Salted caramel malt cake recipe

This four-layered cake is an impressive crowd-pleaser if you’re having friends or family around for dinner, or you may want to practice making it now to get it perfect by the festive season. One thing is sure: the heavenly combination of sugar and salt is a taste fusion that few people can resist. Hence the never-ending reign of salted caramel. You’ll need quite a few cake tins for this tiered work of art (and a couple of hours blocked out in your schedule), but the taste is worth every minute you’ve spent creating it.

Ingredients (serves 8-10)   

260g butter, softened

260g, golden caster sugar

3 large eggs                                                    

260g self raising flour

2tsp baking powder

60g malted powder

60g Rachel’s Greek Style natural yoghurt

For the caramel butter cream

250g butter, softened

200g icing sugar

60g Rachel’s Greek Style natural yoghurt

90g Carnation caramel

A good pinch of sea salt flakes

For the topping

397g Carnation caramel

200ml double cream

For the peanut brittle

100g caster sugar

100g peanuts, salted

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
2. Line the bottom of four six inch cake pans (15cm diameter x 2cm height) and grease. Alternatively, use two six inch pans (15cm x 4cm height) and cut each cake in half.
3. Mix together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
5. Sift the flour with the baking powder and malt powder, and add to the batter. Add in the yoghurt and beat well.
6. Divide the batter equally between the cake tins and spread evenly.
7. Place the cake tins on each shelf of the oven for an even bake. Bake for 10 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake tins from the oven and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.
8. To make the butter cream, place the butter in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until soft and smooth, then add the icing sugar and continue to beat. Add the yoghurt on a slow speed and when mixed in thoroughly then add the caramel sauce and salt. On top mixing speed, whip the butter cream until light and airy.
9. To assemble the cake, divide the butter cream equally between each of the four layers and using a pallet knife, spread evenly to the edges of the cake. Once the layers are formed and put together, use the remaining butter cream to cover the outside of the cake including the top and sides. Ensure that the butter cream is smooth, and place the cake in the fridge to set and firm the layers.
10. Next, beat together the caramel and double cream until smooth. Remove the cake from the fridge and carefully, using a large spoon, flood the top of the cake with the caramel sauce, teasing the sauce down the sides of the cake with the back of the spoon.

To make the peanut brittle

Using a heavy-based, non-stick saucepan, place the caster sugar over a low heat and leave until it melts and bubbles.

1. Shake the pan a little as it starts to melt, and wait until the sugar starts to clump together, then goes a slightly silver colour, then it will begin to turn caramel in colour. Be sure to monitor is closely, it needs to be a deep, dark mahogany colour.
2. Add the peanuts to the melted caramel, then pour the mixture onto a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Leave alone (and out of reach) to cool.
3. Once cooled, it will have set as hard as rock. Break into shards with your hands and decorate your cake.