SALTED CARAMEL POUND CAKE

 

happy birthday canada!!!!! you should celebrate canada day by making this loaf cake. pound cake is my oldest sisters favourite dessert (probably because of its butter content.. is butter a carb?), so i decided to make her a special salted caramel flavoured one. she took one bite of this cake and responded with "i want to marry this cake." i guess you can say she liked it... a lot. it has the buttery flavour & dense texture of what everyone wants in a pound cake, but the glaze turns it from an average pound cake to something that much more amazing. it is best to make the salted caramel sauce in advance as you can use it for various things (like these fried wonton's) and to ensure it has time to properly set.

ingredients

for the salted caramel sauce

  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt

for the cake

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1.5 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon salted caramel sauce (see recipe below)
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

for the glaze

  • 1/4 cup salted caramel
  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

directions

  • for the caramel: in a saucepot add the sugar and water. bring it to a boil while wiping down the crystals that form on the sides of the pan with a pastry brush. continue to boil until the mixture turns to a deep amber colour (approximately 5 minutes). be sure not to burn the caramel! it will go from a deep amber to burnt sugar VERY quickly. remove from heat and immediately whisk in the butter and cream. cool to room temperature before using.
  • for the cake: preheat oven to 350 degrees. in the bowl of a stand mixer cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. add the eggs and vanilla and beat. sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. mix until just combined. stir in the salted caramel and heavy cream until incorporated. place the batter into a greased loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes.
  • for the glaze: mix salted caramel and powdered sugar together until a thick consistency is formed (may need to add more powdered sugar). once cake has cooled, pour the glaze over top of the pound cake.