Salted Caramel Carrot Poke Cake Recipes

SALTED CARAMEL POKE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160 fan/gas mark 4 and line 2 x 20cm sandwich cake tins. In a bowl or freestanding mixer, cream the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until the whole mixture is really aerated (if your mixture looks like it might be splitting, add a little of your flour). Add the vanilla, then mix in the flour and baking powder, alternating with the milk. Divide the mixture between the tins and cook for 25-30 minutes or until the top and edges are golden brown and a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in tins for 10 minutes before flipping onto a wire cooling rack and peeling off the baking parchment. Allow to cool.
• Make the salted caramel sauce by heating the sugar in a medium saucepan over a low to medium heat. Resist the temptation to stir. Instead, when it starts to melt, gently swirl the pan. Cook until amber in colour - this will take 5-6 mins. Remove from the heat and add all the butter. The mixture will bubble up, but let it melt completely before stirring. Slowly pour in the cream and add the sea salt, put back on a gentle heat and warm until it's a smooth sauce. Pour into a jug and leave to cool to room temperature.
• To make the cream cheese caramel icing: cream the butter with a freestanding mixer or in a bowl until light and creamy, slowly adding in half of the sifted icing sugar in parts until fully incorporated and fluffy. Add the cream cheese, 100g of the salted caramel sauce and the remaining icing sugar, then whisk until pale and smooth. Keep in the fridge until needed.
• Once the cakes are cooled, move them to a flat surface and use a large skewer or thick straw to poke holes across the top of the cakes, being careful not to poke all the way through! Drizzle most of the remaining caramel sauce (reserving some for decoration) into the holes in the cake layers, topping up as they sink in, then spread any overspill across the cake layer. Leave to cool completely.
• To assemble, carefully place one layer onto a serving plate and cover with half of the cream cheese frosting. Repeat with the next layer, then use the remaining caramel to create a marbled pattern on top of the cake.

CARROT CAKE WITH SALTED CARAMEL-CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Grease bottoms and sides of four 8-inch round cake pans with shortening.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, milk, melted butter, eggs, cinnamon and nutmeg with electric mixer on medium speed 2 minutes. Stir in carrots and pecans. Spoon and spread batter evenly in pans (about 1 1/4 cups batter each).
• Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack; cool completely, about 1 hour.
• In large bowl, beat cream cheese and softened butter with electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth. Beat in 1/4 cup caramel sauce and the vanilla. On low speed, beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until smooth and creamy.
• Frost cake using 2/3 cup between layers. Frost sides with a thin layer of frosting so sides are covered but still showing through. Spread remaining frosting on top. Refrigerate uncovered at least 2 hours.
• When ready to serve, carefully pour and spread 1/3 cup caramel sauce over top of cake, allowing some to drip down sides; sprinkle sea salt on top. Cover and refrigerate any remaining cake.

CARAMEL CAKE (SALTED CARAMEL CAKE)

Steps:

• Place sugar and water into a medium pot, stir to combine, but to not stir from this point forward. Cook over high heat, washing down the sides of the pot with a pastry brush dipped in water as needed to prevent crystals.
• Cook until desired color of caramel is reached (amber) and immediately remove from heat. Very slowly pour in (room temperature) heavy cream while whisking quickly. The mixture will bubble up (a lot) and boil. Add (room temperature) butter, return to heat, and bring back to a boil. Simmer for 2 minutes whisking constantly.
• If you want to make this a salted caramel, add your salt at this point. Whisk it in (start with less than you think you'll need), dip a spoon into the caramel, let it cool, taste it, add more salt as needed.
• Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature (about 2 hours). Transfer to a container and place in fridge to thicken.*
• Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour three 6" cake rounds, line with parchment.
• In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer combine butter and sugar. Beat on med-high until pale and fluffy (2-3 mins). Add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla and caramel and mix until incorporated.
• Alternate adding flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk). Fully incorporating after each addition.
• Spread batter evenly into prepared pans and bake for 35-40 mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
• Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.
• Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.**
• Place bowl over a pot with 1-2" of simmering water and whisk constantly until the mixture is hot and no longer grainy to the touch or reads 160F on a candy thermometer (about 3mins)
• Place bowl on your stand mixer and whip on med-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl is no longer warm to the touch (approx. 5-10mins)).
• Switch to paddle attachment. Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth.
• Add cooled caramel and whip until smooth.*** Add additional salt if desired if making a salted caramel buttercream.
• Trim cake layers slightly. Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Top with 1-2 Tbsp cooled caramel. Spread evenly pressing into the cake layers so the cake absorbs the sauce. Top with 2/3 cup of frosting, spread evenly. Repeat with remaining layers.
• Frost and smooth the outside with a thin crumb coat. Chill for 20mins.
• Frost and smooth the outside of the cake, generously frosting the sides specifically. Smooth with an icing smoother. Use a cake comb on the sides of the cake. Repeat, scraping off more frosting each time, until smooth.
• Using a small spoon, place dollops of caramel around the top edges of the cooled cake, allowing some to drip down.****
• Fill in the top of the cake with more caramel and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Pipe rosette dollops using a 1M tip with remainder of frosting.

CARAMEL CARROT CAKE POKE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
• Combine cake ingredients except for sweetened condensed milk and mix until combined. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes.
• Let the cake cool completely in the pan. Once the cake has cooled, use a skewer to poke holes all over the cake.
• Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the top of the cake and let sit for at least 1 hour up to overnight.
• Once the cake has set, whip together the frosting ingredients until light and fluffy in a large bowl with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, evenly spread the frosting over the cake.
• Pour the Caramel Sauce over the frosting and top it with chopped pecans. Slice and serve. Store leftover cake covered in plastic wrap or aluminum foil in the fridge for up to 2 days.

SALTED CARAMEL-CARROT POKE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil, eggs, cinnamon and nutmeg with electric mixer on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in carrots. Pour into pan.
• Bake 26 to 33 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove cake from oven to cooling rack. Immediately poke holes using fork over top of cake, wiping fork tines occasionally with paper towel to reduce sticking.
• While cake is still warm, evenly pour and gently spread 3/4 cup caramel sauce over cake, working back and forth to fill holes. Rap pan on counter several times to help caramel sauce flow down holes. Refrigerate 2 hours.
• When ready to serve, in large bowl, beat cream cheese and softened butter with electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth. On low speed, beat in vanilla and powdered sugar until frosting is smooth and creamy. Drop frosting by spoonfuls; spread evenly on top of cake. Drizzle 2 tablespoons caramel sauce over top.
• Cut into 4 rows by 3 rows. Sprinkle with sea salt, if desired. Cover and store remaining cake in refrigerator.

SALTED CARAMEL APPLE POKE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• For the cake: Whisk the applesauce, brown sugar, melted butter, sour cream, eggs and vanilla together in a large bowl until smooth. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and kosher salt to the bowl and whisk until just combined. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Leave the cake in the pan to cool completely, about 2 hours.
• Once the cake is cool, use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke 25 holes in the cake (5 rows of 5 holes each). Press 2 to 3 apple pieces into each hole; reserve the remaining pieces for garnish. Pour and spread the caramel sauce over the cake and let it stand 10 minutes to sink into the holes and be absorbed by the cake. Sprinkle with the flaky salt.
• Meanwhile, for the cinnamon buttercream: Beat the butter, confectioners' sugar, cinnamon and salt together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth. Add the cream and vanilla and continue beating until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Dollop the frosting on top of the cake, then use a small offset spatula to spread it evenly. Garnish with the remaining apple chunks, a drizzle of caramel sauce and another sprinkle of flaky salt.