Caramel Filled Caramel Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

I had the pleasure of making cupcakes for our friends/neighbor's son's third birthday.  I love when people request cupcakes above and beyond vanilla and chocolate, they're so much fun to make and eat.  I'm all about tasty cupcake fillings, and what better filling for caramel cupcakes than more caramel.  Seriously, can you ever have too much caramel?

I had some trouble finding an actual recipe for caramel cake, most of the cakes just use brown sugar instead of white, or a mixture.  Finally I found this recipe from Shuna fish Lydon which uses a caramel syrup in the batter.  The cake didn't have the strongest caramel flavor and would have been completely overpowered by the chocolate frosting, so the filling definitely added to the caramel deliciousness.  I used a standard chocolate frosting recipe, and it came out nice and fluffy, perfect for piping.  Some colored sprinkles were a must for this sweet boy's birthday celebration!

Caramel Cake
from Shuna fish Lydon
(adapted to make cupcakes)
 
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup caramel syrup (recipe follows)
2  large eggs, room temperature
splash vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line 24 muffin tins with cupcake liners.  Sift together flour and baking powder.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth.
Add sugar and salt & cream until light and fluffy.  Slowly pour room temperature caramel syrup into bowl.  Scrape down bowl and increase speed. Add eggs/vanilla extract a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down bowl again, beat mixture until light and uniform.

Turn mixer to lowest speed, and add one third of the dry ingredients. When incorporated, add half of the milk, a little at a time.  Add another third of the dry ingredients, then the other half of the milk and finish with the dries.

Take off mixer and by hand, use a spatula to do a few last folds. making sure batter is uniform.
Fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 of the way full.  I actually found the recipe made about 18 cupcakes per batch, but you could probably fill the tins a bit less full and get more.  Bake for approximately 22 minutes.  Let cool for about 5 minutes and then remove cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.


Caramel Syrup

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup water for "stopping"

In a small stainless steel saucepan, with tall sides, mix water and sugar until mixture feels like wet sand.  Brush down any stray sugar crystals with wet pastry brush.  Turn heat on high.  Cook until smoking slightly: dark amber.

When color is achieved, very carefully pour in one cup of water. Caramel will jump and sputter, it is very dangerous, so have long sleeves on and prepared to step back.  Whisk over medium heat until it has reduced slightly (about 5 minutes).

Caramel Sauce for Filling
from Martha Stewart

2 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup water
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon salt (if you like salted caramel increase this to at least 1 1/2 teaspoons)

Heat sugar with the water and corn syrup in a heavy saucepan over high, stirring occasionally, until syrup is clear; clip a candy thermometer to side of pan and stop stirring.

Cook until syrup comes to a boil, washing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush as needed. Boil, gently swirling pan occasionally, until mixture is caramelized and just reaches 360°F. Remove from heat and slowly pour in cream; stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in sea salt.

Use immediately; if caramel begins to harden reheat gently until pourable.

Chocolate Frosting

2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
6 tablespoons butter, softened to room temp
5 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, sift together the confectioners' sugar and cocoa, and set aside.
In a large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth, then gradually beat in sugar mixture alternately with whipping cream. Blend in vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. 

Assembly

To finish, use a paring knife to cut a cone-shaped piece (about 1/2 inch deep) from the center of each cupcake and throw away the pieces (or eat them). Spoon 1 to 2 teaspoons warm Salted Caramel Filling into each hollowed-out cupcake. You will notice the caramel will sink into the cupcake a little, just fill it up a bit more.  Make sure the caramel is completely cool before you pipe over your frosting or it will probably start to melt your frosting.

Use a pastry bag with a medium open-star tip and pipe chocolate frosting onto each cupcake, swirling tip and releasing as you pull up to form a peak. Garnish each cupcake with a pinch of sea salt. Cupcakes are best eaten the day they are filled and frosted. Store at room temperature in airtight containers - do NOT refrigerate.

Linked to:
Sweets for a Saturday
Sweet Indulgences Sunday

Turtle Layer Cake

Pin It

 Sometimes you're just in the mood for cake. Well, I'm always in the mood for cake, but last weekend I was also in the mood for caramel and chocolate. And so I made a turtle cake.

