The recipe I am sharing with you today is a great recipe for a family style cake that is excellent served for dessert with ice cream or with a hot drink or glasses of milk.
I adapted the recipe from one I found in this magazine from Food to Love, entitled Winter Warmers. I am not sure if I bought it this Winter or last Winter. All I can find as a date in it is the year 2019. I can't say if it was this year or last year.
I am thinking last year, as I don't really remember it. I did have quite a few corners of pages overturned in this one, so I thought I would look through it again and pick something to make. This is the first one I have actually cooked from it.
You will need an 8-inch round deep baking tin that you need to line with baking paper. I have big paper liners for my 8-inch cake tin which are like muffin tin liners. That's why there are lines on the edges of my cake. I figure for a family style cake, a casual cake, that's okay.
I was really pleased with the way the cake itself turned out. It rose well and has a lovely tender crumb and beautiful flavour.
I'm not sure about the icing however. It is really just like fudge. If I made it again, I would use a different icing. I think the icing for my Spanish Cake is a much better one. It is much softer and more like a butter cream, which I favour on cakes. I think fudge icing like this is much too dense and too sweet. But, that's just my opinion!
I found the icing for this one a bit too sweet and somewhat cloying. It also isn't all that attractive I don't think.
I sprinkled walnuts on it, but they didn't really do much and to be honest, I just didn't like the icing at all. Loved the cake however.
The cake I would definitely bake again, however next time I would put my brown sugar for the cake batter through a sieve to remove any lumps. My dark brown sugar had lumps in it and they just wouldn't beat out.
So sieve your brown sugar first! My tip for the day. I also think it would have been nicer had I taken it out of the oven about 5 minutes sooner. Mine was a tiny bit over-done I think, so start checking your cake 5 to 10 minutes before it is supposed to be done.
The cake itself is still very good, despite that. I do recommend the cake, just not the icing!
Yield: 10
Caramel Butter Cake
You will need a deep 8-inch round cake tin to bake the cake in. A fabulous caramel flavoured butter cake topped with a brown sugar fudge icing.
ingredients:
For the cake:
- 125g butter, softened (1/2 cup + 1 tsp)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 220g soft dark brown sugar (1 cup packed)
- 2 large free range eggs
- 1 TBS golden syrup
- 150g plain flour (1 cup + 1 1/4 TBS)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 75g self raising flour (1/2 cup + 2 tsp)
- 125ml whole milk (1/2 cup)
For the icing:
- 220g soft light brown sugar (1 cup packed)
- 60g butter (1/4 cup)
- 2 TBS whole milk
- 120g icing sugar, sifted (scant cup)
- 2 tsp whole milk, extra
instructions:
How to cook Caramel Butter Cake
- Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter an 8-inch round cake tin and line it with paper. Set aside.
- Cream the butter together with the vanilla and brown sugar in a small bowl until light and fluffy using an electric mixer. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then beat in the golden syrup.
- Whisk together both flours and the cinnamon. Add this to the creamed mixture along with the milk, stirring in until thoroughly combined. Spread batter in the prepared cake tin.
- Bake for 50 minutes until well risen and the top springs back when lightly touched. A toothpick inserted in the centre should come out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Measure the brown sugar, butter and first amount of milk for the icing in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the butter melts. Bring to the boil, then reduce and simmer (without stirring) for 3 minutes. Stir in the sifted icing sugar. Gradually add the extra milk until the icing is of spreadable consistency. Spread this icing on top of the cold cake.
NOTES:
If I made this again, I would sieve the brown sugar for the cake before using so that any lumps are removed.
I usually like to bake Todd a cake at the weekend, hoping that it will last for the week. One good thing about this kind of icing is that I can just lift it right ff and replace it with an icing I do love. (Yes it is that fudgy, more like candy.) See that brown sugar lump? Sieve, sieve, sieve.
Marie - I absolutely love your site, and your honesty!! Thank you for brightening everyones day with your recipes, your humor, your stories, and just being you! Marilyn L.
ReplyDeleteThanks very much Marilyn! You brightened my day! xoxo
DeleteMarie, your cake looks wonderful. I love a fudge icing but perhaps this one might be better on fudge squares? Your icing for the Spanish cake definitely looks better. {I just went and looked at it.} Yum, I'm about to enjoy a cup of coffee and this cake would be lovely with it! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI think it is very similar to the icing on my caramel squares Sandi, and yes much better there. The icing on my Spanish Cake is much more appropriate in my opinion! xoxo
DeleteThis is interesting, because I was immediately drawn to the brown icing. Though you may be right about the sweetness but I loved how it looked!
ReplyDeleteIt does look alright, but I found it to be too heavy and yes sweet. I hope you will try the cake with a different icing Jeanie. I think you would like it. xoxo
DeleteI too like fudge icing, any icing really. I cannot wait to make this cake and try your icing first and will make a second cake with fudge icing. Looks like it would freeze well.
ReplyDeletethanks so much.
You are welcome Coco. Let us know how you feel about the differences between the two! Thanks! xoxo
DeleteWhat is golden syrup? Is it maple syrup?
ReplyDeleteIt is a thick syrup like corn syrup, except golden syrup has a gold colour and distinct caramel like flavour. You can just use dark cornsyrup in its place Terri.
Delete