Caramel Mudcake with Caramel Ganache

Every year, for the last 10 years at least, I make my ’40 something’ sister a birthday cake. It’s only been since my kids were born that I’ve done it and it’s usually been a quick, throw together cake with a bit of plain icing, just for the sake of putting a candle in to blow for the amusement of the kids. This year I thought I’d do something a little more and opted for this Caramel Mudcake.

It’s based on this really easy recipe by Weekend Mummy and it was just what I needed to get in the oven before I picked the kids up from school. Trouble was, I didn’t read the whole recipe and it required over 2 hours cooking in a slow oven. Normally, I wouldn’t have minded but I had a million things on this particular day. Crisis averted. It eventually got baked but it was a little overcooked on the ends but still nice and moist inside like a mudcake should be. Its such an easy cake to mix together and very delicious.

I wasn’t sure what to top it with but I thought a caramel ganache would suit it best so found the best recipe here which consisted of white chocolate, cream and half a tin of caramel Top’N’Fill. It was easy to make and absolutely delicious and could be used for a million other uses. (Stay tuned for what I did with the other half of the tin of caramel and no, I didn’t eat it from the can although I was tempted!) I drizzled the top with a ‘little’ melted dark chocolate to finish.

The cake was received well, the kids got to blow out the birthday candle and my sister turned another year older with a few extra calories added on for good measure.

 

 

Mini Caramel Mudcake Cupcakes with Caramel Icing

What a day! You’d think the lead up to Mother’s Day would be pretty low key. No, not in this house. It started off with helping out in my daughter’s classroom, calling into the shops and electronic banking was down with my bank so a trip to the bank and a queue 20 deep. Then it was home to make some cupcakes for my daughter’s Girl Guides “Mother’s Day” afternoon tea and to attack the stench that was in my daughter’s room (refer previous post). Then it was back up to my daughter’s school church for a Mother’s Day Liturgy, a snake slithering past me while I waited to pick her up, ice the cupcakes, Guide’s afternoon tea and then a Mother’s Day craft evening at the local hardware store (Bunnings for the Aussies) and then home. Kids were asleep in about 5 minutes and I won’t be far behind them.

I don’t know why I went down the ‘caramel’ road. Maybe it had something to do with a friend of mine mentioning a caramel icing recipe she found. I get these thoughts in my mind and I can think of nothing else. (Don’t mention peanut butter to me. Oh damn it! Now I’ll have to have some.)

I found this recipe here for Caramel Mudcake Cupcakes and it was so damn easy. Just melt the butter, sugar, white chocolate etc etc. Mix into the flour and that was it.

The caramel icing was just as easy and the recipe is here. They went like ‘hotcakes’ at the Guide meeting and everyone raved about them. I think this might be a new favourite recipe and it is inevitable that it will no doubt be turned into a chocolate version (or peanut butter).

Caramel Mudcake Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting

3.5 oz (100g) white chocolate buttons
4.5 oz (125g) butter, chopped
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup golden syrup
2/3 cup milk
1 cup plain flour
1/3 cup self raising flour
1 egg, lightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 170 deg C. Combine the chocolate, butter, sugar, syrup and milk in a saucepan. Stir over a low heat until melted and combined. Allow to cool for about 15 mins. Sift the flours. Mix flours into the caramel mixture. Stir in the egg. Bake for 30 mins.

Caramel Icing:
125g butter, chopped
1 cup (200g) firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup (80ml) milk
1½ cups (240g) icing sugar mixture

Melt butter in small saucepan. Stir in brown sugar and milk; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 3 minutes, cool. Gradually stir in icing sugar until frosting is of spreadable consistency.

Note: I nearly always make mini sized cupcakes for kids as they usually only eat the icing and leave the cake.