Adventures in Caramel

Let's talk about my relationship with food. We are in love. Like a pubescent boy pining for Susie-Q's pigtails, I find my mind constantly occupied with thoughts of bubbling cheese, sizzling bacon, or the batter purposely left behind on the spoon. I love planning, making, talking about, and eating food. Whether it be deep fried, baked, broiled, raw-cuisine, grilled, or straight out of the container from the fridge: I want it. I am not stretching the truth one bit when I say the television in my basement stays set to the Food Network 85% of its waking hours. My family? More than likely going insane after 6+ years of my amateur foodie obsession. It seems that each conversation with me eventually turns to food. My dad says I'm always thinking about my next meal; it's the truth. Even while eating, I find myself fantasizing about what I could possibly concoct next.

This blog has been under construction for awhile (in my head, at least). Everyone who knows me for more than 5 minutes has heard of this'supposed' blog I am attempting to craft. Well here you go! Finally, I have a substantial number of recipes ready to be posted.

Guess what?

I felt like baking today.

Baking with caramel.

In order to kill time at my boyfriend's house, I found myself sifting through past Daring Bakers challenges and I could not close the tab labeled 'Caramel Cake'. I could not stop gawking at others' successes on FoodGawker. While some may scoff at the overwhelming possibility of "too much sugar," it only intrigued me more. You don't like caramel? We have a problem.

The original recipe can be found at Bay Area Bites; but I changed some things....

Caramel Cake with Brown Butter-Cream Cheese Frosting

10 Tablespoons UNSALTED BUTTER (room temp)
1 1/4 Cups SUGAR 
1/2 Teaspoon KOSHER SALT 
1/3 Cup CARAMEL SYRUP*
2  EGGS (room temp) 
Splash VANILLA EXTRACT 
2 Cups AP FLOUR 
1/2 Teaspoon BAKING POWDER 
1 Cup MILK (room temp)

*recipe follows

Preheat oven to 350

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth.

Add sugar and salt; cream well until light and fluffy.

Slowly incorporate sugar syrup* (make sure it is room temperature!)

Scrape down the bowl and increase speed.
Add eggs and vanilla extract a little at a time, allowing each addition to be fully incorporated.

Sift flour and baking powder together. Reduce mixer to lowest speed and add 1/3 of the dry ingredients.

When incorporated, add half of the milk, followed by another third of the dry ingredients.

Add the remainder of the milk and dry ingredients. This is the dry-wet-dry-wet-dry method.

When batter is uniform, pour into a well-buttered 9" cake pan.

Bake for 50 minutes, rotating the cake midway through.

Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

12 Tablespoons UNSALTED BUTTER

CONFECTIONER'S SUGAR

4-6 Tablespoons MILK

2 Teaspoons VANILLA EXTRACT

KOSHER SALT (to taste)

8 oz. CREAM CHEESE

Cook butter in sauce pan until brown.

When butter is cooled, add to stand mixer bowl with paddle attachment.

Incorporate a little confectioner's sugar at a time, until the butter cannot hold any more dry ingredients.

Add cream cheese, whip until smooth.

Caramel Syrup

2 Cups SUGAR

1/2 Cup WATER

1 Cup WATER

In a small stainless saucepan with tall sides, mix 1/2 cup water and sugar until combined (like wet sand).

Turn on heat to HIGH.

Cook sugar mixture until it turns amber in color and begins smoking slightly.

When desired color is attained, carefully add the remaining cup of water. This step is very frightening. Watch out! The caramel jumps up and tries to escape the saucepan! I already have a bacon grease scar, I did not wish to add a sugar syrup scar to my arm.

Continue to whisk over medium heat until the mixture thickens and becomes sticky.

CARAMEL CAKE!