Salted Caramel and Chocolate Fudge Birthday Cake

My sister made me such an awesome birthday cake. It was really yummy. The cake was lovely and soft almost like a brownie texture and the icing was just scrumptious. I really wish I'd taken a picture of the whole cake as she had decorated it with chocolate stars and flakes. If you're looking for birthday cake ideas, this is definitely the one!

Salted Caramel and Chocolate Fudge Birthday Cake

(from Lavender and Lovage)

 

140g crème fraiche
125g unsalted butter
200g soft dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs
170g plain flour
50g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder

 

For the salted caramel buttercream icing

125g salted butter
2 drops vanilla extract
250g golden icing sugar
1/2 jar (190g) confiture de lait/dulce de leche

 

For the filling

1/2 jar (190g) confiture de lait/dulce de leche

 

Preheat the oven to 180C and grease and line two 20cm sandwich cake tins.

Put all of the chocolate fudge cake ingredients into a large mixing bowl and beat well for 3 to 4 mins with an electric whisk, or for 5 to 6 mins by hand until the batter is smooth and fluffy.

Spoon the mixture into the  cake tins and level the tops with the back of a spoon, leaving a slight dip in the middle of the cakes so they rise evenly. Bake for about 25 to 30 mins, or until the cakes are well risen and are shrinking away from the sides of the cake tins. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tins for about 10 mins, before removing them from the tins and cooling completely on wire racks.

To make the salted caramel buttercream icing, put the icing sugar, butter and vanilla extract into a bowl and whisk until light and fluffy, for about 2 to 3 mins, Then add the confiture de lait (dulce de leche) bit by bit, whisking well after each spoonful, check the flavour and add some extra salt if you want it slightly saltier. Set to one side to firm up.

Once the cakes are cold, cut each cake into half, and then place one of the cake halves onto a serving platter or cake stand. Spread some of the confiture de lait (dulce de leche) over the cake and then add some salted caramel buttercream icing, and repeat for all the layers until the top cake has been added, Using a palette knife, swirl the remaining buttercream all over the cake, tops and sides and then decorate.