When it first started, I’d share sweet and savoury recipes – meals, drinks, whatever. Because I was fresh out of chef school and working in restaurants and wanted to share everything that I’d learnt. But you guys, you had other ideas. Everytime I posted something drenched in chocolate or dripping in caramel, you LOVED that, and I just couldn’t ignore it. Secretly, I was happy, because I LOVED doing it too! So today, on it’s 8th birthday, I thought I’d celebrate with a throwback to one of my (and your) favourite cakes. This salted caramel cake is one of my greatest hits and if you haven’t tried it yet, then well, your weekend just got exciting! Kx

Salted Caramel Coma Cake

Serves 6-8

260g salted butter, softened

100g golden syrup

200g brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 large eggs

250g cake flour

2 tsp (10ml) baking powder

60g malted milk powder (aka Horlicks)*

40ml milk

Toffee buttercream

120g white sugar

1/2 cup (125ml) water

3/4 cup (180ml) cream

250g butter, softened

200g (1/2 tin) tinned caramel or dulce de leche spread

Sea salt flakes, for sprinkling

Caramel popcorn, to serve (optional)

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees celcius. Line the bottoms of 2 x 15cm springform cake tins and set aside. Cream together the butter, syrup and brown sugar until very light and creamy (about 8-10 minutes). Beat in the vanilla and the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Sift in the cake flour, baking powder and milk powder and fold together, adding the milk to form a thick batter. Divide the batter between the two cake tins and spread evenly. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean and the cake has pulled away from the sides. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely, upside down, on a cooling rack. To make the buttercream, place the sugar and water in a pan and heat gently until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil and simmer, without stirring, until the mixture begins caramelising. Once the syrup reaches a toffee-colour, pour in the cream and swirl to combine. Allow to cool completely. Cream the butter until very white and fluffy (about 8-10 minutes) then add the toffee sauce and whip to combine. To assemble, slice each cake in half to create 4 layers. Spread the first layer with tinned caramel then a layer of buttercream and top with the next cake layer. Continue until 4 layers are formed. Frost the entire cake using the buttercream (I used some tinned caramel along the bottom of the cake to achieve an ombre affect). Place the remaining buttercream in a piping bag (to create a swirled effect, simply smear stripes of caramel in the piping bag before adding the buttercream) then pipe blobs onto the top of the cake. Place in the refrigerator to set. To serve, sprinkle with sea salt flakes and top with caramel popcorn (if desired).

*If you can’t find malted milk powder, simply toast normal milk powder until golden brown in the preheated oven. Allow to cool, pass through a sieve and incorporate as usual.