Caramel, Custard and Cake all combined as one. Triple the delight in a single bite. A slice of heaven, just divine.
First, the caramel is prepared, allowed to set and cool in a cake pan. Custard is poured on top of the caramel with the cake batter floating above the custard and baked in a water bath or bain-marie. Wondering how the cake batter does not sink!!! The secret lies in choosing the right cake to go over the custard. A chiffon cake, which is light, airy with a fluffy texture is a perfect choice. Once baked, the dessert is flipped right away as the chiffon cake tends to settle down. The cake now acts as a base topped with the caramel custard.
Chiffon cakes are made with vegetable oil, aerated with egg whites that have been beaten till stiff. They are low in saturated fat and healthier than butter cakes. Lacking in rich flavour, chiffon cakes are often flavoured with orange or lemon juice along with the zest, usually frosted, stuffed with fillings or accompanied with sauces. An ideal healthy cake to compliment the rich caramel custard.
First, the caramel is prepared, allowed to set and cool in a cake pan. Custard is poured on top of the caramel with the cake batter floating above the custard and baked in a water bath or bain-marie. Wondering how the cake batter does not sink!!! The secret lies in choosing the right cake to go over the custard. A chiffon cake, which is light, airy with a fluffy texture is a perfect choice. Once baked, the dessert is flipped right away as the chiffon cake tends to settle down. The cake now acts as a base topped with the caramel custard.
Chiffon cakes are made with vegetable oil, aerated with egg whites that have been beaten till stiff. They are low in saturated fat and healthier than butter cakes. Lacking in rich flavour, chiffon cakes are often flavoured with orange or lemon juice along with the zest, usually frosted, stuffed with fillings or accompanied with sauces. An ideal healthy cake to compliment the rich caramel custard.
Caramel Custard Cake
(Serves 8)
You will need a round cake pan of 7 1/2 " x 3 1/2 "
Caramel
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons water
Method:
In a saucepan, heat sugar with water. Do not stir sugar but swirl the pan. Cook till sugar is dark amber in color. Pour caramel in the cake pan ensuring to spread caramel along the bottom of the pan. Set aside to cool.
(Note: Instead of using the saucepan, you can prepare the caramel directly in the cake pan.)
Custard
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups milk
4 eggs
6 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method:
Beat eggs with sugar in a bowl, then add vanilla extract. Simultaneously, heat milk in a saucepan. When slightly warm, pour milk gradually into the egg mixture while whisking continuously to prevent eggs from cooking. This is called tempering where the temperature of the eggs are raised without heating them through. Do not add warm milk all at once. Strain the egg mixture through a sieve into the prepared cake pan. Ensure that the caramel is cool and set before pouring the egg mixture.
Chiffon Cake
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
3 eggs
1/2 + 1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup oil
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Method:
Place oven rack at the middle position and preheat oven to 300 F or 150 C.
Sift the dry ingredients; flour and baking powder. Keep aside.
Separate the egg yolks and whites in two different bowls.
Beat the yolks with 1/2 cup sugar till creamy. Add oil, lemon zest, salt, lemon juice and vanilla essence. Mix in dry ingredients alternating with water.
Using clean beaters, beat egg whites with cream of tartar for few seconds. Then add 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating till soft peaks are formed. With a spatula, fold in egg whites into the batter, three full spatulas at a time until you see no white streaks in the batter.
Gently slide batter with the spatula on top of the caramel custard.
Place cake pan in a water bath or bain-marie and bake till the cake is golden brown or cake tester inserted in the centre comes out clean, around 45 to 50 minutes. Bake time varies depending on the brand, size and type of the oven. (Note: If the cake browns too quickly, cover loosely with aluminum foil.)
Lift the cake pan carefully out of the water. Wipe the water under the cake pan. Now, run a knife along the sides, gently move the pan both clockwise and anti-clockwise to loosen custard and invert the cake onto a serving dish. (Note: As the chiffon cake is light, it tends to settle down, hence the caramel custard cake is upturned right away.)
Let the cake cool in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to set. Cut into wedges and serve.
Note:
A water bath or bain-marie is a method of heating desserts gradually. A wide deep pan (preferably a roasting pan) that can accommodate a smaller baking dish or pan is used. The smaller pan with the dessert mixture is placed inside the large one. Hot water is poured in the large pan till it reaches halfway up the outside of the smaller pan. The large pan with the hot water and smaller pan containing the dessert mixture is carefully placed in the oven. The water bath method heats the dessert gently, preventing it from burning, drying or curdling.
(Serves 8)
You will need a round cake pan of 7 1/2 " x 3 1/2 "
Caramel
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons water
Method:
In a saucepan, heat sugar with water. Do not stir sugar but swirl the pan. Cook till sugar is dark amber in color. Pour caramel in the cake pan ensuring to spread caramel along the bottom of the pan. Set aside to cool.
(Note: Instead of using the saucepan, you can prepare the caramel directly in the cake pan.)
Custard
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups milk
4 eggs
6 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method:
Beat eggs with sugar in a bowl, then add vanilla extract. Simultaneously, heat milk in a saucepan. When slightly warm, pour milk gradually into the egg mixture while whisking continuously to prevent eggs from cooking. This is called tempering where the temperature of the eggs are raised without heating them through. Do not add warm milk all at once. Strain the egg mixture through a sieve into the prepared cake pan. Ensure that the caramel is cool and set before pouring the egg mixture.
Chiffon Cake
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
3 eggs
1/2 + 1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup oil
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Method:
Place oven rack at the middle position and preheat oven to 300 F or 150 C.
Sift the dry ingredients; flour and baking powder. Keep aside.
Separate the egg yolks and whites in two different bowls.
Beat the yolks with 1/2 cup sugar till creamy. Add oil, lemon zest, salt, lemon juice and vanilla essence. Mix in dry ingredients alternating with water.
Using clean beaters, beat egg whites with cream of tartar for few seconds. Then add 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating till soft peaks are formed. With a spatula, fold in egg whites into the batter, three full spatulas at a time until you see no white streaks in the batter.
Gently slide batter with the spatula on top of the caramel custard.
Place cake pan in a water bath or bain-marie and bake till the cake is golden brown or cake tester inserted in the centre comes out clean, around 45 to 50 minutes. Bake time varies depending on the brand, size and type of the oven. (Note: If the cake browns too quickly, cover loosely with aluminum foil.)
Lift the cake pan carefully out of the water. Wipe the water under the cake pan. Now, run a knife along the sides, gently move the pan both clockwise and anti-clockwise to loosen custard and invert the cake onto a serving dish. (Note: As the chiffon cake is light, it tends to settle down, hence the caramel custard cake is upturned right away.)
Let the cake cool in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to set. Cut into wedges and serve.
Note:
A water bath or bain-marie is a method of heating desserts gradually. A wide deep pan (preferably a roasting pan) that can accommodate a smaller baking dish or pan is used. The smaller pan with the dessert mixture is placed inside the large one. Hot water is poured in the large pan till it reaches halfway up the outside of the smaller pan. The large pan with the hot water and smaller pan containing the dessert mixture is carefully placed in the oven. The water bath method heats the dessert gently, preventing it from burning, drying or curdling.