Early on in my blog career, I wrote a post about conquering my fear of caramel. I received a very thoughtful and helpful comment to that post from none other than Shuna Fish Lydon, the chef behind one of the most accomplished and informative blogs out there: eggbeater.
When the hosts of the November Daring Bakers’ challenge, Dolores of Chronicles in Culinary Curiosity; Alex of Blondie and Brownie and Jenny of Foray of Food, announced that they would be venturing into caramel territory, I was so excited!
After embracing my fear of caramel, I’ve come to embrace the joy of making it. Mostly because I love the stuff but also because it’s the essence of a Daring Baker: face your fears in the kitchen!
The recipe they chose is Shuna Fish Lydon’s Caramel Cake with Caramelized Butter Frosting. As an added element, they invited Daring Bakers to try their hands at Golden Vanilla Bean Caramels from Alice Medrich’s Pure Dessert.
Before I begin discussing the challenge, I want to first thank Dolores, Alex and Jenny for forcing Daring Bakers everywhere to embrace their inner caramel-maker!
And I want to especially thank Shuna who has been so gracious throughout this challenge, not only for letting us use her recipe, but also for taking the time to answer the many questions that people have had. It’s an honour to have you with us, Shuna!
Every Daring Bakers’ challenge is different. Some have elements that are very new to me and others have methods that might be different from something I’ve tried before.
Some months I feel the need to provide a step-by-step account of what I’ve done and other months I don’t.
In this case, I would have to say that the key is the caramel. While I love caramel, I’m not a fan of dark caramel. I prefer the flavour of a lighter caramel so I didn’t cook mine quite as long as the recipe indicated. This meant that my caramel syrup wasn’t as dark and thick as some others, but that’s okay. The flavour was still gorgeous and I’m enjoying the leftover syrup on everything that I can pour it on!
For me, the best part of this challenge was the icing. This frosting for this cake is made with melted butter! I have never made a frosting with melted butter and to say I was intrigued would be an understatement. And not only is it melted butter, it’s browned butter which has to be one of my favourite flavours. When you brown butter, it takes on a nutty essence that is divine. Everyone adored the frosting! I can’t wait to try it in other recipes.
In deference to the chewy caramels I used to eat as a child, I had to try the recipe for the Golden Vanilla Bean Caramels from Alice Medrich. I was not able to obtain ground golden vanilla beans so I used pure vanilla extract instead. Because I love caramel and salt, I added a liberal sprinkling of fleur de sel to the finished product. It was like being a kid all over again!
Embrace your inner caramel-maker and be sure to visit all the other daring bakers to see what they made.
Ciao!
63 comments
Meeta
Thanks Ivonne for being one of the driving forces behind his group. I too have overcome so many fears and every time I do I wish I could hug you for getting me to join this group. The cake look great!
Baking Soda
Easy to find my inner caramel maker (I adore the stuff!) but next to that, hiding in the dark, was my fear of making cakes! Embrace, embrace and eventually conquer? No worries for you here, your cake looks scrumptioous!
Rosa
Gorgeous! As usual you did a great job!
Cheers,
Rosa
Deeba
I met my inner caramel-maker with this challenge too…my first time, & I am so proud of my bottle of caramel. Your cake looks gorgeous…& yes, agree that caramel makes the taste rich & different!
Kitchen Goddess
Fabulous as always! The cake looks amazing.
Natashya
It looks wonderful! I wimped out on the optional caramels, I think I will go ahead and make them soon.
Chocolate Shavings
What a lovely cake ! I hear you on the fear of caramel though!
Connie
melted butter frosting eh? that does sound a bit different, but it looks like it turned out great [and probably tastes great too!]
Heather Peskin
Absolutely lovely cake! Thanks for all your inspiration for DB – this was one of the best challenges I think.
Elizabeth
Your cake is great! That thick layer of frosting on top is divine!
RecipeGirl
I prefer the lighter caramel too. I’m always afraid I’ll get it too dark and it will have that slight ‘burnt’ flavor to it! Looks wonderful. Sadly, I could not participate this month. Wish I did!
