Show-stopping Dr Pepper Cake

If you look through old Southern cookbooks you’ll find an odd ingredient that you really wouldn’t expect to find – Coca Cola. It’s found in both savoury and sweet recipes where it adds a rich caramel depth to the dish. In Texas we do things a bit differently; we use Dr Pepper.

We’re mighty proud of Dr Pepper and that’s because it was invented in Waco, Texas way back in 1885, a full year before the stuff in the red can. Folks usually bake their Dr Pepper cake in a 9x15in pan; however, I prefer to elevate mine to showstopper status by baking the cake in three 9-inch round pans. I sandwich the layers with whipped chocolate ganache and frost the entire cake with either Dr Pepper icing or chocolate buttercream.

There are some strange ingredients that go into this cake but I can assure it will definitely please the most refined palates as well as appealing to any chocoholic you might know. It certainly impressed P when I made this for his birthday when we first started seeing each other – he asks for it every year now.

This recipe is adapted from Baked in America.

Ingredients:

For the cake

340g unsalted butter cut into pieces

350ml Dr Pepper

65g mini marshmallows

85g dark chocolate chopped finely

530g plain flour

115g cocoa powder

1 ½tsp bicarbonate soda (baking soda)

2 ¾tsp baking powder

1tsp salt

600g sugar

80g melted butter

1tbs vanilla

5 large eggs room temp

300ml buttermilk room temp

For the Dr Pepper icing

640g icing sugar

30g cocoa powder

58g butter

120ml Dr Pepper

2tbs double cream

1tbs vanilla extract

1tsp cinnamon

Alternative Frosting – Dr Pepper Cocoa Buttercream

500g icing sugar (sifted)

3tbs cocoa powder (sifted)

117g softened butter

30-50ml Dr Pepper

Instructions:

For the layers

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease and line three 9inch round pans and set aside.
2. Add the first four ingredients to a medium sized pan over a medium/high heat until scalding and the butter has melted. Remove from heat and continue to stir until all of the marshmallows have melted. This takes a while. Once fully incorporated, set aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl sift together the flour, cocoa, salt, bicarbonate soda and baking powder and set aside. 
4. In a large mixing bowl with the paddle attachment combine the sugar, melted butter and vanilla over a medium speed. Reduce the speed and add in one egg at a time until you have added in all five eggs.
   
5. Increase the speed and pour the cooled Dr Pepper mixture into the eggs and sugar and mix until the mixture is a nice even colour.
6. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the bowl and once incorporated add in half of the buttermilk. Add the second third of the flour mixture and continue to mix until just incorporated then add the last of the buttermilk.  Finally add in the last of the flour mixture and continue to mix until just combined. (I often do this last bit by hand to prevent over mixing) Keep in mind that you will have a very full mixing bowl.
   
7. Divide evenly between the three prepared tins and place in the oven for 35-40 minutes.
8. Once fully baked remove from the oven and set on a wire rack and let cool completely.
   

For the Dr Pepper icing

1. Combine all of the ingredients except the cream and the vanilla into a medium pan over a medium/high hear.
2. Bring to the boil and then remove from heat.
3. Let cool for five minutes and then add in the vanilla and cream.
4. Stir until the mixture thickens and then pour over the finished cake.

You could add in a handful of chopped pecans, if you like, before pouring over the cake.

To assemble the cake

1. Gently heat the salted caramel in the microwave to make it loose and easier to spread.
2. Cut the individual layers in half and cut off any dome that may have risen.
3. Dab a small amount of the salted caramel on the cake board and apply the first layer.
4. Add 150g – 250g of salted caramel and spread over the entire top of the layer. Place the next layer on top of the salted caramel.
5. Continue doing this until you have added the final layer but do not add any salted caramel to the top of this layer.
6. With an offset spatula smooth out any caramel that has oozed between the layers and then refrigerate for 20-30 minutes to set. 
7. Remove the cake from the refrigerator and pour over the Dr Pepper icing. Alternatively you could frost the entire cake with chocolate buttercream or pour over a chocolate ganache.

Alternative Frosting – Dr Pepper Cocoa Buttercream

1. Sift the cocoa and icing sugar into a mixing bowl and add the softened butter. 
2. Using the whisk attachment slowly mix the ingredients together until they start to combine and the icing sugar is mostly incorporated. 
3. Turn up the speed and add in 30ml of Dr Pepper and continue to whip until the frosting is fluffy. 
4. You may need to add in the additional 20ml but be careful not to add to much liquid.

