This November's Daring Bakers' Challenge was a tour de force in sugar! At this very moment my kitchen is coated with this sticky substance. Thanks to Dolores of Culinary Curiosity, Alex of Brownie of the Blondie and Brownie duo, Jenny of Foray into Food and Natalie of Gluten-a-Go-Go.
Dolores chose Shuna Fish Lydon of Eggbeaters' signature caramel cake. Alice Medrich’s Golden Vanilla Bean Caramels were an optional challenge that I just didn't have time for.
When I started out making the caramel syrup I was inspired to make a sugar sculpture (when I over-cooked the first batch of syrup) like the Chihuly exhibit we had just seen at our local Botanical Gardens. Needless to say the kitchen is sticky!! The cake recipe was easy to follow though I think the caramel syrup made the cake super dense and very sweet. The burnt butter icing was tooth achingly sweet! WOW!!!! Then I added my sea salt and it toned the initial shock of sweetness down but still very sweet. Overall, this month's challenge encouraged me to make something that I would not make on my own. My family said the cake reminds them of the praline cake -- perhaps. Maybe for Christmas I will tackle those caramels - a orange zest, Grand Manier version for my cookie trays.
Thanks again to November's main mama, Dolores for her great challenge. Find the recipe here.
