Salted Caramel Truffle Cake

What You Need:

For The Vanilla Cake:

3 cups sifted cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup room temp. whole milk

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

2 sticks of room temp unsalted butter

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs at room temp.

For The Caramel Frosting:

1/3 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon flour

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup milk

3/4 cup unsalted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

For The Ganache:

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup heavy cream

Maldon Sea Salt 

What You Do:

CAKE:

Preheat oven tp 350 degrees. Prep cake pans; Grease and line with parchment paper. I used three 6-inch pans. but you can use three 8-inch or two 9-inch pans or a cupcake pan. Add all dry ingredients to a bowl and mix until combined. Measure out the milk in a liquid measuring cup and add the vanilla to the milk. Set aside. Then, in bowl of a stand mixer beat butter and sugar on medium speed for 4 minutes. Next, add the eggs one at a time and beating for about 1 minute between each egg addition. Always remember to scrape your bowl too! With the mixer on low speed add 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add half of the vanilla milk mixture and the next 1/3 of the dry ingredients. Blend. Then add the other half of the vanilla milk mixture and blend. Finally, add remaining 1/3 of dry ingredients and stir BY HAND with spatula until just combined. Pour evenly between cake pans and bake. 20-25 minutes for 6-inch and 8-inch pans, 25-30 minutes for 9-inch pans and 16-18 minutes for cupcakes! You’ll know its done when you insert a toothpick and it comes out clean! 

CARAMEL FROSTING:

While cake is cooking start on the caramel frosting. It’s a bit involved but YOU CAN DO IT!!! its worth it!!

Step 1

Sprinkle 1/3 cup sugar in a shallow, heavy 3½-qt. Dutch oven; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 3 minutes or until sugar is melted and syrup is light golden brown (sugar will clump). Remove from heat.

Step 2

Stir together 1 Tbsp. flour and 2½ cups sugar in a large saucepan; add milk, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.

Step 3

Gradually pour about one-fourth hot milk mixture into caramelized sugar, stirring constantly; gradually stir in remaining hot milk mixture until smooth. (Mixture will lump, but continue stirring until smooth.)

Step 4

Cover and cook over low heat 2 minutes. Increase heat to medium; uncover and cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer reaches 238° (soft-ball stage, about 10 minutes). Add butter, stirring until blended. Remove from heat and let stand, without stirring, until temperature drops to 110° (about 1 hour).

Step 5

Pour into bowl of heavy-duty electric stand mixer. Add vanilla, and beat at medium speed (setting 4) with whisk attachment until spreading consistency (about 20 minutes).

CHOCOLATE GANACHE:

Heat heavy cream in microwave for 40 seconds…check it…it should be hot, if its not…throw it back in for 25-30 more seconds! Add the chocolate chips and stir until melted. Then with a hand mixer beat on high for about 10 minutes until it is light and fluffy with a spreadable consistency!

To assemble the cake, I sliced my layers in half so I would have 6 layers to fill. Spread an even layer of the chocolate ganache over each layer then sprinkle with course sea salt. Once assembled, put it in the fridge for about 20 minutes to chill. Then frost with the caramel frosting! Add sea salt to the top and a drizzle of melted chocolate! Keep this cake in the fridge and bring it out about an hour before you wanna serve it! IT’S SO GOOD!!!!!