I read on a blog that baking super thin cake layers reduces the dome that often occurs, but that definitely wasn't true for this recipe. Instead of having two domed cakes to trim I had four. Not a huge deal since I snacked on the scraps until dessert, but it took extra time since I only two pans of each size. I also used some leftover salted caramel for the caramel drizzle, which my husband said was a bit much.  I actually liked it but I'm a total salt addict so you may want to adapt according to your taste.  I also used salted pecan pieces so that might have something to do with it.

I was really pleased with the flavor of this cake, the buttercream is like silk but it absolutely must be at room temp when served.  There is a boatload of butter in it (3 sticks!) and if it is even a little cold it hardens up. 

Turtle Layer Cake
Makes 4 layer 6-inch round cake

1 recipe chocolate cake, recipe below
1 recipe caramel buttercream, recipe below
1 recipe salted caramel sauce, recipe below
1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans, can be salted or not depending on your preference

For the cake layers:
Chocolate Cake
from allrecipes.com
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 cup butter
1 cup water
5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter two 6 inch round pans.  Cut parchment to fit into the bottoms and butter the parchment.  Dust with flour and tap out the excess.
Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Beat in the sour cream and eggs. Set aside. Melt the butter on low in a saucepan, add the water and 5 tablespoons cocoa. Bring mixture to a boil then remove from heat. Allow to cool slightly, then stir cocoa mixture into the egg mixture, mixing until blended.
Pour batter into prepared pans . Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Let cool for about 10-15 minutes and then run a small knife around the side to unmold.  Turn out onto a rack and cool completely.  Once it is cool use a long serrated knife to cut each layer in half, giving you four layers.  If the tops have domed trim them so they are relatively flat.

For the caramel buttercream:
From Martha Stewart

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup heavy cream
12 ounces (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
4 large egg whites, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Bring 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar and the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Wash sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Cook, undisturbed, until caramel is dark amber. Remove from heat, and slowly add cream, stirring with a wooden spoon until smooth. Let cool.
Beat butter with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
Place whites and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a heatproof mixer bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Whisk until sugar dissolves and mixture registers 160 degrees on a candy thermometer.
Remove from heat, and attach bowl to a mixer. Whisk on medium speed for 5 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high, and whisk until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 6 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, and add beaten butter, cup at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in vanilla.

Switch to paddle attachment. With mixer on low speed, add caramel, and beat until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes.

For the caramel sauce:
From David Lebovitz

Rich Caramel Sauce
slightly adapted from David Lebovitz 

1/2 cup unsalted or salted butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon Fleur de Sel

In a large saucepan or a Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat.  Add the sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar begins to caramelize, then turns dark amber in colour and begins to foam a bit (it should smell and look like it's just on the verge of burning).  Remove from heat and slowly and carefully add in the cream (the mixture will bubble vigorously), whisking constantly until all of the cream is added.

Return the pan to med-low heat and stir until the sauce is smooth, about 1 minute.(this took about 5 minutes for me).  Then stir in vanilla and salt. 

Remove from the heat and allow to cool, then taste, and add more salt, if desired.

Assemble the Cake:
Place the first cake layer on a plate or cake round.  Place pieces of parchment underneath the cake so when you're frosting you don't have to worry about getting the plate covered in frosting, just pull out the parchment when you're done.

Put about 1/4 cup frosting on the first cake layer and smooth with an offset spatula.  Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of chopped toasted pecans over the layer.  Then drizzle with caramel sauce.  Repeat for the next two layers.  Once you've put the last layer on top, do a crumb coating if you have time.  This is basically putting a very thin layer of frosting on to seal in any stray crumbs from your final buttercream coating.  With buttercream frosting I like to stick the cake in the fridge for at least 1/2 hour to firm up the crumb coat.  Then slather on the rest of the frosting.  I bought a frosting smoother from Ateco, you just dip it in hot water, shake off the excess, and it smooths the frosting quite nicely.  A bench scraper also works.

