THE IRISH are renowned for their famous sweet tooth.
No trip to Ireland would be complete without tasting one of the many sweetly indulgent dessert treats on offer across the Emerald Isle – and we have a corker for you.
The work of County Kilkenny chef, author and TV personality Edward Hayden, this Salted-caramel and whiskey cake is every bit as deliciously decadent as it sounds.
"This is a very filling cake which can only be described as sinfully indulgent." Hayden explains on his official website.
Does it live up to the billing? Try out the recipe below and see for yourself!
What you'll need:
For the cake
- 175g plain flour
- 1 level teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 175g brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Irish whiskey
- 110g butter
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large dessertspoons black treacle
- 200ml milk
- 25g pecans, chopped
For the salted caramel icing:
- 110g caster sugar
- 4 tablespoons water
- 50ml cream
- 1 pinch sea salt, to taste
- 110g butter softened
- 300g icing sugar
How to make it:
- Grease and line a 20cm cake tin. Sieve the flour, baking powder and spices together. Add brown sugar and whiskey. Melt the butter and add to the eggs and milk.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the egg and treacle mixture. Mix until a smooth batter has been achieved.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes at 180ºC until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly and then invert onto a wire tray and allow to cool fully.
- For the salted caramel buttercream, heat the caster sugar and four tablespoons of water in a saucepan over a gentle heat until the sugar has dissolved, then increase the heat and cook the caramel, unstirred, for 2-3 minutes, or until golden and slightly thickened. Remove the pan from the heat immediately and whisk in the cream. (Caution: the caramel may splutter and boil up a little when you add the cream.) Stir in the salt and then allow to cool in a clean bowl.
- Cream the butter and icing sugar together for at least 4-5 minutes, then beat in a little of the caramel to achieve a nice smooth consistency.
- Spread over the cake and then drizzle with some additional salted caramel and garnish with chopped pecans.
