Caramel Custard Coffee Cake

I’ve been making variations of this custard cake for years but I wanted to try a new caramel version to celebrate the publication of an incredible book, Spilt Milk, by Amy Beashel. Because what better thing to do with milk, spilt or otherwise, than to turn it into custard, add caramel and make it into a cake?

There turned out to be some very apt parallels with book’s title and my ‘journey’ in getting this cake ready to share, rest assured this recipe will work, it just took a few goes to crack it. And just as the saying goes, there’s no use crying over spilt milk, there’s also no use crying over failed cake. Reader, just ate it and tried again. What a sacrifice!

INGREDIENTS

CAKES:

• 2 large eggs

• 60g white caster sugar

• 60g plain flour (for Gluten Free use a self raising mix with no extra baking powder)

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 2 pinches of salt

• 25g double cream

CARAMEL CRUMBS:

• 250g white granulated sugar

This amount will make all the gravelly and fine caramel crumbs you need for this recipe. For detailed instructions on making caramel crumbs see my previous post.

CUSTARD:

• 60g corn flour

• 500g milk

• 250g double cream

• 100g caramel crumbs

• 1 tsp vanilla essence

COFFEE SYRUP:

• 45g caramel crumbs

• 1/2 tsp coffee

• 5 tbsp boiling water

TOPPING:

• 60g large, gravelly caramel crumbs

HOW TO:

• Make a dry caramel with 250g of white granulated sugar. Pour the caramel on to a non stick surface, I find a silicone baking sheet is best. Break the caramel down to crumbs when it’s completely cold, I use a food processor but you can use a sturdy bag and a rolling pin.

Before you break the caramel crumbs down too finely reserve 60g of gravelly chunks to decorate the cake’s top later. Keep them in an air tight tub until you’re ready for them.

• Start by making the cakes, set the oven to 160ºc and line the base of two 7 inch (17.5 cm) tins.

• To a stand mixer, or mixing bowl, add eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla and beat with the whisk attachment for about 2 minutes until thick and moussey and voluminous.

• While the eggs are whisking, in a small bowl, add the baking powder to the flour and mix well together.

• When the eggs are pale and frothy, add 25g of double cream then add about a 3rd of the flour and start to fold together. Add the remaining flour in 2 goes, folding carefully so all the flour and cream is incorporated but you don’t knock the the air out of the mixture.

• Stop as soon as there are no obvious patches of flour and divide the mix between the two cake tins. Bake in the middle of the oven for 14 minutes. A skewer will come out clean when the cakes are ready.

• While the cakes are baking make the coffee syrup. Add to a small pan the coffee granules, 45g of fine caramel crumbs and 5 tbsp (75g / ml) of boiling water. Heat them gently and stop as soon as the caramel has dissolved.

• When the cakes come out of the oven, leave them for 5 minutes and then run a knife around the edge to release the sides then leave them to cool completely in the tin.

• Line the bottom of a 7 & 1/2 inch (19cm) springform tin.

• Make the custard. Milk 100g of the 500g milk with 60g of corn flour to make a smooth, runny paste.

• Add to a pan (you can use the unwashed caramel pan to save you time!) the remaining milk, double cream, vanilla and 100g of fine caramel crumbs. Heat on a medium heat and keep stirring, I find a silicone spatula is best.

• When the custard starts to thicken swap to a whisk to avoid lumps and when it’s uniformly thick, swap back to a spatula to stop it sticking on the bottom. Taste the custard, if there is any chalkiness form the corn flour, cook it out for a further minute and remove from the heat when it’s gone.

• Now you can start to construct the cake. Put one sponge in the bottom of the springform tin and brush it with half the coffee syrup.

• Pour half the custard over the sponge, being careful to get custard down the side of the cake so it’s full enclosed. Banging the cake on the workspace a few time will help the custard settle and knock out any air pockets*.

• Level off the surface and sit the second sponge on the custard and brush the remaining coffee syrup over it. Pour the remaining half of the custard over that, again paying attention to fill the sides and avoiding air pockets.

• Smooth the top of the custard with the back of a spoon, you don’t need to work too hard at that bit, it’s going to be covered up later. When you’re happy with the surface you may lick the spoon.

• The cake now needs to cool and set. I prefer to leave it to cool to room temperature before putting it in the fridge but you can put it straight into chill. Cover it with paper towel or a clean tea towel, to catch condensation drips, then a plate and leave in the fridge for at least 4 hours, overnight is best.

• When the custard has set it should be firm enough to release it gently from the sides of the tin before you remove the spring form. Slide the cake on to your serving plate and sprinkle the top of the cake with the reserved 60g of large gravelly caramel crumbs.

• Add the final caramel to the cake’s top not more than 30 minutes before you serve it, the longer the crumbs sit on the cake the more they will start to liquify and small cracks may start to form in the custard. None of this is much of a problem as it will remain one of the most delicious things to do with milk, spilt or not!

Tat x

* A couple of years ago I earned the nickname Air Pockets after a run-in with a slightly dodgy bowl of bean nachos.