Top with more pecans and a final drizzle of caramel sauce.  Enjoy!!

Linked to:
Sweets for a Saturday

Whole Grain Caramel Rum Bars

I knew these would be trouble.  I bought a bag of caramel pieces with no recipe in particular in mind.  I started hunting through my many cookbooks and found this recipe in King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking book.  Unfortunately the recipe used less than half of the bag so I ended up eating the rest which wasn't what I had in mind when I bought them.  Oops?  

Back to the recipe!  I loved these bars.  They were very easy to make, and the rum flavor was heavenly.  I would add more chocolate chips next time since they seemed a little sparse, but otherwise these were fantastic.

Whole Grain Caramel Rum Bars
from King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking

Crust

1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp orange juice
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Filling

2/3 cup caramel (from a block) or 21 individual candies
2 Tbsp milk
2 Tbsp rum
2/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Topping

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch square pan.

To prepare the crust: Whisk the oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Add in the orange juice and melted butter, stirring till thoroughly combined.

Measure out 1 3/4 cups of the crust mixture and spread it in the prepared pan, gently patting it down. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then remove it from the oven and set it aside to cool while preparing the filling.

To prepare the filling: Melt the caramel, milk and rum in a small saucepan, stirring constantly until smooth. Pour the thinned caramel mixture evenly over the baked crust. Sprinkle with the almonds, then spread the remaining crust mixture over the almonds.

Return the pan to the oven and bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle them with the chocolate chips. Let cool until chocolate has solidified before cutting.

Linked to:
Sweet Treats Party
This Chick Cooks Link Party 
Sweets for a Saturday 
Sweet Indulgences Sunday

Milky Way Tart

Yum.  Way better than a milky way chocolate bar for sure.  I would liken this more to a coffee crisp bar minus the wafers since I don't think there is any coffee in a Milky Way, but it's a lovely name don't you think?  I got this recipe from my Flour cookbook, and it is simply heavenly.

This tart is fairly simple to make, just know that most of the components require quite a bit of resting time in the fridge, so this really isn't something you can throw together in a couple hours.  The tart starts with a Pâte Sucrée tart shell, which is crisp, slightly sweet, and thoroughly delicious.  Top that with rich caramel sauce, then comes the glorious milk chocolate coffee whipped cream,  then more caramel and finally milk chocolate shavings.  Mmmmm.

These pictures were taken only moments before I dropped the leftovers all over my chair.  Tragic, but lesson learned: tarts belong on plates, not cake pedestals.

 

Milky Way Tart
from Flour

Ingredients

For the milk chocolate mousse

5 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
2 cups (1 pint) heavy cream
2 teaspoons instant coffee powder
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

 

For the caramel filling

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup water
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the tart

1 baked and cooled 10-inch Pâte Sucrée tart shell
3- to 4-inch slab milk chocolate, at warm room temperature, for decorating

Pâte Sucrée Recipe

1/2 cup (1 stick/114 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 8 pieces
1/4 cup (50 grams) sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (140 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 egg yolk

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar, and salt on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until pale and light. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the flour and beat on low speed for about 30 seconds, or until the flour mixes with the butter-sugar mixture. The mixture will look like wet sand. Add the egg yolk and continue to mix on low speed for about 30 seconds, or until the dough comes together.

  Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour. (At this point, the dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. If frozen, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before using.)

If making a pie shell, have ready a 9-inch pie pan dish. If making a tart shell, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place a 10-inch tart ring on top. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let soften at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Using a rolling pin, bang and flatten the dough into a disk about 1/2 inch thick. Flour the work surface, and then sprinkle the dough disk with a little flour. Roll out the dough into a circle 10 to 11 inches in diameter and about 1/4 inch thick for a 9-inch pie shell, or about 12 inches in diameter and just under 1/4 inch thick for a 10-inch tart shell. Make sure the work surface is well floured so the dough doesn’t stick to it, and make sure the disk itself is floured well enough to keep the rolling pin from sticking to it. Roll from the center of the disk outward, and gently rotate the disk a quarter turn after each roll to ensure the disk is evenly stretched into a nice circle. Don’t worry if the dough breaks a bit, especially toward the edges. You can easily patch any tears once you have lined the pan.

