Filipino Caramel Cake -AFF Philippines~ Pinoy Bakes

After a week of simple cakes.. this week, we indulge in more indulgent ones.

Caramel cake is quite a common thing. But in Philippines, they have a version of their own that uses evaporated milk.

One of the most famous Caramel cakes in Philippines is from Estrel's.

I made this cake in  a large tray, instead of a round cake because I wanted to skimp on the baking time, hehehehe.

Coating the cake really needs practise and I need more of it. I trimmed the cake way too much, haha.
When it was fresh from assembly... I didn't quite enjoy the cake... but I quite liked it after aged for a day or more.

I have a thing for caramel.... the American type of caramel, buttery, fragrant, sickly sweet and indulgent that I will eat in moderation.
I think I need to eat many more slices of this to acquire a thing for it, somehow it lacks the addictive qualities that I will find in other caramel bakes like Upside Down Apple Sponge, and Pecan Sticky Buns.

Filipino Caramel Cake

Reference: Heart of Mary

Vanilla Chiffon Cake

Yolk batter
150 cake flour sifted with 1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
70gm sugar
65ml corn/canola oil
4 egg yolks, from extra large eggs
80ml water
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Meringue
4 eggwhites
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
50gm white sugar

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Prepare an 8 inch round pan (3inch height), UNGREASED or a LINED large baking tray (11X17)
2. Prepare yolk batter. Mix yolks with salt and sugar, then add in oil. Stir until smooth. Add in water and vanilla extract and then mix in the sifted flour. Stir until smooth. Set aside.
3. In a clean bowl, beat egg whites on high speed until frothy. Add in cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks. Gradually add in the sugar {D} and beat until stiff peaks are formed.
4. Fold in egg whites into egg yolk mixture in 3 additions. Pour batter into prepared pans
4. Bake the round pan 55 minutes or 20 mins for the tray, or until top springs back when lightly touched. Invert pan into wire rack immediately and cool completely. If using tray, just lift the cake with paper, peel down the sides and let it cool down on a wire rack.
5. To release cake from round pan, use a plastic knife and run it to release the sides. For the cake in the baking tray, scrape off the top brown layer of cake crust.
6. To assemble,

Round cake: slice cake to 2 or 3 layers. Sandwich each layer with some caramel icing. Pour remaining caramel over the top and let it drip down. Wait for it to cool down and clean the sides. Decorate with buttercream when cake has totally cooled down.

Large tray: Cut cake into 4 pieces, and sandwich each layer with caramel icing. When all 4 pieces are stacked, put the cake into the freezer for 10 minutes. Remove from freezer and trim the sides to look nice and neat. Pour remaining caramel over the top and let it drip down. Wait for it to cool down and clean the sides. Decorate with buttercream when cake has totally cooled down.

*Buttercream used in this cake is Swiss Meringue Buttercream, you can find the recipe here. Or use any other type of buttercream you prefer.



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Caramel Icing

2 egg yolks
40+40gm sugar
50ml +300ml evaporated milk
1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
70ml water
60gm butter, cubed
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Whisk the eggyolks with 40gm sugar. Mix with 50ml evaporated milk and cornstarch. When all is smooth, set aside.
2. In a heavy saucepan, over low to medium heat, caramelize the remaining 40gm sugar. When sugar is completely melted and a golden brown colour, add water. Bring back to a boil, making sure all the caramel is melted.
3. Add in 300ml evaporated milk Heat the caramel mixture until it starts to boil.
4. Pour 1/4 of the hot caramel/milk mixture into the eggyolk mixture to temper the eggs. Mix until smooth. Pour this back into the remaining caramel/milk mixture in the saucepan.
5. Cook the caramel mixture until it reaches a consistency of cream soup. Turn off the fire, add in butter and vanilla extract.
6. Let the caramel icing cool down slightly and the mixture will thicken more. Pour onto cake while still very warm and runny. If you poured when it's too hot, it won't stay put. If you poured when it's too cool, it won't be smooth

The stages of the caramel 

When the bubbling seems to increase in activity.. that's the time to stop.

How to assemble the cake

I am submitting this to Asian Food Fest Philippines Month, 

hosted by Swee San of The Sweet Spot