Chris
Lovely! Congrats on conquering your fear. I did not…ha! No caramels for me. Maybe another time.
Laura Rebecca
Beautifully done, as usual! Your caramels look especially lovely.
Mary
Your cake and caramels look beautiful!
Caitlin
Beautiful – I definitely should have made those caramels. And the browned butter frosting was my favorite part of the challenge too, it was amazingly tasty.
BC
Yes, the caramel scared me but I’m so glad I pushed through. Your caramels look and sound divine too.
Dana McCauley
You and I were on the same track with the caramel candies – they took me back to my “mom, please buy me a package of McIntosh caramel, pleassssse’ whine.
VeggieGirl
I could NEVER fear caramel – I’m obsessed with it, haha
LUSCIOUS CAKE, IVONNE!! Love it.
Aparna
I have never made caramel till this challenge, even though I’ve worked with varying degrees of sugar syrup, so it was fun.
Your cake looks lovely. I like the way your cake is frosted only on the top.
Browned butter is something we use a lot in Indian sweets. We call it ghee and the taste and flavour is indeed lovely.
Renee
I now have to make the caramels! I only made the cake, but after reading your post, I must return to the kitchen. I will not forget the sprinkle of fleur de sel. Awesome idea!
Candice
I didn’t make the optional caramels but seeing your picture makes me tempted to do so. Yum!
Thanks for being one of the ‘managers’ of the Daring Bakers for all this time! Two years, wow.
rainbowbrown
What a delicious looking cake!
Judy
What a beautiful cake. I’m with you on the lighter caramel. I don’t so much like the bitterness of the dark.
Jude
Ahh… Looks perfectly iced. I tried to do it that way, too but the icing kept falling down the sides.
Debbie
I wish I could be a daring baker and though at times I believe I can as I watch all the daring bakers take on the challenge but than there are other times when there is some kind of triple layered cake with some crazy filling of ingredients I don’t even know of, than I say…oh no..no…I can’t be a daring baker. My cakes have the tendency to slide off the top, I sit there watching it, saying to myself, “My cake is moving.” (funny I know but creepy too.) You made this cake look so easy, so perfectly done, as found at bakeries.
Caramely Tarty
It was a wonderful challenge indeed! Love the colors of your caramels and that caramel syrup on top of the cake makes me high again!!
clumbsycookie
And what a way to conquer your caramel fear!!!
Arlene
Your cake is exquisite. I’m enjoying everyone’s posts, though I chose to sit this one out. Believe it or not, I’m not a fan of caramel or anything too sweet. I’m anxious to see what December’s challenge will be. This is a great group.
jillian
Your cake is beautiful! I love caramel too and I thought the flavor of the cake was perfect!
Marce
Gorgeous cake, Ivonne! And I agree with you, that icing is to die for.
Jodie
Looks fantastic! I love the drizzle on top!
Mary
Great minds think alike – I didn’t take my caramel too dark either!
Thanks so much for this great gift that is the Daring Bakers.
Lex
I’ve never had or even heard of caramel with salt (intentionally) until this year. Now it seems to be the flavour combo of the season. And it’s brilliant! How could i have missed this?
Do you finish the caramel with fleur de sel as it is setting?
Jen Yu
Oooh, that looks lovely. I am also drooling over the caramels. That’s what I wanted to make until I couldn’t find golden syrup anywhere… of course, I just read on Tartlette’s blog that she subbed in corn syrup. Love the fleur de sel on caramel!!
Lynn
Lovely. I think the joy of this challenge is going to see what others of done with it. I am so amazed by your beautiful pictures. Your cake looks divine. I am very impressed.
Margaret
Your cake is lovely. Great job.
tanya
I now wish I had made the caramels (no time though!). Your cake looks really, really good!
Erin
Glad you conquered your fear of caramel! I thought the frosting was the best part as well. Your cake looks beautiful!