Roll the dough circle around the pin and then unfurl it on top of the 9-inch pie pan or the 10-inch tart ring. Press the dough well into the bottom and sides of the pan or ring, and use any scraps or odd pieces to patch up any tears or missing bits. Make sure the entire interior is well covered with dough, and then press one last time all the way around to ensure any holes have been patched. Trim the edge of the dough so it is even with the rim of the pan or ring.

Refrigerate the pastry shell for at least 30 minutes. The gluten needs a little time to relax so the pastry doesn’t shrink in the oven. (The pastry shell can be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 1 day or frozen for up to 2 weeks. Bake directly from the refrigerator or freezer.)

Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool to room temperature on a wire rack. If you are making a tart shell, remove the tart ring. Proceed as directed in individual recipes.

Make the mousse

Place the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. In a medium saucepan, combine the cream and instant coffee powder and heat over medium-high heat until the mixture is scalded, which means when bubbles start to form around the edge of the pan but the cream is not boiling.

Immediately pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate and let stand for about 1 minute. Then whisk gently until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a small container, stir in the salt, cover tightly, and refrigerate until it is absolutely, completely chilled, at least 8 hours and up to 3 days. A few hours is not enough. (Because the cream has been heated, it will not whip properly unless it is very cold.)

Make the caramel filling

Place the sugar in the bottom of a medium saucepan and slowly pour in the water. Stir gently to moisten the sugar. If any sugar crystals are clinging to the sides of the pan, brush them down with a pastry brush dipped in water. Place the pan over medium-high heat and leave it undisturbed until the mixture comes to a rolling boil. (You want to avoid crystallization of the syrup, which can happen if the pan is disturbed before the sugar starts to color.) Then continue to boil rapidly without moving the pan until the sugar syrup starts to caramelize. This will take 3 to 4 minutes: the sugar syrup will boil furiously; then as it thickens, it will boil more languidly; and then you will see some of the syrup starting to color and darken around the edge of the pan.

When you see color in the pan, gently swirl it in a circular motion so the sugar caramelizes evenly. The syrup will start to turn golden brown, and then as you swirl the pan, the syrup will continue to get a bit darker and then darker still. To check the true color of the caramel, tilt the pan so you can see the syrup covering the bottom. This is the actual color of the caramel, and you want to keep cooking the caramel until this layer is a deep amber-brown. It takes just seconds for caramel to go from great to burnt, so be sure to tilt and check constantly.

As soon as the caramel is ready, slowly add the cream and then reduce the heat to low. Be careful. The steam that rises when the cream hits the caramel is extremely hot. Let the caramel and cream sputter for a few seconds until the mixture settles down, and then whisk to mix in the cream. Turn the heat up to medium and whisk together the caramel and cream (the mixture will have hardened a bit) for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they come together. Whisk in the butter, salt, and vanilla. Remove from the heat, pour into an airtight heatproof container, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 1 week.

Assemble the tart

 Place the tart shell on a flat plate. Spread about three-fourths of the caramel filling evenly in the bottom of the tart shell. Using a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment or a hand-held mixer or a whisk, whip the mousse on medium speed until it holds soft peaks. Mound the mousse in the tart shell, and spread it evenly over the caramel filling. Drizzle the remaining one-fourth caramel filling in a crisscross pattern on top of the mousse. Using the back of a small knife or a vegetable peeler, shave curls from the milk chocolate slab. (Make sure the chocolate is slightly warm, or you will get splinters instead of curls.) Decorate the tart with the curls. Refrigerate the tart for at least 30 minutes before serving. (The tart can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours.)

