Recipe: Chocolate Layer Cake with Salted Caramel Icing
In these lockdown days, when we are not having people dropping by or visiting us, smaller amounts of cake are needed. With this quantity, I made 2x 2lb loaf tins. You could ice them together, stacking for a tall celebration cake, but I froze one for another day and used all the icing for the other, cutting four thin layers and spreading them with the icing — absolutely delicious. The cake is moist and evenly textured with a finer crumb than a traditional sponge. It keeps well for a day or two due to the oil keeping it moist.
63ml sunflower oil
4 medium free range eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
187g golden caster sugar
100ml water
25g cocoa powder
150gr self-rising flour.
½ tsp salt
- Pre-heat the oven to 160C.
- Grease the base and sides of 2 x 2lb loaf tins and line the bases with a strip of parchment paper.
- In a large measuring jug or bowl, mix the oil, egg yolks, vanilla, sugar, water and cocoa.
- Whisk until smooth.
- Sift the flour and salt together. Set aside.
- Next whisk the egg whites until just stiff.
- Add the flour to the oil mixture, mix until smooth, and then fold in the beaten egg white, in two halves.
- Scrape the cake mix into the two tins, spread evenly then tap the tins on a flat surface to remove any large air bubbles.
- Bake in centre of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Once cooked, remove from the oven, allow to sit for five minutes then turn out onto a wire rack and peel off the parchment paper.
- Allow to cool completely before cutting horizontally into 3 or 4 layers.
125gr soft light brown sugar
75ml cream
70g butter
½ tsp. salt
- Cook the sugar and cream together on low heat until the sugar dissolves, then simmer gently, for up to two minutes, then remove from the heat and scrape into a clean container.
- Don’t be tempted to over- cook or you will end up with fudge.
- Once the caramel is completely cool, beat into the butter until smooth and fluffy, finally add the salt to taste.
- Spread all the icing between the layers of cake, stacking the cake up as you go.
- Once assembled, chill before covering with ganach (o
ptional).
100gr 53% chocolate
75ml cream
- Bring the cream to the boil in a small pot
- Pour onto the chocolate, allow to sit for a minute or two then stir well until smooth.
- Allow the chocolate to cool and thicken slightly.
- Then spread over the cake, allowing it to drizzle down over the sides, leave to set completely before slicing and serving.
