Ombre Cake with salted caramel and almond flavour coffee

Another month, another trial and new cake on my plate. The recent craze about the ombre effect also affected me so decided to experiment with the colours and ingredients. As usual! It was not an easy cake to make – I think the only reason was that I only had one round tin and I used 5 different sponges. So five times 18 min – you get the picture. It took me all afternoon  but I think it was worth it. The cake’s effect is great – and the taste too.

Ingredients:

425g sifted self-rising flour

200g unsalted butter

250g icing sugar

6 large egg whites – beaten

275ml milk

1 ½ vanilla extract

4 tbsp cocoa powder

5 ½ instant coffee granules with almond flavour (you can use the plan coffee granules and add some almond flavouring)

½ black food colouring

Salted Caramel

150ml double cream

125g dulce de leche

1tsp sea salt

Whisk the cream to soft peaks, add dulce de leche and sea salt. Leave in fridge for 10 min.

Ganache

400ml double  cream

400gr dark chocolate, min 70% cocoa

Preparation

Break chocolate into small pieces. Heat double cream on fire until start boiling, then add to the chocolate. Leave for few minutes and then mix until you get smooth, tick ganache. Leave to cool.

Mix the butter and icing sugar until cream and pale. Slowly add white eggs, a little at the time. Add the butter into the flour, then add 150ml milk and vanilla extract. Divide the butter into five bowls (I measured as wanted that each layers weight the same).

First sponge – fold 25ml milk into the butter

Second sponge – fold 25ml milk and ½ tsp cocoa in a separate bowl and then add to the butter

Third sponge – fold 25ml milk, 1tsp of cocoa and 1tsp coffee granules in a separate bowl and then add to the butter

Forth sponge – fold 25ml milk, 1 ½ tsp cocoa and ½ tbsp. coffee granules in a separate bowl and then add to the butter

Fifth sponge – fold 25ml milk, 2tbsp cocoa powder, 1tbsp coffee granules and black food colouring in a separate bowl and then add to the butter.

Put each butter into a greased tin (if you have two that would be better, anything is better than one, however if you only have one do not worry – only patience is needed). Bake on 180C for 12 – 15 min. Once cooked – allow to cool for about 10 min and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Place the darkest sponge on the plate and generously cover with salted caramel. Add another darkest sponge and cover with ganache. Assemble cake by alternating between salted caramel and ganache. In the end cover the whole cake with ganache. Decorate with some golden sprinkles or however you like.

Enjoy

Miss J x

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• Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake (GF, of course!) (designedforcreativity.wordpress.com)
• Pink Ombre Strawberry Cake (coastallivingsa.wordpress.com)