- 8
Ingredients
- for caramel syrup:
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup of water for stopping
- for cake:
- 14 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 3/4 cups light brown sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup caramel syrup (from above)
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- for assembly:
- the rest of the caramel syrup
- for glaze:
- 1.5 cups heavy cream
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Preparation
Step 1
Place the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, have the additional ½ cup water ready on the side. Boil the syrup, watching closely, until it turns dark amber. Remove the pan from the heat and add the remaining water to "stop" the caramel. Stir the mixture with a fork until it comes together, then set aside to cool to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 350 F, grease and flour 3 9-inch cake pans. In a bowl cream the butter until smooth, then cream in the brown sugar and salt until the mixture is light and fluffy. Stir in the caramel syrup. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla, until very smooth and combined. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Add the flour in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk, to make a smooth cake batter. Divide cake batter among prepared pans. Bake in the center of the oven (rotating pans halfway through), for 25 minutes, or until firm, golden, and the sides pull away from the edge of the pan. Set aside to cool.
(note - i use convection ovens so this was how long it took in mine. keep an eye and don’t overbake!)
On a cake plate, stack the cake layers, spreading 2 tablespoons maple syrup or caramel syrup between the layers so that they stick together. Press down firmly (at this point, the cake can be triple-wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to one month, or simply covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight).
Glaze cake: Combine cream, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt in a saucepan. Boil the mixture until it reaches 235 F, or soft-ball stage. Remove the pan from the heat and add the vanilla. Give the mixture several rapid stirs, then quickly pour it over the cake before the glaze hardens.