An even better birthday cake

I know this picture is awful, and I promise to get better at taking pictures with my iPhone. But this is how you know a cake is good - when it's completely demolished within 15 minutes. :) I do have to say that this was my most successful crumb cake so far - I loved it - and everyone else did too.

I won't say too much about it, except:
1) salted caramel + dark chocolate together are divine, and
2) I have no future as a frosting piper.

Step One: Chocolate cake layers being spread and drizzled with homemade salted caramel and fleur de sel

Step Two: Chocolate & Salted Caramel Ganache being spread on salted caramel soaked chocolate cake layers

Repeat, build, and frost entire cake. Doesn't it look gorgeous?

Turn beautiful cake into kindergarden-looking art project.


But boy, was it yummy. I would make it again in a heartbeat. I halved the original recipe from the 'Baked' cookbook, as in Baked bakery in Brooklyn - because personally, three layers of cake is just too much for me - and it wouldn't fit in the cake box I bought... but it's your call. Martha Stewart has the non-halved recipe on her site. This cake is a lot of work (I started a little past 10pm and was up until 2am finishing it!) - but TOTALLY worth it. Highly recommended.

Sweet and Salty Cake – Halved Recipe
Adapted From Baked: New Frontiers In Baking

Makes one 8-inch 2-layer cake

3/8 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup sour cream
1 1/3 cups cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/8 cup (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pans
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
2 medium eggs
1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla
1/4 cup Caramel with Salt
Whipped Caramel Ganache Icing
Fleur de sel, for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter three 8-by-2-inch round cake pans. Line each pan with a parchment paper round, butter parchment paper and flour; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together cocoa, a little over a half a cup of hot water, and sour cream; set aside to cool, about 10 minutes.

3. In another large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and shortening together until smooth and it appears to create strings inside the bowl, about 7 minutes. Add both sugars and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 7 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until well incorporated. Add vanilla, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, and mix again for 30 seconds. Add flour mixture alternating with cocoa mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

5. Divide batter evenly among the three prepared pans. Bake until cake is just firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 18 to 24 minutes. Let cool completely. I would actually chill the cakes, before frosting, in the freezer for about an hour - so that your frosting job/assembly job is easier. Believe me, the crumb layer is less fussy that way. In fact, you may not need to do a crumb layer and just assemble/frost the cake in one step.

6. Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes to make level. Place four strips of parchment paper around perimeter of a serving plate or lazy Susan. Place the first layer on the cake plate. Using about 1/4 cup of the caramel, spread a thin layer on the cake, allowing some of the caramel to soak into the cake. Follow the caramel layer with a layer of about 1 cup of the ganache icing. Place the second layer on top and repeat process with another layer of caramel followed by a layer of ganache icing. Place the remaining layer on top of the second layer bottom side up. Spread entire cake with remaining ganache icing. Sprinkle with fleur de sel.

Caramel With Salt – Halved Recipe

1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel
1/8 cup sour cream

Directions

1. Combine 1/8 cup water, sugar, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan; stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the mixture reaches 350 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in another small saucepan, mix together cream and salt. Bring cream to a boil and cook until salt has dissolved, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. When the caramel mixture has reached 350 degrees, remove from heat and allow to cool for 1 minute. Carefully add the hot cream to the caramel; stir to combine. Whisk in sour cream. Cool, and store in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 3 days.


Whipped Caramel Ganache Icing – Halved Recipe
Makes enough for one 8-inch 2-layer cake

1/2 pound dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces, softened but still cool

Directions

1. Combine 1/8 cup water, sugar, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan; stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the mixture reaches 350 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes.

2. In another small saucepan add cream and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. When the caramel mixture has reached 350 degrees, remove from heat and allow to rest for 1 minute. Add the hot cream to the caramel; stir to combine. Let cool 5 minutes. Place chocolate in the bowl of an electric mixer and pour caramel sauce over chocolate. Let sit 1 minute before stirring from the center until chocolate is melted.

4. Attach bowl to electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low until the bowl feels cool to the touch. Add butter and increase speed to medium-high until mixture is well combined, thickened, and slightly whipped, about 2 minutes.

5. Cool the ganache for 20 minutes or so before frosting the cake for easier frosting.