Double-caramel Cake

Ingredients

Cake

• ¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 egg yolk, room temperature
• ¾ cups pastry flour
• a dash of salt
• ¼ cup sour cream
• ⅛ tsp baking soda

Caramel Glaze

• ¾ cup sugar
• ¼ cup white corn syrup
• ½ cup water
• ¾ cup whipping cream

Coconut Garnish

• 1 fresh coconut, cracked open

Coconut Ice Cream

• 1 x 8-ounce package of cream cheese, room temperature
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp coconut extract
• dash salt
• ½ cup whipping cream

Procedures

Cake

1. For cake, preheat oven to 275 °F.
2. Grease and flour a 6-inch heart shaped cake pan.
3. In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with an electric mixer), cream butter, sugars and vanilla on high speed until light and fluffy, scraping down sides often.
4. Add egg and yolk, beating well.
5. Sift together flour and salt.
6. In a separate bowl combine sour cream and baking soda.
7. Add flour and sour cream alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with the flour.
8. Scrape cake batter into prepared pan.
9. Bake for 20 minutes at 275 °F, then turn up oven to 325 °F and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until a tester inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clear.
10. For caramel glaze, bring sugar, corn syrup and water up to a boil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
11. Boil without stirring, brushing the sides of the pan occasionally with a brush dipped in water.
12. Cook for about 10 minutes, until sugar turns an amber colour.
13. Remove from heat and whisk in cream, taking care as it will steam.
14. Allow to cool, then chill until ready to use.
15. For coconut garnish, peel off outer husk of coconut and peel shavings with a vegetable peeler.
16. Spread onto a parchment-lined baking tray and bake in a 350 °F oven until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
17. To assemble, slice heart cake in half and spread with caramel (if caramel has is too firm, heat in microwave), sprinkle with a few coconut shavings and top with second cake layer.
18. Pour caramel over entire cake, spreading it with a spatula so that all of the cake is covered.
19. Press coconut shavings onto sides of cake and chill until ready to serve.

Coconut Ice Cream

1. Beat cream cheese and sugar.
2. Add coconut milk, lemon juice, extract and salt.
3. Whip cream to soft peaks and fold in.
4. Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.
5. Scrape ice cream from maker into a non-reactive container and chill until firm, about 4 hours.