Caramel Sauce

Someone had a birthday recently, and Mister Man and I invited her to choose her own birthday menu (including the birthday cake). After lengthy deliberation, she decided upon a traditional roast beast dinner with the Banana Chocolate Chip Cake from my favourite cake cookbook Sky High: Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes.

The cake was tasty, albeit challenging to slice and serve. In fact, we thought that it might be better as a Banana Chocolate Chip Trifle, so that we could do away with the slicing altogether!

The recipe called for a caramel sauce, but didn't have instructions for a homemade one. Of course I was reticent to use a bottled sauce from the grocery store, so I went to my SECOND favourite cookbook (the interwebs) and let my fingers do the walking.

It wasn't long before I came upon The Gourmet Warehouse website. This store is a local fave and features nifty cooking and baking apparatus as well as gourmet food items. (I could live in there - all hunkered down amidst the baking aisles.....sigh...) They also have a demonstration kitchen and a knowledgeable staff! The store is run by Caren McSherry, a local chef extraordinaire. The website ALSO features recipes, including THIS one for Perfect Caramel Sauce.

I have to tell you that not only is this perfect, it is easy! So today I'm going to share this recipe with you because who doesn't need a good caramel sauce recipe in their arsenal? (and the cake is too darn complex to get into at this busy time of year!!)

Perfect Caramel Sauce (a la Caren McSherry)

2 cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

2 Tbsp water

2 cups heavy cream at room temperature (35% butterfat)

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan or copper sugar boiler combine the sugar, lemon juice and water. Bring to a boil and continue to boil until the sugar begins to turn a light amber. At this point it darkens very fast, watch it carefully. The darker the colour gets the deeper the flavour becomes. Take care not to burn it. Slowly whisk in the cream, it will spit and spatter so be careful. Cool to room temperature, pour it on EVERYTHING.Will keep refrigerated for up to 10 days.

Cake! Glorious Cake! (Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake)

In the words of my people, "this cake is SOME good". It's everything you could want in a chocolate cake. It is chocolaty and moist, with a creamy filling. While it is a tad labour intensive to make, let me assure you that it is worth every second. I've made this a couple of times now (the first time was for Sarah's birthday). And then of course, it was the finishing touch on our American Thanksgiving dinner. It was did double duty as Andrew's birthday cake!

Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake

from Sky High Irresistible Layer Cakes by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne

2 ¼ cups all purpose flour

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 ¼ tsp baking soda

1 ¼ tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

½ tsp ground cinnamon

2 ½ ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 cup milk

1 ¼ cups hot, strongly brewed coffee

2 eggs

1 cup mayonnaise (not low fat or fat free)

1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

2 ¼ cups sugar

White chocolate mousse (recipe follows)

Sour cream chocolate icing (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottoms and sides of three 9 inch round cake pans. Line the base of each pan with parchment.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

Put the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Bring the milk to a simmer. Pour the hot coffee and milk over the chocolate. Let stand for a minute, then whisk until smooth. Let the mocha liquid cool slightly.

With a stand mixer, beat together the eggs, mayonnaise and vanilla until well blended. Gradually beat in the sugar. Add the dry ingredients and mocha liquid alternately in 2 or 3 additions, beating until smooth and well blended. Divide the batter among the 3 prepared pans.

Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the centre comes out almost clean. Let the cakes cool in their pans for 10-15 minutes before un-molding onto a wire rack and carefully peeling off the paper. Leave to cool completely.

White Chocolate Mousse Filling

4 ounces white chocolate, chopped

1 cup heavy cream

1 egg white

1 tbsp sugar

Melt the white chocolate with ¼ cup cream in a double boiler. Whisk until smooth. Remove from the heat and let the white chocolate cream cool to room temperature.

When it has cooled, beat the remaining ¾ cup cream until soft peaks form. In a clean bowl whip the egg white with the sugar until fairly stiff peaks form.

Fold the beaten egg white into the white chocolate cream, then fold in the whipped cream until blended. Be sure not to over mix.

Sour Cream Chocolate Icing

12 ounces bittersweet or semi sweet chocolate, chopped

1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter

2 tbsp light corn syrup

¼ cup half-and-half at room temperature

½ cup sour cream, at room temperature

Melt the chocolate with the butter and corn syrup in a double boiler over barly simmering water. Remove from the heat and whisk until smooth.

Whisk in the half-and-half and sour cream. Use while still soft.

To Assemble

Place one layer, flat side up, on a cake stand or serving plate. Cover the top evenly with half the white chocolate mousse, leaving a ¼ inch margin around the edge. Repeat with the second layer and the remaining mousse. Set the third layer on top and pour half the sour cream chocolate icing over the filled cake. Spread all over the sides and top. Don’t worry if some of the cake shows through. This first frosting is to seal in the crumbs, and is known as a crumb coat. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes.

After this time cover the cake with the rest of the icing, smoothing it down the sides. It should be the consistency of mayonnaise.

This photo was taken at Sarah's birthday last summer. I loved the candles that Morgan and Michelle brought! They made the cake incredibly festive. (This photo thanks to Terra P.!)