Elle
This was the perfect challenge for the 2 year anniversary of the Daring Bakers! Your cake is so beautiful and the sentiment of facing ones challenges in the kitchen is so true…and so DB! Thank you for the incredible part you have played in transforming this from two friends baking pretzles to over 1, 000 baking friends baking a special cake today.l
gail
Your cake and caramels look amazing! I have yet to break through the caramel barrier, but your words of inspiration may be what I need to keep at it.
dolcigine
Your cake looks amazing!!!!
And i just love the caramels!! I just did the cake myself but now I’ll also try the caramels! 
linda
I had the same fear of making caramel but I don’t fear it anymore (not that it always work the way I want
)
Lovely cake with the drizzled caramel sauce on top. Your caramels look wonderful too.
Gloria
Absolutely nice and yummy!!! Gloria
Astra Libris
Oh my goodness, how absolutely beautiful… I think your light caramel is perfect, too – the perfect complement to the brown butter icing! WOW!
Camille
I favor light colored caramel, but will eat about anything caramel, too. Your cake looks fantastic!
Lori
I just loved this cake and frosting. Yes it was sweet as a lot of people said but man was it ever tastey. This was a great experience, as are all the DB challenges! I continue to love being apart of the DB’ers.
snookydoodle
this cake looks dream like.
i m not good at making caramel. last time i tried it it came bitter. did I burn it ? it was deep amber. This cake is to die for .
Nicole
Ivonne, thanks for your comment. I’m so happy to be part of Daring Bakers! My caramel wasn’t super dark either…I’m always afraid of burning it and I don’t have much caramel-making experience so I was a little hesitant. But it all worked out and I really did love this cake. The frosting was a little too sweet for me, but it really did compliment the cake. I LOVED the flavor of the browned butter in the frosting…just wish there was a way to make it with less sugar!
Marla
Ah yes, the dreaded carmel failure. It was one of my first of many trial by error frustrating things to tackle. It still can be finicky for such a simple list of ingredients. Your cakes and carmels look wonderful!
Courtney
This challenge drove home the fact that I need to work onmy caramel. Its always hit or miss for me. Great job on both the cakes and caramels.
Tina
So delicious! I love caramel in a weird way!
Jenny
Looks great!
I do hope to try this again later, and think I will try your suggestion of lightening up the caramel. Plus the caramels have intrigued me (and we’ve eaten all the caramels that were in the pantry.)
elra
Beautiful!
I especially like those caramels.
peabody
Melted butter icing is yummy. This was a good pick from the looks of it. Sorry I missed it.
Dharm
I cant beleive that YOU would fear anything!! Great job on the cake my dear!!
Angela
Your cake looks fantastic! I love that thick layer of frosting on top. Yum!
Dolores
Thank YOU, for the gentle leadership you provide month after month that allows the Daring Bakers to flourish and grow. I’m grateful to be a part of such a unique community and to have been offered the opportunity to host a challenge during an anniversary month.
And I’m with Dharm, it surprises me you’re afraid of *anything*.
Liliana
Your cake looks absolutely divine! So do your salted caramels – maybe I will find the courage and make them.
Sheltie Girl
You did a fabulous job on your cake. I love the caramel syrup drizzles all over the top…yum!
Natalie @ Gluten A Go Go
Erik
Well done again, Ivonne! Another fine job by a talented baker!
Joanna
Your cake looks divine – and I LOOVE caramel, so I may have to try this one. My daughter decided to make a caramel pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving this year, it was the first time she made caramel and it was great! I’d never thought of putting caramel with pumpkin but it was from Dorie’s Baking book so of course it was good.
claire
I agree…the icing was the best part! Great job. Your cake just looks perfect. I love how the icing stops before it gets to the bottom leaving a bit of cake peaking out from the bottom!
MyKitchenInHalfCups
Even though this is a short post, it’s taken me four trips back here to read it – travel throws disorganization & interruptions to a new level.
Beautiful cake and yes I love caramel as you do. I was so looking forward to my left over caramel syrup when I got home but it was all gone. Thief!! (I’d told my neighbor she could use it and forgot;)