Too Much is Never Enough

Henry has said for years that he isn't afraid I will spend all of our hard-earned money.  Nope, he is more concerned that I will give it away.  He's probably right.  You are unlikely to spot me at the mall buying shoes, clothes or jewelry (of course, that shows in the way I dress) but I'm a soft touch when someone is hungry or in need.  In my next life, I hope I get to be one of those "Secret Millionaires" who pretend they are just like the rest of us, then give much-needed funds to deserving individuals and organizations, amidst flowing tears, screams of disbelief and hugs.

Since I am in this life however, I fulfill those urges by pulling a complete overload when someone asks me to bring food to a potluck dinner or bake a birthday cake.  What, a simple birthday cake?  As I have posted several times (most recently a week or so ago), if one cake is good, then three are better!

I held to that standard this past weekend when yet once again, I offered to bake a cake for a friend's birthday party.  Luckily for me, she loves cheesecake and as we all know, I AM THE CHEESECAKE QUEEN and I could bake them in my sleep.  Nonetheless, they are pretty spectacular looking and the best thing is that they require no frosting or complicated decorating.  No pastry bags needed!

You already have my basic cheesecake recipe (courtesy of Glenn Powell and Elise Griffin-Hughes) which calls for 3 pounds of cream cheese, 2 1/2 cups of granulated sugar, 6 eggs and a 10 x 3-inch round (not springform) pan.  In case you missed it, here's the link:

http://nevertrustaskinnycook1.blogspot.com/2010/11/wheres-my-tiara.html

For this latest birthday extravaganza, I made the Chocolate-Espresso Cheesecake as detailed in the above post.  It was yummy, but you already know this.

I also made the basic vanilla version (posted there as well).  For the crust, I pulverized about half a package of Vanilla Oreos and combined it with 4 tablespoons of melted butter (gotta love all that fat!)  I then topped the finished cake with sliced fresh strawberries, glazed with a little melted strawberry jelly. 

For the third version, I decided upon key lime.  The crust consisted of 7 oz. gingersnaps, ground with 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon of lime zest, then combined with 4 tablespoons of melted butter.  I then placed the 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar (as called for in the basic recipe - a little less if you want) in the food processor with 2 tablespoons of lime zest and 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh ginger.  This is what I used to add to the cream cheese in the electric mixer.  To the basic batter, I also added 1/2 cup of key lime juice and 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract.

I will refrain from modesty and admit that all three of these cheesecakes were fabulous.  If you tried any one of them on its own, you might even venture so far as to say it was the best cheesecake you ever ate.  Sampled at the same time, however, the winner for the evening was the vanilla-strawberry version.  I'm convinced it had something to do with those Vanilla Oreos!

Go, Laura!  You're so special, you deserve 300 cakes!

This One's a Keeper

If you are one of my good friends, there is a high likelihood I will make you a birthday cake on your annointed day (assuming I know when it is, of course).  That's what happened recently, when I delivered a cake to my dear friend Charla (not her real name) at her place of work.

Charla is very careful about what she eats (far better than I!) and I know she's been doing her best to stay away from chocolate.  I could certainly work around that in deciding what kind of cake to make for her, but I wasn't sure where to go from there.  I ran down my list of favorites (hummingbird and salted caramel came to mind) but nothing sounded right.  I remembered a lavender pound cake I made for her several years ago (which she liked) and lime cornmeal cookies which were also among her favorites.

Then I espied those two Meyer lemons which I'd been hoarding.  I also discovered an unopened bottle of poppy seeds in the spice cabinet.  An idea for Lemon Poppyseed Cake started to dance in my head.....

I turned to that well-used tome in my kitchen, "Sky High" by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne.  I wasn't looking to make a sky high irresistible triple-layer cake, but when I came across their recipe for Lemon Poppyseed Cake with Almond Cream Cheese Frosting, I couldn't resist.  As it turned out, this was a good decision.

