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Ramadan Recipe of the Day: Toffee date salted caramel cake

British celebrity baker Mitch Turner shares a special recipe perfect for residents with a sweet tooth

Published: Thu 13 Apr 2023, 4:50 PM

Updated: Thu 13 Apr 2023, 4:53 PM

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Described as the ‘Queen of Couture Cakes,’ British celebrity baker Mitch Turner has created cakes for several celebrities across the world. Now that her bakery Little Venice Cake Company has opened an outlet in Dubai, Turner has crafted a special recipe that is perfect for Ramadan as well as Eid.

Bringing together dates and salted caramel, her cake is perfect for residents with a sweet tooth.

Here is the recipe of her toffee date salted caramel cake:

For the cake

  • 275g medjool dates
  • 375ml water
  • 8g bicarbonate of soda
  • 250g self-raising flour
  • 115g butter
  • 275g soft brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 60ml molasses
  • 2tsp vanilla extract

Buttercream, for frosting

  • 115g egg whites
  • 200g caster sugar
  • 2tsp vanilla extract
  • 250g unsalted butter (cubed and removed from the fridge 30 minutes before)
  1. Put the egg white and sugar in a large mixing bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Heat and whisk with a hand balloon whisk until the temperature reaches 65-70°C and the sugar has dissolved.
  2. Transfer the mixing bowl to a desktop mixer, add the vanilla and whisk on high to form a thick meringue. Wait till the meringue has cooled to room temperature (this may take up to 15 minutes).
  3. Change the whisk for a beater. Add the cubed butter one piece at a time, and continue to beat until the mixture at first slackens, then thickens, to create a glossy, stable buttercream.
  4. Stir in 3 tbsp of the salted caramel to taste.

Salted caramel

  • 50g caster sugar
  • 100ml water
  • 150ml double cream
  • 20g butter
  • 1tsp vanilla extract
  • Pinch of sea salt.
  1. Place the sugar and water in a heavy non-sticky frying pan, and heat at medium-high temperature, without stirring, until the syrup is reduced to large, sticky, light amber bubbles.
  2. Add ½ cream and stir with a large balloon whisk - gently! Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the remaining cream, butter, vanilla and salt, and simmer until thickened and shiny, stirring constantly. Transfer to a clean bowl to cool.

To decorate

  • Filled dates

To make the cake

  1. Place dates and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, then simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add bicarbonate of soda and leave to cool. Blend to a paste. Meanwhile, make the cake.
  2. Preheat the oven to 170°C Fan. Grease and line 3x8 inch sandwich tins.
  3. Cream the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer until light and fluffy (this will take a while as there is much more sugar than butter). Add the eggs a little at a time until fully incorporated. Stir in the molasses and vanilla.
  4. Fold in the flour and stir in the dates (they must be cool, otherwise the butter will melt).
  5. Pour the cake batter into the tin, leaving 1cm headspace.
  6. Bake in the oven for 20-25 mins until a knife inserted comes out clean. The cake should have risen, be baked, and shrinking gently from the sides at this point.
  7. Remove from the oven and stand on a wire cooling rack for 10 mins to cool.

To decorate

  1. Place the base tier on a cake board or plate and spread buttercream over the top, slightly higher around the edge. Fill the centre with 2 tbsp salted caramel and level.
  2. Place the second tier on top, and repeat with buttercream and 2 tbsp salted caramel.
  3. Place the final layer of cake on the top and cover the top and sides with the remaining buttercream (reserving 3 tbsp in a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle). Chill to firm then fill a small piping bag with the remaining salted caramel. Fill the top and add a drip effect to the sides of the cake.
  4. Decorate the top with 12 hand piped buttercream stars and filled dates.

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