Daring Bakers--Be Still My Heart...Caramel Cake! with Caramelized Butter Frosting!!

A standing ovation goes to the hosts of this month's challenge: Dolores of Chronicles in Culinary Curiosity, Jenny of Foray Into Food, and Alex a/k/a Brownie of the fabulous duo Blondie and Brownie.

These three ladies chose Caramel Cake, a recipe from talented pastry chef Shuna Fish Lydon, who writes Eggbeater. You can find Shuna's recipe at Bay Area Bites.

Hereafter known as 'the best cake you have ever made,' as pronounced by my generally non-interested husband, this cake was a delicious success. Other Daring Baker's challenges this year, like the Opera Cake, or the Filbert Gateau, were European in flair--lots of fussy steps that resulted in thin slices and quick sensory overload. The Caramel Cake, dense and delicious, was an American style cake--beckoning to us from the kitchen for three days in its seeming simplicity until it was all gone. Hurrah!

Taking heed from DB's before me, who commented on the overwhelmingly sweet frosting, I frosted the cake very thinly with a scrumptious browned butter frosting, salted generously with Maldon salt. Mmmmm.

This cake's texture was quite unlike the light and tender pronounced caramelized flavor of my version of the Perfect Party Cake, much loved, which I made for my first DB challenge. Instead, this cake had a moist pound cake texture, very lightly caramel-flavored, no doubt perfect without frosting as well. The caramel syrup, thick and viscous, made a marvelous addition to coffee--quite unlike the thin, burnt sugar syrup that I used for the perfect party cake.

Since I love caramel even more than chocolate, I had to make the optional Golden Vanilla Bean Caramels from Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich (Artisan Press, Copyright 2007, ISBN: 978-1579652111), and they were soft and chewy and delicious with yet another sprinkling of Maldon salt. For the first time of many attempts I finally have made soft caramels!

Salted caramel will never be just a trend in my house. Thanks for the wonderful challenge. Keep clicking for more! And best wishes for a wonderful holiday season, wherever you may be!