● 1½ tsp baking powder

● 140g (5oz) butter, soft

● 380g (13½oz) caster sugar

● 125ml (4½fl oz) boiling water

FOR THE ICING

● 200g (7oz) butter, very soft

● 560g (1¼lb) icing sugar

● 60g (2fl oz) milk

● 200g (7oz) tin caramel

● ½ tbsp sea salt

PREHEAT oven to 180C (350F, gas 4) and grease and line two 23cm (9in) cake tins.

Beat together the milk, eggs, cocoa, flour, baking powder, butter and sugar for one or two minutes until the mixture is a smooth, thick batter.

Add half the boiling water and mix on a slow speed, then pour in the remaining water. Mix for another minute or two until it just comes together. The batter should be velvety smooth with no lumps.

Divide the mix into the prepared tins and smooth out the surface of both.

Bake for 25 minutes or until well-risen and the tops of the cakes spring back when pressed lightly.

Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes then turn out, peel off the greaseproof paper and finish cooling on a wire rack.

For the buttercream, beat the icing sugar and butter together for three to five minutes until very light and fluffy. Turn the mixer to a low speed and add the milk, then beat until smooth.

Once the sponges have cooled, spread half the buttercream on top of one. Mix the sea salt into the caramel then pour three quarters of this on the buttercream and spread evenly. Sandwich the second sponge on top of the first and then top the cake with the remaining buttercream.

Finish with a crown of popcorn and a drizzle of the remaining salted caramel.