FOOD + DRINK
ON YOUR MARKS … GET SET … Bake! cont.
Dr. Oetker Chocolate and Salted Caramel Crunch Cake( 18)
Ingredients:
For the cake:
• 100g Dr. Oetker Fine Cooks’ extra dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 200g plain flour
• 1 1 / 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 / 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 40g Dr. Oetker fine dark cocoa powder, sifted
• 125g unsalted butter, plus extra to grease
• 150g caster sugar
• 150g light muscovado sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 125g natural yoghurt
For the salted caramel sauce and crunchy topping:
• 175g caster sugar
• 2 tbsp Dr. Oetker liquid glucose
• 150ml double cream
• 50g cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 100g cornflakes
• 1 / 2 tsp sea salt
• Dr. Oetker shimmer spray gold
For the buttercream:
• 50g Dr. Oetker Fine Cooks’ extra dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 150g unsalted butter, at room temp
• 1 / 2 tsp sea salt
• 500g icing sugar, sifted
• 2 tbsp Dr. Oetker fine dark cocoa powder
• 180g full-fat cream cheese
Method:
1. Heat the oven to 160 ° C( fan). Grease 2 x 20cm cake tins and line with baking parchment.
2. For the cake: put the chocolate in a bowl and heat in the microwave for around 30 seconds,( keep heating in short bursts if needed), then mix until just combined. In a jug mix 175ml of lukewarm water with the yoghurt, mix around a third of this into the melted chocolate. Once combined, mix in the rest until smooth. In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa powder.
3. Cream the butter and sugars until creamy and pale. Gradually beat in the eggs and then gently fold in the flour mixture. Gently fold the chocolate mixture into the cake batter. Divide between the cake tins, smooth the top then bake for 25-30 mins. Allow to cool for 20 mins in the tins then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. For the salted caramel sauce and crunchy topping: have a baking tray lined with baking parchment ready, then put the sugar, liquid glucose and 2 tbsp of water in a mediumheavy based saucepan over a low heat to melt. Do no stir the mixture; tilt the pan to help combine and if required use a wet pastry brush to help push down any undissolved sugar into the mixture. Meanwhile, put the cream in a separate small saucepan and set over a low heat until warm.
5. Turn up the heat to medium high and bubble the mixture until it’ s golden caramel coloured( 3-4 mins). Take off the heat then add 3-and-a-half tbsp of the cream. Once it stops bubbling, add the butter and mix until smooth. Carefully ladle a third of this mixture into the pan with the cream. Add the cornflakes to the caramel mixture in the larger pan and fold with a spatula until evenly coated, spoon into 6 large or 12 small rounds and place in the baking tray to set and cool( around 20 mins). Spray with the gold shimmer spray.
6. Put the pan with the salted caramel sauce back on the heat, add the salt and mix until smooth and glossy. Set aside to cool.
7. For the buttercream: pour 2 tbsp of boiling water over the dark chocolate, put in the microwave for a few seconds then mix until smooth before leaving to cool. Beat the butter and salt in a mixing bowl until soft, add the icing sugar and cocoa powder then beat until smooth. Mix in the melted chocolate then gently mix in the cream cheese.
8. To assemble: put one of the sponges on a serving plate, using a palette knife spread a layer of the buttercream over the top then set the other sponge on top. Spread the rest of the buttercream on top and on the sides of the cake in an even layer. Set the cornflake rounds on top of the cake around the edges then pour the salted caramel sauce into the middle and between the cornflake rounds.
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