Butterscotch Praline Cake - #100th Recipe Post

I am glad to inform you that it is my 100th recipe post..Thank you all my dear readers for your support and encouragement..Expecting same for my future recipe post too..I decided to share something sweet for this occassion..It is Butterscotch Praline Cake..I baked this cake a month ago for my younger sis birthday,who came to stay with me for few days...I saved this recipe mainly to post in this occasion..My mom and sis love this cake very much..Its much better than store bought one..
Coming to the recipe,this is a rich and delicious cake with the flavour of caramel and lots of caramalised nuts ( praline)..I got the recipe from various sources, combine here and there and made by own sauce and frosting..This step may involve lots of steps,but its a worth..It involves making vanilla cake which is sandwiched with caramel sauce,covered with frosting and decorated with crushed praline (caramalised nuts)..Do make the mentioned ingredients earlier and assemble later..So you won't feel its a heavy task :P...I feel when I try to decorate the top of cake with whipped cream, it is little messed up,I feel dissappointed :(..Never mind, it tastes really delicious..Do try this cake and give feedback :)

     Ingredients

        For Vanilla Sponge Cake

• All purpose flour - 1 1/2 Cup
• Baking powder  -  1 tsp
• Baking soda  -  1/4 tsp
• Eggs  -  3 no.s  (keep at room temperature for 30 mins)
• Canola or any veg oil - 1/2 cup
• Superfine white sugar ( powdered sugar) - 1 cup
• Milk - 3/4 cup  ( keep at room temperature for 30 mins)
• Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
• Salt - 1/4 tsp

      For Caramel Sauce

• Unsalted Butter - 1/2 cup
• Brown sugar - 1 cup
• Heavy cream ( whipping cream) - 3/4 cup
• Corn flour - 2 tsp

      For Praline

• Butter - 1 tsp
• White sugar - 1 cup
• Any mixed  nuts of your choice - 1 cup ( I used cashew nuts, peanuts and almonds)

      For Butterscotch frosting

• Whipping Cream - 250 ml ( I used low fat whipping cream)
• Icing sugar  - 2 tbsp
• Brown sugar - 1/2 cup

      Method

         For Vanilla sponge cake

• Preheat the oven to 180 degree C..Grease the cake tin with butter and flour and tap the excess flour or you can use parchment paper ( butter paper)..

• Mix flour, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl thoroughly and keep aside..

• In another large bowl,add eggs and salt and beat at high speed till creamy..

• Add vanilla essence and sugar and beat again..

• Add flour mixture and milk little by little three times and fold alternately..

• Pour the cake batter in a greased cake tin and tap at the sides to prevent air bubbles..

• Bake for about 35 to 40 mins depending upon your oven,till the fork or knife insert in the center of the cake comes out clean..

• When it cools down, keep the cake on a wire rack to cool completely..Meanwhile make caramel sauce,frosting and praline as mentioned below..

                                                                         

Preparation of Vanilla Cake

(Click the picture to view enlarge)

         For Butterscotch Frosting

• Beat the cold whipping cream and other mentioned ingredients till thick and stiff peaks forms..Refrigerate it..

Preparation of Butterscotch Frosting

(Click the picture to view enlarge)

         For caramel sauce

• Heat the sauce pan..Add butter and melt in a very low flame..Take care it should not change colour, otherwise it will burn..

• Add brown sugar and stir till it dissolves completely..

• Turn the flame to lowest and add heavy cream and stir..Do not boil at high flame as cream will curdle, slightly boil when added cream..Off the flame and let it cool slightly..

• Add corn flour and mix well without any lumps..When it cools completely, refrigerate it..Sauce will thickens when refrigerated..

Preparation of Caramel Sauce

(Click the picture to view enlarge)

          For praline ( Caramalised Nut )

• Grease the aluminium foil with a oil and set aside...

• In a pan, add butter, white sugar and nuts..heat in a medium flame till it changes brown colour..Immediately turn the flame to low and stir well for few seconds..Off the flame..

• Pour this mixture immediately in a greased aluminium foil and let it cool completely..

• When it cools completely,it turns to solid form..Take out from the foil carefully and break into small pieces..

• Add the praline pieces in a grinder and grind into coarse powder..Transfer it into plate and set aside..

Preparation of Praline

(Click the picture to view enlarge)

         For Assembling the cake

• Take out the caramel sauce and frosting from the refrigerator and set aside..

• Cut the top crust of the cake..Cut the cake into two halves carefully...

• Place bottom half of the cake in a cake stand or a plate and spread large dollop of caramel sauce on top..

• Sandwich it with other slice of cake and spread remaining caramel sauce on top and sides..

• Spread the whole cake with butterscotch frosting and level the top and edges with a spatula..

• Sprinkle crushed praline on top and sides as shown in the picture..

• Pipe the remaining frosting on top of cake according to your design and place a pinch of remaining crushed praline or nuts on top of it..

• Refrigerate the cake for 4 hours before serving..Serve cold..

 Assembling the cake

(Click the picture to view enlarge)

       Notes

• If you don't have brown sugar at home or in your place, don't worry..Grind powdered Jaggery ( sharkara/vellam) along with little white sugar in a grinder..

• In order to save time, bake the cake earlier and assemble the mentioned ingredients later..You can also make the mentioned ingredients like frosting,praline and caramel sauce earlier before baking cake,its up to you...Don't make everything together as it will feel a heavy task...

• Remaining whipped cream can be kept in a freezer and you can eat it as a ice cream..

• The cake tastes better next day..