Salted Caramel Sauce

Follow my recipe for Salted caramel sauce

Vanilla cake

1. -Preheat the oven to 165°C (325°F) and line two 15 cm (6 inch) round cake pans, 7 cm (2.75 inches) high, with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, mix and sift together the dry ingredients: flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the softened butter with the sugar for 3 minutes until creamy.
4. Add the vanilla extract, then add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, and continue to beat for about 5 minutes until the mixture becomes voluminous.
5. Alternately and gradually fold in the dry ingredients mixture and the buttermilk with a spatula until you get a homogeneous and creamy batter.
6. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. (5 minutes before the end of baking, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake; it should come out clean or with a few crumbs.)
7. Allow to cool in the pans for a few minutes before gently removing and letting them cool completely upside down on a wire rack.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream with Caramel

1. Place the egg whites and granulated sugar in a heatproof bowl and heat the mixture over a double boiler in a saucepan containing a little water heated over medium heat.
2. While whisking continuously, check the temperature of the mixture, which should reach 55°C (131°F) (the sugar should also be completely dissolved).
3. Transfer to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on high speed for about 10 minutes until a cooled and stiff Swiss meringue forms.
4. Reduce the mixer speed and gradually incorporate the butter and vanilla, then continue mixing until you get a thick and smooth cream (the mixture may become grainy; keep mixing until it becomes more homogeneous).
5. Finish by adding the slightly warmed salted caramel, then switch to the paddle attachment and mix again on low speed until you get a smooth and pliable buttercream.

Caramel Frosting

1. In a large bowl, place all the ingredients: cold mascarpone, cold heavy cream, sifted powdered sugar, vanilla, and slightly warmed and cooled salted caramel sauce.
2. Whisk with an electric mixer at medium-low speed for about 2 minutes until you get a smooth and firm glaze.

Layer Cake Assembly:

1. Using a cake leveler or a large serrated knife, slice the 2 cakes into 2 layers to get 4 cake layers.
2. Place one cake layer on a cake board placed on a turntable.
3. Apply a ring of caramel buttercream around the outer edges, fill the center with caramel glaze, then add a layer of slightly warmed but not too hot salted caramel sauce.
4. Cover with the second cake layer and repeat the previous step until the last cake layer.
5. Cover the entire layer cake with a very thin layer of buttercream smoothed with an offset spatula and place the layer cake in the fridge for about 20-30 minutes or 10 minutes in the freezer.
6. Cover with a thicker layer of buttercream and smooth with a steel cake smoother.
7. Chill the cake again in the fridge for 30 minutes before drizzling with salted caramel sauce (warm but not too hot), then decorate the top of the cake with the remaining caramel buttercream.
8. Enjoy!