Chocolate and Macaron Salted Caramel Layered Cake
Salted caramel is a classic flavour, and mixed with chocolate and macarons makes an amazing cake that is well worth the time spent. Don’t let a little extra effort intimidate you; it’s easier than it looks!
When I made this cake, it had more than just a wow factor, it had the David Copperfield effect…. it disappeared
Chocolate and Macaron Salted Caramel Layered Cake
Author: The Chef
Ingredients
- For the cake:
- 350 g salted butter
- 400 g brown sugar
- 175 g dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp strong coffee
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 225 ml buttermilk
- 350 g plain flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 150 g ground almonds
- For the salted caramel:
- 250 g caster sugar
- 190 ml double cream
- 1 tsp Sea salt
- 6 tbsp water
- For the Icing:
- 1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out
- 160 g salted butter
- 200 g icing sugar, sifted
- For macarons:
- 150g Almond meal, sifted
- 150g icing sugar, sifted
- 60g egg whites
- 300g Caster sugar
- 75g water
- 120g egg whites
Method
- For the cake: Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan and grease and line the bases of three 20cm round sandwich tins.
- Cream the butter and sugar together. Place the chocolate in a bowl and pour over 180ml just boiled water. Stir well until the chocolate has melted and leave to cool completely.
- Mix the coffee and vanilla extract to the beaten eggs and gradually add this mixture to the creamed butter and sugar, whisking. Add a little flour if it begins to curdle.
- Fold the melted chocolate and buttermilk through the mix and, when it’s incorporated, fold through the flour, baking powder and ground almonds.
- Divide the mixture between the tins and bake for 25 minutes or until the cake springs back when touched.
- Leave to cool for a couple of minutes in the tin before turning out on to a wire rack.
- Macaron Shells: Mix the almond meal and icing sugar with the 60g egg whites, mixing vigorously until you have a smooth paste.
- Mix the caster sugar, water in a medium saucepan and place on the stove over medium heat.
- Place the 120g egg whites in a mixing bowl and begin to whisk until they reach ‘soft peak’ consistency.
- When the sugar reaches 118°C remove from the stove and pour slowly with the still mixing egg whites.
- Turn the speed to maximum for around 1min and return to medium for another 2min and then let the meringue cool to around 50°C whilst mixing slowly.
- Once cooled, reserve ½ the meringue mix for icing and using a spatula commence incorporating the other ½ of meringue into the almond meal, icing sugar and egg white batter. Work the mix gently from the sides to the middle until you reach a homogenous, shiny texture.
- Using a plastic piping bag with round tip, pipe the shells onto a baking sheet, making small rounds as even as possible.(you may want to make a template on a piece of paper and use it under the baking paper)
- You should stop piping before the mix reaches the outside edge of the tray.
- Tap the tray gently on the side of the bench to release any air bubbles.
- (If you used one remove the template from beneath your baking sheet.)
- Leave the macarons outside at room temperature for 15 min or until they have formed a skin and are dry to touch.
- Cook the macarons at 150C oven for 30 minutes.
- Once cooked, slide the baking paper off the tray and let the shells cool (preferably on a wire rack).
- For the Salted Caramel: Place the sugar with 6 tablespoons of water in a high-sided saucepan. Cook on high until the sugar melts and turns into an amber coloured caramel. Remove from the heat immediately and add the cream; be careful as it will rise and splutter. Continue to stir and add 1 teaspoon salt. Leave the mixture to cool completely.
- Butter Icing: Cream the butter and icing sugar together until pale and fluffy - this will take at least 5 minutes using an electric whisk. Continue whisking and add half the cold caramel mix.
- Construction: When the cakes are completely cool, spread a little less than a third of the buttercream over one sponge, drizzle with caramel sauce then place the second cake on top and repeat.
- Place the final cake on top and spread with a thick layer of meringue.
- Pipe the rest of the meringue around the rim of the cake.
- Place macarons around the cake sides,
- Finely drizzle over the remaining caramel, allowing it to trickle down the sides.