Salted Caramel link

Chocolate Ganache link

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Profiteroles

Sometimes you want to have a piece of chocolate cake that doesn’t take much effort yet still delivers a much needed chocolate punch. This flourless chocolate cake from MarthaStewart really is the business.

I couldn’t decide what to make for the final of The Croc Bake Off and I wanted to make something that was both simple to make and impressive. After deciding that I wanted to make something topped with profiteroles I knew I wouldn’t have the time to make my Dr Pepper cake, especially as P and I new parents to a Dandie Dinmont puppy named Dougal. I knew that I’d want to come home from work and play with him rather than stand in the kitchen all night.

As usual, I spread my baking over a couple of evenings making the profiteroles first and storing them, unfilled, in an airtight container. The following night I made the flourless cake and then put the two together at the office the next morning. Fortunately Dougal is more interested in sleeping than much else at the moment so I had time to make the salted caramel sauce and chocolate sauce as well.

Ingredients:

85g unsalted butter cut into pieces

227g dark chocolate 70% as a minimum, chopped finely

6 large eggs separated

112g caster sugar

Icing sugar for dusting

Sweetened whipped double cream for serving

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 135C and prepare a 9in spring-form pan with butter or cake release spray.

1. Place the butter and chocolate into a microwave safe bowl and melt in 30-second intervals. Stir the mixture between each time until completely melted. Let this cool for around 5 minutes, or while you whip up the egg whites, and then stir in the egg yolks.

2. In a mixing bowl beat the egg whites with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Then gradually add the sugar a tablespoon at a time and continue to beat until the eggs are glossy and hold a stiff peak.

3. Using a large spatula, take a large spoonful of the egg whites and mix them into the chocolate mixture until combined. Then add in the rest of the egg whites and fold in gently in stages until combined.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top with the spatula. Bake until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan 40 – 50 minutes. Place on a wire rack and let cool completely before removing from the pan.

You can either dust this with icing sugar and serve with the sweetened cream or pile profiteroles on the top and drizzle with salted caramel and chocolate sauce.

Salted Caramel Sauce

Salted caramel is one of those taste sensations of salty and sweet that my American palate absolutely adores. I put it up there with the highlight of eating pancakes with syrup with the maple syrup oozes on the plate, covering the smoky, salted bacon.

A key feature of my Dr Pepper and salted caramel cake, I will find any excuse to pour this unctuous liquid over almost any treat. Most recently I've used it to pour over my cream filled profiteroles.

Making salted caramel can seem intimidating because it involves using a cooking thermometer but it really is simple and straightforward to make, although it does require close watching to ensure it doesn't burn. I use Martha Stewart's recipe and have converted into metric, which I prefer to use.

Ingredients:

800g caster sugar*

240g golden syrup

225g cold unsalted butter cut into pieces

470ml double cream

60ml water

1tsp salt

You can halve the recipe very easily depending on what you need it for.

Instructions:

1. Combine the sugar, golden syrup, and water in a medium sized heavy bottomed pan and set it over a medium/high heat. Cook without stirring until the mixture becomes a dark amber colour and all of the sugar crystals have melted. This will take around 15 minutes.

 

2. Remove from heat and slowly pour in the cream because it will splutter and splatter and it really burns if it splashes on you. Stir the cream and sugar mixture until smooth - it will be lumpy at first and then it will smooth out, and then return to the heat and insert a cooking thermometer and cook until it reaches 114C or 338F. This usually takes around 10 minutes over a medium/high heat. Take care with the heat since it could bubble over if you don't have a deep enough pan.

 

3. Once the caramel has reach 114C remove from the heat and stir and pour into a clean glass bowl stirring the salt through. I often use salted butter and omit the salt at this stage and it works just fine. Let it cool  in the bowl for 15 minutes.

4. Gradually add the pieces of butter and mix it in thoroughly before adding the next piece. Once you have added all of the pieces of butter you can leave the caramel to cool in the bowl or pour into a jar.

The caramel will last about a week in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Warm up slightly in the microwave so you can pour it over your favourite cakes, cookies, ice cream or just spoon it straight from the jar to your mouth.

*You can use regular sugar but it might take a little bit longer to melt since the crystals are larger.