Moist and sweet yellow snack cake with caramel sauce. Talk of self control?
I know I have self control, I do. I am disciplined. The first time I made this yellow snack cake with caramel made me question this ‘self control’ I have.
The cake is a simple one made with regular ingredients; butter or margarine, sugar, flour, baking soda and powder and buttermilk. Butter milk makes it rich and super moist and I am loving it in baked goods. The flavours of the cake are almond and vanilla. These two with the caramel makes it heavenly!
The caramel is made with evaporated milk, sugar and butter. Just throw it into the saucepan, leave to cook, stir occassionaly till it thickens and coats the back of a spoon. It is an easy but delicate process, be watchful so it does not burn. Do not attempt tasting the sauce. You will keep going back for more.
Almond + vanilla + caramel = pure joy
- ½ cup/ 113g butter or margarine
- ½ cup/ 100g granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups/ 180g pastry/ all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup/ 120 ml butter milk
- 1 teaspoon almond vanilla essence/extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond essence/extract
- 1/4 cup/ 57g butter/ margarine
- 1 cup/ 240ml evaporated milk
- 1/2cup/ 100g sugar
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Put all the ingredients into saucepan under medium heat and mix together till sugar dissolves. Leave to simmer gently.
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As it is cooking, the butter or margarine settles to the top. This is followed by the solution bubbling up and small white clumps will form. It forms large bubbles thus a big saucepan is essential in cooking the caramel.
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Stir occasionally and let simmer till it changes colour, the sauce thickens and easy coats the back of the spoon. Have cold water on hand and put the saucepan in the cold water to stop the caramel from cooking further.
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Preheat an oven to 180˚C or 350˚F. Line a 9 by 9 square pan with baking paper and set aside. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together.
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With a hand mixer, stand mixer or a wooden ladle, beat butter or margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, butter milk, vanilla and almond extract or essence. If using mixer, reduce the speed to low and mix in flour. Mix till just blended. Do not over mix.
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Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in a preheated oven at 180˚C or 350˚C for twenty six to thirty minutes or until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean. Do not over bake, check early. You can pour the caramel on top after cooling and serve from the pan or cut the cake into individual slices and drizzle with caramel just before serving.
The caramel together with the cake is rich and sweet. If you prefer a lightly sweet cake, you can reduce the sugar to 1/3 cup. The cake can be kept at room temperature for two days, refrigerated for five days and frozen for 3 months. The caramel sauce can be kept in the fridge for five days and freezer for 3 months. Thaw the cake and pour caramel on top before serving.
Inspired by Jocelyn’s (Grand baby cakes) Real deal caramel cake which we love and have being making every Christmas since it was first published on her site. It is the real deal! The caramel sauce is adapted from her’s.
Check out the other cake in my world Chewy coconut candy AKA kube cake 
Or this rustic Ghanaian colours inspired Pound cake