Hannah Obee's Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake

Total Time: 1 hr 55 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 10 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 115 g salted butter, plus extra for greasing (4 1/8 oz)
• 225 g chocolate (70% cocoa - 7 7/8 oz)
• 150 ml milk (5 1/8 oz)
• 225 g muscovado sugar (7 7/8 oz)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, separated
• 150 ml creme fraiche (5 1/8 oz)
• 225 g self-raising flour (7 7/8 oz)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon sea salt, crystals
• 450 g caster sugar (1 lb)
• 2 tablespoons golden syrup
• 115 g salted butter (4 1/8 oz)
• 125 ml double cream (4 1/4 oz)
• 2 tablespoons creme fraiche
• 225 g chocolate (70-80% cocoa solids - 7 7/8 oz)
• 250 ml double cream (8 1/2 oz)
• 2 teaspoons sea salt, crystals to taste

Recipe

• 1 first make the caramel:.
• 2 pour 100ml (3/8 cup) water into large saucepan.
• 3 add the sugar and golden syrup, gently cook until melted, then turn up the heat a bit and cook until the caramel is a dark goldenbrown colour.
• 4 swirl the pan occasionally to prevent sticking but do not stir.
• 5 turn off the heat and carefully whisk in the butter, double cream and creme fraiche - it will bubble up quite high! (be careful).
• 6 whisk until smooth, then leave to cool until slightly set.
• 7 *you can make this up to 3 days in advance and chill in the fridge - just gently reheat until soft enough to spread before assembling the cake.
• 8 now make the cake:.
• 9 heat oven to 180c/160cfan/gas 4. (356ºf).
• 10 grease a 23cm (9") springform cake pan and line the base with parchment paper.
• 11 melt chocolate, butter and milk in a large pan over a low heat, stirring until smooth.
• 12 remove from heat, then beat in the sugar and vanilla.
• 13 cool slightly.
• 14 beat the egg yolks and creme fraiche together, then mix this into the chocolate mixture, followed by the flour and baking powder.
• 15 whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff peaks form.
• 16 stir a third of the egg whites into the cake mix, then gently fold in the rest along with the sea salt.
• 17 pour into the prepared pan and bake 40-50 mins until firm to touch.
• 18 leave to cool for 20 mins, then remove from pan and finish cooling on wire rack.
• 19 for the ganache:.
• 20 heat the chocolate and cream together over a low heat until the chocolate has melted.
• 21 pour into bowl to cool.
• 22 to assemble:.
• 23 slice the cooled cake in half horizontally.
• 24 sandwich together with some of your caramel - you may not need it all, but be generous in order to balance the bittersweet ganache topping.
• 25 spread the ganache over the top of the cake and sprinkle with some sea salt crystals and truffles, if you like.