This caramel ‘overload’ mud cake recipe includes home-made caramel sauce, peanut brittle and caramel popcorn. Yum!

I was asked a few months back to create a caramel overload cake, with vanilla buttercream to have just a ‘little’ break from the caramel. This was my brief. The customer had no other directions, but did have a budget and wanted buttercream. So I created this…

And oh my, the raving review was just amazing! Although my peanut brittle went cloudy and a little crystalised in the fridge as they stored it there for 2 days before eating (and yes… still loved it!), I am super happy with how this cake turned out – and with everything (bar the caramel lollies) from scratch!

I thought that I would share with you the recipe of each component of the Caramel overload cake, and I’m sure you can all use your own creative flair to put a sweet cakey masterpiece together! I also take orders for the cake toppers here.

Caramel Mud Cake Recipe

Ingredients

250g unsalted butter
250g brown sugar
200g white cooking chocolate
½ cup of water
3 eggs
200g plain flour
100g self-raising flour

Method

Place the butter into a medium-sized saucepan and melt completely.
Add brown sugar, chocolate and water and stir until all melted and combined.
Set aside for 15 mins.
Add eggs, combine, add flour and combine.
Set aside for another 30 mins. I find letting the mixture thicken up a little gives the cake a great texture once baked.
Pre-heat oven to 150’C fan forced.
Pour batter into a 6” round cake pan and bake for 1 hour and 30mins – or until skewer comes out clean.

PLEASE NOTE: I used 1.5 times this recipe to create an 8” round cake

SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE

Ingredients

80mls water
250g golden caster sugar
1tsp vanilla bean extract
120ml double cream
25g unsalted butter
Pinch of salt

Method

On high heat, place your water and sugar in a non-stick pan, and bring to boil.
Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the sugar starts to turn a golden brown. Be sure to give a GENTLE stir occasionally.
Once the sugar has melted and bubbles form all over the surface, remove pan from heat.
Mix the vanilla extract and cream, and carefully pour into the pan.
Whisk in the butter and salt.
Leave salted caramel to cool.

Get the Caramel Overload Mud Cake Recipe PDF here.

PEANUT BRITTLE

Ingredients

2 cups sugar
1 ½ cups salted peanuts
½ cup water

Method

On high heat, place your water and sugar in a non-stick pan, and bring to boil.
Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the sugar starts to turn a golden brown. DO NOT stir in this time.
Continue to cook for a further 7-8 minute until the sugar mixture becomes a golden amber colour. STIR OCCASIONALLY in this time.
Remove pan from heat and add your peanuts. Stir in quickly and gently.
Pour your mixture into your prepared baking tray (lined with baking paper), immediately and spread the mixture out to be about a ½ an inch thick.
Let the mixture cool and set completely before breaking into shards.

CARAMEL POPCORN

Ingredients

¼ cup vegetable oil
½ cup popping corn
125g butter
¾ cup white sugar
2tbs honey
1 cup pecans – chopped (optional)

Method

Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Heat your oil in a saucepan over medium heat, add your popcorn and cover with a lid. Remove the pan from the heat once your popcorn is no longer popping.
Set popcorn aside in a large bowl, removing any un-popped kernels.
Now to make your caramel –
Simply melt your butter, sugar and honey in a saucepan over medium heat until all of the sugar has dissolved STIR OCCASIONALLY in this time.
Bring to the boil until mixture turns a golden brown SO NOT stir in this time.
Remove from the heat.
If you have chosen to use pecans, this is the time to stir in.
Pour your caramel mixture over your popcorn in the bowl and be sure to coat all popcorn with the mixture.
Spread over your baking tray and allow to cool.

BUTTERCREAM

Ingredients

500g unsalted butter
1000g icing sugar
2tbs vanilla essence

Method

Beat your butter in your mixer until becomes pale.
Add your icing sugar and vanilla essence and beat mixture until smooth – approximately 5-7 minutes.
Decorate cake and finish with a custom cake topper.