Salted Caramel Cake

The salted caramel cake is a delicious dessert that combines the sweetness of caramel with a pinch of salt that enhances the flavors. Here’s the recipe to prepare a salted caramel cake with an Italian touch.

Ingredients

• For the Sponge Cake:

  • 4 eggs
  • 120g of sugar
  • 120g of flour
  • 1 pinch of salt

• For the salted caramel:

  • 200g of granulated sugar
  • 90g of unsalted butter
  • 120ml of fresh cream
  • 1 teaspoon of coarse sea salt

• For the salted caramel buttercream:

  • 200g of soft butter
  • 250g of powdered sugar
  • 80ml of salted caramel (prepared beforehand)
  • 1 pinch of salt

Preparation

1. Start with the sponge cake base: preheat the oven to 180 °C. Separate the yolks from the whites. Whisk the yolks with half of the sugar until you have a light and foamy mixture. In a separate bowl, beat the whites to stiff peaks with a pinch of salt and slowly add the remaining sugar.

2. Gently fold the yolks into the whites, then sift and incorporate the flour, stirring with movements from the bottom up so as not to deflate the mixture. Pour the batter into a buttered and floured cake pan and bake in the oven for about 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.

3. While the sponge cake cools, prepare the salted caramel: in a saucepan, dissolve the sugar over medium heat, stirring continuously until it turns amber in color. Add the butter in pieces and stir until completely melted. Slowly pour in the hot cream and keep stirring. Be careful not to burn yourself, as the caramel may splash. Add the sea salt and mix well. Remove from the heat and let cool.

4. For the buttercream frosting, whip the soft butter until it becomes fluffy. Add the sifted powdered sugar and continue to whisk until you obtain a smooth cream. Incorporate the salted caramel and a pinch of salt, and mix until you have a homogeneous mixture.

5. Assemble the cake by cutting the sponge cake horizontally into two or three layers. Spread a layer of salted caramel buttercream on each layer and stack them. Cover the entire cake with a thin layer of cream and then decorate as you please with the remaining salted caramel.

Curiosity

The salted caramel cake is a classic example of how the addition of salt can intensify and balance the sweet flavor of caramel, creating a surprising taste contrast. The technique of adding salt to sweets is quite recent in pastry and has spread rapidly because of its ability to enhance flavors.

Italian variation: To add a more local touch, you could add a little liqueur to the buttercream, like Amaretto, for an almond-like note that marries wonderfully with the caramel.