Sticky Date Cake With Caramel Sauce

This is a really great variation to the normal sticky date cake. This version makes it into a 4 layer cake, filled with a caramel icing, and each layer drizzled with caramel sauce. Finally, finish the top layer with piped icing, drizzle with caramel sauce and top with toffee shards. A beautiful decadent cake is the end result. Serve each slice with extra caramel sauce and your taste buds will be in for a very special treat.

Note: The ingredients and instructions for the cake component of this recipe are for one cake only. Two cakes are required for this recipe. You can simply double the quantities and then pour half the mixture into each of the 2 prepared baking pans. I mix each cake separately as I think it is a little easier to do, particularly when you are folding ingredients together.

Ingredients:
Cake (ingredients for one cake only)
• 200 g Dried Dates pits removed, roughly chopped
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp Bicarb Soda
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla Essence
• 2 tbsp Butter softened
• 2 Eggs
• 1 1/2 cups Self-Raising Flour sifted
Caramel Frosting
• 4 cups Icing Sugar
• 320 g Unsalted Butter softened
Caramel Sauce
• 160 g Unsalted Butter chopped
• 160 g Brown Sugar
• 1 cup Pouring Cream or light (reduced fat) thickened cream
Toffee Shards
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 tbsp Vinegar
• 1/4 cup Pecan Nuts chopped
Cream Filling
• 1 cup Thickened Cream
• 1 tsp Vanilla Essence
• 2 tbsp Caster Sugar

Instructions:
Cake (for one cake only)
1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C (fan forced).
2. Grease and line with baking paper two 20cm springform baking pans.
3. In a saucepan add dates and water to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat (do not drain water from the saucepan).
4. Add bicarb soda to the saucepan and and stir through. Set aside for 15 minutes to cool.
5. In a small bowl whisk eggs with vanilla essence and set aside.
6. In a separate bowl add sugar and butter and beat with electric mixer until pale and creamy.
7. Add eggs & vanilla mixture and continue beating until light and fluffy.
8. With a metal spoon, fold in the sifted flour and date mixture and mix until just combined.
9. Pour mixture into the prepared pan.
10. Bake for about 40 minutes or until skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
11. Cool in pans for 15 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.
Caramel Sauce
1. Stir butter and sugar in a saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves
2. Stir in cream and bring to boil.
3. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 3-4 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly.
4. Cool to room temperature and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill.
Caramel Frosting
1. In a large bowl add butter and beat with electric mixer until pale and creamy.
2. Add icing sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in 1/3 cup caramel sauce and mix until just combined.
4. Reserve approx. one quarter of the frosting to use for piping onto the top of the cake (using a 1cm fluted nozzle).
Toffee Shards
1. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Sprinkle pecan nuts over the baking paper.
3. Combine sugar, water & vinegar in a non-stick saucepan over medium heat.
4. Stir until sugar dissolves and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat slightly and continue to boil for 10 minutes without stirring.
6. Pour over pecan nuts on prepared tray and set aside to cool and set.
7. Once set, break three quarters into shards. Crush remaining toffee into small granules.
Cream Filling
1. In a large bowl, using electric beaters, mix cream and vanilla essence until peaks start to form.
2. Add caster sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, to the mixture and beat well after each addition.
3. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
Cake assembly
1. Using a serrated knife cut each cake in half horizontally.
2. Place one cake base onto a plate and cover with approx one third of the remaining caramel frosting (after reserving one quarter for piping), leaving a space in the centre.
3. Fill space with a third of the cream filling.
4. Drizzle with caramel sauce. Also allow some sauce to drip down the side of the layer.
5. Repeat layering until top layer is put on cake.
6. Finish the top of the cake with the piped frosting. Decorate to you preference.
7. Top with the toffee shards, drizzle with remaining caramel sauce and allow some to run down the sides of the cake. Finally sprinkle with crushed toffee granules.

For pictures and more follow the link below:
Sticky Date Cake With Caramel Sauce

bon appetit