In my family there is a definite ‘birthday season’. It starts December 12th with my youngest sons birthday, and extends until February 24th which is my birthday (I only mentioned that as you all have time to get my presents ready :)). So that’s pretty much 2 solid months of birthdays with Christmas and New Year thrown in as well. Not every family birthday is in that period, but the majority are.
Along with birthdays of course comes birthday cake. As the only person in my family who bakes or even attempts cakes (although Mum did do a few fruitcakes at Christmas), the responsibility of preparing the birthday cake naturally falls back on me. Not that I mind, in fact I’ve recently invested in a few more baking cookbooks to help the cause.
The most recent birthday was last week for my Dad who turned 72. The week before we’d had a chocolate cake for Maggie’s birthday and although that is Dad’s favourite, I decided to try something new – Caramel Butter Cake. Very nice, very moist, very caramel and very well received. Happy Birthday Boxy!
Caramel Butter Cake
Recipe adapted from Bake (Australian Womens Weekly)
125g butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon golden syrup
1 cup plain flour
1/2 cup self-raising flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup milk
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C (360F). Grease a 20cm round pan and line the base with baking paper.
Combine butter, extract and sugar in a bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition. Beat through golden syrup. Fold through sifted dry ingredients and milk. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven about 50 minutes. Stand cake in pan for a few minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool. Spread icing (recipe follows) onto the cooled cake and serve.
Caramel Icing
60g butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
To make the icing: Combine the butter and sugar in a small saucepan and stir over heat without boiling until the sugar is dissolved. Add milk and stir for a further 2 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer mixture into a small bowl. Gradually stir through icing sugar and then add essence.
If you have any questions or comments about this recipe please leave them below. Any favourite birthday recipes you’d like to share? Let us know about them too.
