Caramello Cake

There's a great saying that I've recently come across - "You can do anything, but you can't do everything". It applies to me so well - I really do want to do everything. Well not line dancing or bungee jumping, but you know what I mean!

And it also applies so well to parties, particularly cooking for parties. While we all want to believe that we can make the perfect cake, cookies, snacks and nibblies from scratch, something's gotta give and shortcuts become a necessity.

So, when I wanted to make a Caramello Cake recently for my sister's birthday, I decided there was just too many elements to make from scratch and called on these two little champions.

Would you have ever known? Didn't think so!

The best thing is, you're not losing any taste whatsoever by using the ready made frosting or the caramel spread because they're both delicious. I've never made a rich chocolate icing any better that this Betty Crocker one. I use it for every chocolate cake I make. And we all know how I feel about making caramel!

The cakes were made from scratch for this one, but if you can find a good chocolate and caramel cake ready made, I won't be mad at you.

Caramello Cake

This cake is inspired by the chocolate bar, milk chocolate with oozing caramel. I only added the caramel on the top and middle layers, but feel free to add as much or as little as you like.

Ingredients

20cm round chocolate cake of your choice
20 cm round caramel cake of your choice
2 tubs of ready made chocolate frosting
1 tub ready made caramel spread
Sugar flowers for decoration

 

Instructions

1. Make (or buy!) a chocolate cake and a caramel cake. I used this chocolate cake and this caramel one. Mud cakes would work equally well.

2. Make sure cakes are completely cooled and even off the tops so that they are flat. Then, split each cake in half diagonally.

3. Dollop about a teaspoon of the frosting on a cake plate or stand and place one half of the chocolate cake on top to prevent it from sliding while you're decorating it.

3. Spread the chocolate cake layer with chocolate frosting, leaving about 1/2 cm around the edge for it to spread with adding the other layers.

4. Place one half of the caramel cake on top and spread it with chocolate frosting, also leaving 1/2cm border. Then, dollop 5-6 teaspoons of the caramel spread over the frosting.

5. Place the other half of the chocolate cake on top and spread it with the chocolate frosting, leaving a 1/2 cm border.

6. Finish building the cake by adding the final caramel layer on top, then cover the whole thing, top and sides, with chocolate frosting and place it in the fridge for the frosting to set slightly.

7. Once frosting has hardened a bit, remove the cake from the fridge and add another layer of frosting, filling in any holes or uneven bits that have surfaced.

8. Decorate the top of the cake by building up a circle of frosting about 2cm inside the edge of the cake, then filling in the centre of the circle with more of the caramel spread. Add flower decorations as you wish.

9. Refrigerate the cake to set the frosting, but it is best served after being out of the fridge for a little while to ensure that the caramel is soft and gooey and the chocolate frosting is fudgy.