Linked to:
Sweets for a Saturday 
Sweet Indulgences Sunday 
Melt in Your Mouth Monday 
Sweet Treats Party 
This Chick Cooks Link Party 

Turtle Bars

I wanted to make something a little more for the adults at my son's recent 3rd birthday party.  I had been eyeing the heartland turtle bars recipe in my Baked Explorations book, and thought they sounded like the perfect thing to make.  I have made turtle squares in the past with a recipe using boxed cake mix and caramel candies, and it always has gotten rave reviews so I thought I would try this from scratch recipe which also has the added heartiness of an oatmeal crust.

These were pretty delicious, although my one complaint is definitely not enough caramel.  I found the caramel to be quite runny and just sort of mixed in with the crust.  Great flavor but not that shot of pure caramel delight I was hoping for.  Next time I will use my favorite caramel recipe instead, it's a bit thicker and quite salty.  Otherwise I loved the buttery oatmeal crust and the rich chocolate center.  I must sound like a broken record, but use good quality chocolate chips, it makes a huge difference in the taste!

Photo by Jamie Lacey Photography

Heartland Turtle Squares
from Baked Explorations


For the Oatmeal Base and Topping:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 3/4 cup rolled oats
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
1 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the Caramel Filling:
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Make the Bar Topping and Base:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and butter the bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch glass or lightly colored metal baking dish. Line pan with parchment paper so that the paper overhangs the pan on two sides.  Butter the parchment.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda.   Use your hands to rub in the brown sugar.  Stir in the oats until evenly combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the melted butter, stirring until combined. Lightly press about 2/3 of the oat mixture into the bottom of the pan and bake for 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven to cool on a wire rack for a bit, leaving the oven on. Sprinkle the chopped pecans and chocolate chips over the cooled crust.

Make the Caramel Filling:
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt together the butter and light brown sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil and allow it to boil for one minute, stirring constantly. After 1 minute, remove the pan from the heat and quickly whisk in the cream, then pour the caramel evenly over the pecans and chocolate chips.  Use an offset spatula to evenly distribute the caramel.  Sprinkle the remaining oatmeal mixture over the top and bake for 10-12 minutes further or until the top is golden brown.

Let bars cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then place the pan in the fridge and chill for 1 hour to firm up.  Cut and serve.

These bars will keep, covered tightly, at room temperature, for about 3 days.

Linked to:
Sweet Tooth Friday
Sweets for a Saturday
Sweet Indulgences Sunday
Melt in Your Mouth Monday

Southern Caramel Cake for a Sweet Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!  My own amazing mother is many miles away in Canada, but I got to spend this Mother's Day with my awesome sister, my husband, and my kids.  I love any excuse to bake a cake, and so I asked my sister what she would like for this special day.  We both love caramel, so I found this delectable recipe in my new Cook's Country Blue Ribbon Desserts book from Costco (amazing, buy it if you can!).

This cake is very easy to make.  The cake layers are a buttermilk yellow cake.  It was moist and tender with a light vanilla flavor.  But the crown jewel is the caramel frosting.  It is so freaking good.  It's more like fudge than frosting, and has a grainy sugary texture with a rich caramel flavor.  The one thing that is difficult is frosting the cake.  This frosting hardens really fast, like I barely got the cake frosted before it started sticking to my spatula at which time crumbs started to stick to it.  So get everything ready to go and frost at top speed.  You can always microwave the frosting for a few seconds if it does harden on you too quickly.

We enjoyed this cake thouroughly on this day to celebrate motherhood. 

Southern Caramel Cake
from Cook's Country

Cake
1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups (11/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c ups (10 1/2 ounces granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
16 TB ( 2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces and softened

Frosting
12 TB (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened
2 cups packed (14 ounces) dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups (10 ounces) confectioners sugar, sifted
 
For The Cake:

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position ans heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two
9- inch round cake pans. Whisk the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla in a large measuring cup. In a large bowl, mix the flour granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Beat in the butter, 1 piece at a time, until only pea-size pieces remain. Pour in half of the buttermilk mixture and beat at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Slowly add the remaining buttermilk, mixture to the bowl and beat until incorporated, about 15 seconds.

Scrape equal amounts of batter into the prepared pans and bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. cool the cake in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks.  Let cool completely, at least 1 hour.

