candy bowl

I'm sure that many of you have been curious about the title of this recipe for Caramel Cake . Looking at the photos, you will also have your appetite whetted. And no wonder! Virginia, from Sweet&Sour, has left us caramelized with this recipe that comes from far away, typical of Madeira, to be explained with all the love and detail, as well as she knows how to do.

I don't know if the same thing happens to you, but in my case, every summer they come back with me in my suitcase, along with a ton of memories and lots of photographs, a few ingredients that I can't easily find in nearby markets, but also some recipes and lots of inspiration.

The Caramel Cake I bring you today is not exactly a recipe that came with me in my suitcase, but it did arrive in my daughter's, after her trip to Madeira this summer. She knows that the best gift for her mom is anything that has to do with gastronomy.

This is a caramel cake that has the peculiarity that part of the sugar that we incorporate into the dough is in the form of caramel , which gives it an intense caramel flavour. But also, to make it more luxurious, we cover it with a toffee-like topping with nuts . Will you tell me if it is a special cake or not? One of those sweets that will make you a hit at any gathering. And be careful, it also has an autumnal feel, thanks to the fresh nuts in the topping.

I have prepared it using my Le Creuset Skillet, one of the most versatile in the kitchen, because it can be used to prepare savoury dishes on the stove as well as these baked sweets, and best of all, it goes directly from the oven to the table, with that presentation with a rustic touch but with the utmost care.

Ingredients (For 8 servings)

For the Caramel Sponge Cake Base:

• 84 g butter at room temperature
• 200 g brown sugar
• 266 g of sifted self-rising flour or sponge cake flour*
• 2 "L" eggs at room temperature (yolks and whites separated)
• 200 ml of milk
• 83 g white sugar
• A pinch of salt

*You can replace the self-rising or cake flour by mixing 3 teaspoons of baking powder for every 6 cups of cake flour.

For the caramel and walnut topping:

• 450 g white sugar
• 125 g butter
• 150 ml of milk
• 175 g fresh walnuts, coarsely chopped

Preparation

1. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, make a caramel with the 83 gr. of white sugar. Once you have obtained the caramel, remove it from the heat and add the warm milk, mixing well until all the caramel dissolves in the milk. You may need to heat it a little to help this dissolution. Set aside until it has cooled down.
2. Preheat the oven to 180oC, heat from above and below.
3. In a large bowl, beat the butter with the brown sugar until you get a fluffy and homogeneous mixture. I usually do it with my Kitchen Aid , so if you have one it will be very easy. All you have to do is attach the paddle attachment and beat at speed 2 for a few minutes, until the butter takes on a whiter colour and becomes fluffy. We will do the rest of the process with the paddle attachment and at speed 2 as well.
4. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition until incorporated. Next, add the sifted flour and the reserved caramelized milk, alternately and in three additions, always finishing with the flour. Be careful not to over-beat once you add the flour, just enough to combine. Otherwise, you will end up with a gummy cake.
5. In a small, clean bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff with a pinch of salt. In this case, if you have a Kitchen Aid , with a clean bowl and replacing the paddle with the balloon attachment, beat them, starting at the lowest speed until they foam, and then at speed 2-4-6 until they are stiff. Once our egg whites are ready, add them to the mixture with circular movements.
6. Grease your Le Creuset Skillet and pour the batter inside. Level and bake at medium height for about 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Meanwhile, prepare the topping. In a wide-based pan, make a caramel with the sugar. Once you have obtained the caramel, add the butter and milk, mixing well until the caramel has combined with the butter and milk to form a thick, creamy cream. Finally, add the roughly chopped walnuts, mix and allow the walnuts to become coated with the “toffee”. Set aside.
8. When our cake is cooked, we take it out of the oven and place our Le Creuset Skillet on a rack. Using a knitting needle or a skewer, we make holes all over the surface. We pour 2/3 of the hot icing over the cake, reserving the rest in the heat. The icing will penetrate all those holes and flood the cake. We let it rest for a few minutes.

We serve our hot caramel cake with a scoop of ice cream, red fruits and the rest of the hot caramel sauce in a saucepan for a more intense taste. Another option instead of serving it with ice cream, and which is how I like it best, is with a quenelle of creme fraiche, which is the ideal counterpoint to the strong sweetness of the caramel. Absolutely delicious. A cake that will be a hit, I assure you.