Thursday 28 May 2015

Candied Rhubarb and Strawberry Brown Sugar Sponge with Dulce de Leche and Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

This was the pretty pink cake made for Mums birthday last year. This was quite an extravagant layered cake. I started off as a brown sugar sponge that was lightly spiced with ginger and cinnamon. I then put a generous layer of a Dulce de Leche caramel, topped with whipped cream cheese icing then with an abundant layer of candied rhubarb and fresh strawberries! It was taken to one of Sunday family lunches and enjoyed by all!
The cake seen in the photo was not gluten free however the recipe below is my vanilla cake recipe which i have adapted for this cake. I has been tests many times on both gluten free and regular flour and always works a treat! Enjoy xx
Recipe: 
2 cups all-purpose Gluten Free flour *
2/3 cup corn-flour ** 
2 tsp baking powder **
 1 teaspoon salt 
4 large eggs 
1 cup (250 grams) unsalted butter, softened 
1 cup caster sugar 
3/4 cup soft brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
1/2 tsp ground ginger 
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup milk

* Can also use regular flour if not needing to be GF
** Doubled check to make sure these products do not contain Gluten

Method:
Preheat oven to 180°C. Spray / line two 7inch cake pans. 
Beat butter with an electric mixer until smooth and light in colour. Add brown & caster sugar and beat until light and fluffy, add vanilla. Add eggs one at a time and mix well

Add the flour, milk, corn flour, baking powder and ground spices be careful not to over mix, beat till just combined. Be careful not to over-mix as this will toughen the mixture and result in a heavy cake.

Divide the mixture evenly between the two cake pans and bake for 25-30min or till golden. Insert a tooth pick towards the centre of the cake, if this come out clean, the cake is done. Leave to cook for 10 minutes before taking out of the pan and cooling on a rack.

Once the cakes are cool, use a wire cuter (if you have one) or a sharp knife to cut each of the cakes in half - this will create the layer of the cake.


Whipped Cream Cheese icing:
250g Cream Cheese 
150g Butter 
3 1/2 cup Icing Sugar 
1 T Milk (may need more or less depending on desired consistency) 
2 tsp Vanilla Essence or Vanilla paste 

Method: Beat cream cheese on high until light and whipped. Add the butter and continue to beat till light and fluffy. Add vanilla and icing sugar (about 1 cup at a time) till icing has a fluffy and whipped constancy - this may require more or less milk than stated in the recipe. 
Assembly:
You will need the: 1. Dulce de Leche pre made (can buy or other make a thick caramel sauce) 2. The candied rhubarb (can be made by roasted cut chunks of rhubarb in the oven, sprinkled with a generous layer of sugar for 10mins at 180'c - needs to be watched) and 3. Freshly cut Strawberries 

Place one layer of the cake on your chosen board, cake plate or turn table. Add the layer of the Dulche de Leche or caramel sauce and spread around the middle of the cake, leave the edged clean. Pipe or carefully spread the cream cheese icing around the edges and continue to fill the rest of the layer with icing. Sprinkle the fruit even throughout the layer of the cake. Add the next layer of cake and continue these steps. On the top layer be care if you are using any caramel as it may leak down the cake. Make a small pile of the fruit, on tops of the icing, in the middle and top with a pretty pink flowers. Now is the tome to add any sprinkles if you are wanting to use any <3