For The Frosting:

Heat 8 TB of the butter, brown sugar, and salt in a large saucepan over medium heat until small bubbles appear around the perimeter of the pan, 4 to 8 minutes. whisk in the cream and cook until a ring of bubbles reappears, about 1 minute. Off the heat, whisk in the vanilla.  Transfer the hot frosting mixture to a bowl and, with an electric mixer on low speed, gradually mix in the confectioners sugar until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium and beat until the frosting is pale brown and just warm, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining 4 TB butter, 1 piece at a time, and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

To Assemble:

Place 1 cake round on a platter. spread 3/4 cup of the frosting over the cake, then top with the second
cake round. spread the remaining frosting evenly over the top and sides of the cake. Serve.

Note:  the cooled frosting stays soft and spreadable longer than most recipes, but will harden over time.
If frosting begins to stiffen, microwave it for about 10 seconds ( or until it returns to a spreadable consistency).

Linked to:
Melt in your mouth monday
Sweets for a Saturday
Sweet Indulgence Sunday 
Sweet Tooth Friday 
A Baker's Themed Sunday

Sweet and Salty Brownies

These might just be the best brownies I have ever eaten.  They are intensely chocolatey, super gooey, and have glorious salty caramel baked into the center.  If you like sweet and salty you must make these.  Seriously.  They were very good a little warm from the oven (you're supposed to wait until they're completely cool before serving, but come on), they were delightful the next day when they became even more chewy, and they were simply heavenly cooled in the fridge a few days later, rich and fudgy.

These made a rather huge batch of brownies, a 9 X 13 pan is needed.  I thought I would send these to my husband's work or share with the neighbors but I can't stop eating these and I want them all to myself (ok, I did end up sharing a few).  These probably have about 1000 calories per bite, but when something tastes this good who cares.

I used David Lebovitz's caramel sauce (slightly adapted with more salt) since I had some in the fridge, but otherwise made the recipe as is.  I know I sound like a broken record, but make sure you use good quality dark chocolate, it makes all the difference!

Sweet & Salty Brownie
from Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented

Rich Caramel Sauce
slightly adapted from David Lebovitz 

1/2 cup unsalted or salted butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon Fleur de Sel

In a large saucepan or a Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat.  Add the sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar begins to caramelize, then turns dark amber in colour and begins to foam a bit (it should smell and look like it's just on the verge of burning).  Remove from heat and slowly and carefully add in the cream (the mixture will bubble vigorously), whisking constantly until all of the cream is added.

Return the pan to med-low heat and stir until the sauce is smooth, about 1 minute.(this took about 5 minutes for me).  Then stir in vanilla and salt. 

Remove from the heat and allow to cool, then taste, and add more salt, if desired.

Brownie:
1 1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons dark cocoa powder
11 oz. quality dark chocolate (60-72%), coarsely chopped
2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
5 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla

Topping:
1 and 1/2 tsp fleur de sel
1 tsp coarse sugar

For the brownie, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Butter the sides and bottom of a glass or light colored metal 9 x 13 inch pan. Line the bottom with a sheet of parchment paper, and butter the parchment.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and cocoa powder.
Place the chocolate and butter in the bowl of the double boiler set over a pan of simmering water, and stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and combined. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water of the double boiler, and add both sugars. Whisk until completely combined and remove the bowl from the pan. The mixture should be at room temperature at this point.
Add three eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined. Add the remaining two eggs and whisk until just combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not overbeat the batter at this stage, or your brownies will be cakey.
Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate. Using a spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until there is a just a trace amount of the flour mixture visible.
To assemble the brownie, pour half of the brownie mixture into the pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Drizzle about 3/4 cup of the caramel sauce over the brownie layer in a zigzag pattern, taking care to make sure the caramel does not come in contact with the edges of the pan or it will burn. Use your offset spatula to spread the caramel evenly across the brownie layer. In heaping spoonfuls, scoop the rest of the brownie batter over the caramel layer. Smooth the brownie batter gently to cover the caramel layer.
Bake the brownies for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, and check to make sure the brownies are completely done by sticking a toothpick into the center of the pan. The brownies are done when the toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Remove the brownies from the oven and sprinkle with an extra 1 1/2 teaspoons Fleur de Sel and 1 teaspoon coarse sugar.
Cool the brownies completely before cutting and serving. Store wrapped tightly in plastic wrap for up to 4 days.

