Daring Bakers -November

This months Daring bakers challenge was hosted by Dolores, Alex (Brownie of the Blondie and Brownie duo and Jenny of Foray into Food and Natalie of Gluten-a-Go-Go. The recipe comes from Shuna Fish Lydon of Eggbeaters, her famous Caramel Cake with Caramelised butter frosting.
The recipe includes a caramel sauce that you then use to flavour the cake and frosting.
The cake was very good, I may have been a little heavy handed with the carmel though because the flavour was very strong.
When adding water to the hot caramel I wore a oven mit on one hand and held the lid of the pot over the pot with a gap just big enough to pour the water through.

CARAMEL CAKE WITH CARAMELIZED BUTTER FROSTING
180g unsalted butter at room temperature
280g granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 Cup Caramel Syrup (see recipe below)
2 each eggs, at room temperaturesplash vanilla extract
450g all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
250ml milk, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 180 C
Butter one tall (2 – 2.5 inch deep) 9-inch cake pan.
In a mixer, cream butter until smooth. Add sugar and salt & cream until light and fluffy.
Slowly pour room temperature caramel syrup into bowl. Scrape down bowl and increase speed. Add eggs/vanilla extract a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down bowl again, beat mixture until light and uniform.Sift flour and baking powder.
Turn mixer to lowest speed, and add one third of the dry ingredients. When incorporated, add half of the milk, a little at a time. Add another third of the dry ingredients, then the other half of the milk and finish with the dry ingredients
Take off mixer and, use a spatula to do a few last folds, making sure batter is uniform. Turn batter into prepared cake pan.Place cake pan on cookie sheet or 1/2 sheet pan. Set first timer for 30 minutes, rotate pan and set timer for another 15-20 minutes. Your own oven will set the pace. Bake until sides pull away from the pan and skewer inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool cake completely before icing it.
Cake will keep for three days outside of the refrigerator.

CARAMEL SYRUP
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup water (for "stopping" the caramelisation process)
In a small stainless steel saucepan, with tall sides, mix water and sugar until mixture feels like wet sand.
Brush down any stray sugar crystals with wet pastry brush.
Turn on heat to highest flame. Cook until smoking slightly: dark amber.
When colour is achieved, very carefully pour in one cup of water. Caramel will jump and sputter about! It is very dangerous, so have long sleeves on and be prepared to step back.
Whisk over medium heat until it has reduced slightly and feels sticky between two fingers.
{Obviously wait for it to cool on a spoon before touching it.}
Note: For safety reasons, have ready a bowl of ice water to plunge your hands into if any caramel should land on your skin.
CARAMELIZED BUTTER FROSTING
210g unsalted butter
450g confectioner’s sugar, sifted
4-6 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-4 tablespoons caramel syrup
Kosher or sea salt to taste
Cook butter until brown. Pour through a fine meshed sieve into a heatproof bowl, set aside to cool.Pour cooled brown butter into mixer bowl.
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, add confectioner's sugar a little at a time. When mixture looks too chunky to take any more, add a bit of cream and or caramel syrup.
Repeat until mixture looks smooth and all confectioner's sugar has been incorporated. Add salt to taste.
Note: Caramelized butter frosting will keep in fridge for up to a month.
To smooth out from cold, microwave a bit, then mix with paddle attachment until smooth and light