But hey , you can't have too much chocolate,right?So it had to be salted.
And salted Caramel tastes really amazing with a chocolate cake.
Not any salted Caramel sauce.
Mine...that was inspired by Top Chef masters Flyod Cardozo's take on a salted Caramel sauce.
So this butter cream is a little runnier than the regular. I added more sugar to one batch to make it stiff, but that takes away the caramel and je ne sais quoi flavor.So a long as you dont want to pipe roses and peonies and chrysanthamums with this frosting, you are good to go.
The cake is the one I used here. I've done the math for you already. So go ahead and bake and cool this cake.
While this cake cools ,pull out the butter and get the frosting ready.
For the
Salted Caramel Butter Cream Frosting
You need
3/4 cup or 170 gms butter-I use amul butter
3 cups sifted icing sugar
Drop copper colour-optional
Generous pinch sea salt
1/4 cup regular caster sugar
1/8 cup cream-I used Amul fresh cream
1/8 cup tamarind water
I soaked a lemon sized ball.of seedless tamarind in 3/4 cups of warm water. Squeezed and strained to get the liquid. You can also mix 1 tbsp tamarind paste with 1 tbsp water to get 1/8 cup tamarind water.
Adjusting the quantity is easy as we are g2g going to heat the sauce....
Start with placing the 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tbsp water in A sauce pan and allowing it to melt. In low heat, keep moving the pan, but dont stir. The sugar will melt into a clear solution,then begin to caramalise.
When the color turns a amber, keep the cream and tamarind water next to you. When the sugar gets the color of a dull copper pan, pop in the cream.
Allow it to sizzle. Keep rotating the gooey mix inside but its not time to use the spoon.
When you can see that most of the cream has amalgamated with the sugar , add the tamarind water.
Now stir.
Allow it to simmer and any sugar globule that may have formed.to.melt into the sauce for 6-7 minutes.
Place a few drops.on a cold plate, wait a minute or two and then taste.
You can add in some more tamarind and allow the liquid to reduce.
Add in the salt.
And now taste the same way.
Check the difference and improved flavors. A bit of tamarind heightens the taste and the salt just amplifie sthe experience.
Allow it to come.down to luke warm . It will thicken like honey. See the entire process here.
Place the soft butter in a large bowl and whisk with a paddle attachment or electric whisk till pale.
Add in 2 cups of the sugar 1/2 cup at a time. The now add the caramel sauce which should still be luke warm.
And whisk in.
Now add the remaining sugar.
If you feel the frosting is not caramel color enough, add a drop of Wilton Copper color.
You may feel that the frosting is runny.
Taste. If you feel it can take a little more sugar , add 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup more...
Any more sugar and it will become toooooo sweet.
Allow your frosting to sit in the fridge .
You'll find its totally workable after an hour.
Split the cake into two or three parts and layer between with the frosting.
Cover the top and sides with the frosting , using a spatula dipped .in hot water and wiped each time. As the frosting is cold ,it is a little difficult to work with in the beginning.
Chill the crumb coated cake fir atleast half hour.
For the melted chocolate glaze.
In a microwave proof glass, melt 50 gms dark chocolate and 25 mils cream over low heat.
Keep warm.
Bring out the crumb coated cake and reapply the salted caramel buttercream generously.
Smooth out and pop the remaining frosting into a piping bag fitted with Wilton 1M nozzle or any star nozzle.
Freeze tge cake for 15 minutes.
Placing the cake on your palm , gently tilt your hand and pour the now colder than luke warm frosting gently over the center. Tilt the cake allowing the chocolate to come to the edge.
You wont need too much of the chocolate. It'll set midway... dont use a knife to make it come to the edge... just pour a bit behind where the sauce just set.
Cool in the fridge.
Now bring out after 15 minutes and pipe rosettes or stars on the edge of the cake.
Dont pipe on warm chocolate...they'll slip off.
Chill atleast half hour.
And allow the cake to sit out of the fridge atleast 15 minutes before you serve it.
Again, dip a sharp knife in hot water, wipe with a tissue and slice the cake.
Every time.
Enjoy the cake.
This cake was for a special girl,Arya Sharma . I have this soft spot for girls... She has been through so many ailments, yet she has the courage to smile.
A lesser person would've broken by now.
Here's wishing her life is as amazing as a chocolate cake. Complex flavors ,smooth, satisfying and above all addictive.
So what are you baking today???