Linked to:
Sweet Tooth Friday
Sweets for a Saturday  
Melt in Your Mouth Monday

Caramel Toffee Pecan Icebox Cream Pie

I have been craving a cream pie for weeks and was determined to make one last weekend, but I just couldn't find one in my recipe books.  Then I discovered that cream pies are often called icebox pies (is that an American thing?).  Ahhhh.

I made this caramel toffee pecan icebox pie from The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook.  O. M. G.  Talk about decadent.  The crust is a shortbread base with plenty of toasted pecans, and the filling.  Sweet lord, the filling.  It's vanilla caramels, cream, cream cheese, and whipped cream.  All this topped with pecans and chopped Heath (Skor) bars.  If you're on a diet run away from this post as fast as you can.

If you have an immediate craving for cream pie, know that you're supposed to refrigerate this over night.  I did not (quelle surprise).  I made it in the morning and served it in the evening and it was perfectly firm.

Caramel Toffee Pecan Icebox Pie
from Magnolia Bakery

Crust:
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup chopped toasted pecans
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and cut into small pieces

Filling:
12 ounces vanilla caramels (I used Kraft, sold in 14 oz bags so I get to eat the leftover 2 oz)
3 tablespoons heavy cream
3/4 pound (one and a half 8-ounce packages) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks

Garnish:
1/3 cup chopped Heath Bars (or Skor Bars for the Canadians)
1/3 cup chopped toasted pecans

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. 
To make crust: In a medium size bowl, combine flour, sugar, and pecans.  Using a pastry blender, blend in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Press into bottom of a 9-inch pie dish.  Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly golden.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temp, about 45 minutes.
To make the filling: in a medium size saucepan over low heat, melt caramels with the 3 tablespoons of cream, stirring occasionally until smooth.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temp, about 30 minutes.
In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Add the cooled caramel and beat well.
In a separate bowl, beat the 3/4 cup of heavy cream until stiff peaks form.  Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until well blended and no streaks of cream remain.  Spoon the filling into the cooled crust.
To garnish, sprinkle Heath bar pieces and pecans around the edge of the pie.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight in the fridge before serving.

Linked to Sweet Tooth Friday
 Sweets for a Saturday
 Melt in Your Mouth Monday

Salted Caramel Sauce

If chocolate is the love of my life than caramel is a close second.  Caramel sauce is divine on everything from ice cream, to brownies, to pancakes.  I made Magnolia's caramel sauce a few month's back, and it was tasty, but missing something.  That something was salt.  

Today I made David Lebovitz's rich salty caramel sauce, and it is truly a delight.  I could probably eat the entire batch with a spoon, but I won't.  Not all of it anyways.  Caramel sauce is super easy to make, it just takes correct timing.  You want the butter/sugar mixture to be very browned but not burnt, and that can happen very quickly so you need to keep close watch.  I upped the salt to 1/4 teaspoon, and would probably use 1/2 teaspoon next time.  I adore salty and sweet combinations.

Rich Caramel Sauce

from  David Lebovitz

1/2 cup unsalted or salted butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt, or more to taste.

In a large saucepan or a Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat.  Add the sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar begins to caramelize, then turns dark amber in colour and begins to foam a bit (it should smell and look like it's just on the verge of burning).  Remove from heat and slowly and carefully add in the cream (the mixture will bubble vigorously), whisking constantly until all of the cream is added.

Return the pan to med-low heat and stir until the sauce is smooth, about 1 minute.(this took about 5 minutes for me).  Then stir in vanilla and salt. 

Remove from the heat and allow to cool, then taste, and add more salt, if desired..

The caramel can be stored for up to two weeks in the refrigerator. Rewarm before serving.

Linked to: Sweet for a Saturday #3