Friday, July 13, 2018

White Chocolate & Espresso Cake with Caramel Espresso Swiss Meringue Buttercream #SummerDessertWeek

By: The Food Hunter  

“This post and recipe was created for #SummerDessertWeek! I was sent samples by some of the sponsor companies but as always opinions are 100% mine.”
 

The 2nd Annual #SummerDessertWeek event hosted by Angie from Big Bear’s Wife is coming to an end. With over 60 recipes shared this week I hope you found something new to try!
Also, there's still time to enter one of the 5 giveaways!

Scroll down to take a look & ENTER! 


The final dessert I'm sharing this week was, in my opinion, the most spectacular dessert ever! The combination of white chocolate, espresso and homemade caramel was over the top delicious! I'll admit it was a lot of work but it was soooo very worth it. I borrowed the recipe from Cake Paper Party and didn't make any changes. Like them I made it for my birthday and couldn't have been more pleased.  I urge you to give it a try.



White Chocolate & Espresso Cake with Caramel Espresso Swiss Meringue Buttercream

  • 1 cup half and half
  • 1 tablespoon finely ground espresso beans
  • 7 ounces white chocolate, chopped if in block form
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons Adams vanilla extract
  • 2 cups Dixie Crystals granulated sugar
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ounce cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon salt 
  • dark chocolate espresso beans 
  • For the Espresso Caramel:
  • ½ cup water
  • 7 ounces granulated sugar
  • ½ ounce  corn syrup
  • ½ cup whipping cream
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup brewed espresso
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
  • For the Buttercream:
  • 9 ounces Espresso Caramel sauce
  • 8 ounces  granulated sugar
  • 8 ounces egg whites
  • 16 ounces  unsalted butter, cool room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 F (177 C). Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans. 
Combine the half and half and the espresso beans over low heat. Add the white chocolate and whisk to combine until chocolate melts completely. Cool for a few minutes and then whisk in eggs and vanilla and cool to room temperature.

Beat butter and sugar for 2 minutes on medium-high speed of mixer. Add in dry ingredients, turn mixer on low and mix to moisten dry ingredients. Pour in espresso-egg mixture gradually with speed still on low, then increase speed and beat on medium for one minute until well combined and smooth. 

Pour into prepared pans and bake for about 30-35 minutes until the cake is done. The cake should begin to settle back on itself on the edges. Cool 10 minutes in pan and then turn out to a cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting with buttercream.


For the Espresso Caramel:
Place the water in a heavy bottomed medium sauce pan and add sugar carefully to the middle of the pan. Add corn syrup without stirring. Cover and bring to a boil without stirring over medium high heat. 
Remove lid, use a candy thermometer, and heat until the mixture reaches 300 F. Reduce heat to low and heat to 350 F watching carefully to avoid overheating and burning the sugar. 

While the sugar cooks, combine the cream, salt and espresso in a small pot and heat until warm. 

When the caramel reaches 350 F immediately remove from heat and pour in 1/3 of the cream mixture. When the bubbling subsides pour in the remaining cream mixture in two batches and stir well to combine. Stir in vanilla extract. 


For the Buttercream:
Whisk Espresso Caramel, sugar and egg whites together in a bowl of a double broiler whisking continuously until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture reaches 160 F. Pour the syrup into a cake pan or shallow metal bowl and chill in the freezer for 15-20 minutes until it is quite cool. 

Meanwhile, beat the butter in a mixer for 2 minutes on high until the butter is lighter in color and aerated. Add the cooled syrup in two additions to the butter beating 1 minute after each addition. Add the vanilla and beat 30 seconds until smooth; use immediately. 
****Note: If buttercream separates take about 1/3 of the mixture and microwave about 30 seconds. Pour this heated mixture back into your mixer and start beating once again. This should bring the buttercream all back together.****
 

PRIZE #1


Prize #1 — Dixie Crystals is giving away one (1) Instant Pot (8 Qt) to one lucky winner!
 

PRIZE #2



Prize #2 — Adam’s Extract is giving away - One bottle of Adams Best Vanilla Flavor, Adams Best Prize Winning Pound Cake Mix, Adams Extract Twice as Stong Vanilla and Adams Extract Lemon Extract
 

PRIZE #3



Prize #3– Red Star Yeast is giving away a gift pack including an Insulated Tote Bag, Apron, “The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day” Cookbook, Yeast, Rolling Pin, Measuring Spoons, Oven Mit and Dish Towel
 

PRIZE #4

Prize #4 — Susquehanna Glass Co. is giving away one set (4 glasses) of Mermaids Stemless Wine Glasses. (like the Mermaid glasses you'll see in some of our recipes this week!)

PRIZE #5

Prize #5 — Lodge Cast Iron is giving away one (1) 12-inch Cast Iron Skillet.


a Rafflecopter giveaway
 
Giveaway open to US Residents 18 years or older. No PO Boxes Please. giveaway runs from July 9th until July 15th at 12AMEST. Winners will be selected soon afterward and contacted by e-mail. Winners will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. There are a total of 5 (five) prizes and therefore we will have a total of 5 (five) winners.

Disclaimer: These posts and recipes are part of the week-long event, #SummerDessertWeek but all opinions are 100% mine! We would like to Thank our amazing sponsors: Dixie Crystals, Adam’s Extract, Red Star Yeast, Susquehanna Glass Co. and Lodge Cast Iron! These wonderful sponsors provided the prize packs for our giveaways and also sent samples and products to the #SummerDessertWeek bloggers to use in their recipes.
    Check out the amazing #SummerDessertWeek recipes from our bloggers today!   Ice Cream Recipes:   Pies of Summer:   Sweet Summertime Cakes:   No-Bake Treats:   Baked Desserts:   Sweet Sips:

3 comments:

  1. I'm not a coffee/espresso fan but dang white chocolate with caramel sounds yummy!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Goodness, that looks and sounds delicious! My favorite Summer dessert is definitely berry trifle! starla.batesATyahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. You had me at espresso! I can't get enough of that coffee flavor in desserts. This is a winner!

    ReplyDelete