If the reaction from Charla's co-workers was any indication, this cake was a pretty big hit.  One gentleman came over to tell me he was swooning and had just finished his second piece.  I loved that!  Haha, and he also made sure to tell me that his birthday is on October 12.  I hear you, Charlie!

The authors state that this cake is both rich and light at the same time.  I would have to agree.  I will tell you though, that brushing the layers with the lemon syrup is crucial.  If you skip this step, I think the layers will be too dry.  I love the fact that the layers are pure white (due to no egg yolks) and speckled with those tiny black poppy seeds which give the cake a lovely crunch.  I debated about replacing the almond extract in the frosting with lemon juice, but in the end, I didn't.  Another good decision.

I have to make a big birthday cake for a friend's big birthday next week. This one just might be in the running!

LEMON POPPY SEED CAKE WITH ALMOND-CREAM CHEESE FROSTING (adapted from “Sky High” by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne)

3 cups cake flour
2 cups granulated sugar, divided
4 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt (I used kosher)
3 tablespoons poppy seeds
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons (Meyer lemons, if possible)
1 ¼ cups buttermilk, divided
5 egg whites (I used extra-large)
1/3 cup water

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Butter the bottoms of three 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of each with parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper.

Combine the flour, 1 ¾ cups of the sugar, baking powder, salt and poppy seeds in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to blend.

Place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until smooth and creamy, scraping down sides of bowl several times. Add the lemon zest and mix well. Add the flour mixture and 1 cup of the buttermilk. Beat on low until completely mixed, then increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes to lighten and aerate the batter.

In a medium bowl, combine the egg whites with the remaining ¼ cup buttermilk and whisk to blend thoroughly. Add the egg white mixture to the batter in 3 additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beating only enough to incorporate. Divide the batter among the prepared pans.

Bake for 25 – 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then turn out on a baking rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining ¼ cup of sugar, the lemon juice and the water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Let cool slightly.

For the frosting:
1 ½ lbs. (three 8-oz. packages) cream cheese, softened
8 oz. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
½ lb. confectioner’s sugar
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon almond extract

Place cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat well on high speed for at least 5 minutes, scraping bowl down often until no lumps remain. Add sugar in three parts, beating well each time and scraping down bowl as needed. Add salt and almond extract and blend well. Try to avoid eating too much of this stuff as you make it.

To assemble:
Place one layer, flat side up, on a cake stand or serving plate. Brush with 1/3 of the lemon syrup. Spread with a layer of frosting. Repeat with remaining two layers, then frost sides and top of cake.

Serves 8 - 10

* I am givng you this recipe as it was written.  In the interest of full disclosure, I made it in lovely 8-inch pans with removable bottoms which were given to me by my dear friend Stephen (you know who you are).  No need for you to follow that same path; just make it in whatever pans work for you.

*  And yes, I am going to make this for my friend's birthday.  In a tiered version, no less.  Heaven help me!  I have a feeling this could just be the next great cake-wreck!

*  Will keep you posted.  Even if it's ugly. It probably will be. Oy veh.

Whack What?

I’ve written before about how difficult it can be to maintain a blog. Oh, it’s easy enough when you first get started and have lots of ideas and lots to say. You blithely post about everything you can think of, then suddenly … you come up dry at the well. You’ve pretty much ripped through your repertoire of ideas. Even worse, you think of something to write about, but then peruse your blog archives only to realize you already wrote about it last year. Why didn’t I remember that? Is the beginning of Alzheimers? Well, crap.

I started thumbing through my favorite (and not-so-favorite) cookbooks to try and come up with ideas. “Catchy name,” I thought. I was looking for something which to inspire both me and you, my wonderful blog readers.

Big Zero, however, unless we want to talk about making Thomas Keller’s Oysters and Pearls. Not likely. Someday I will tell you about the time we went to The French Laundry and I was so sick that I couldn’t eat anything, repeat ANYTHING that was served to me. Tragically, I am not kidding. I poked around at everything, then made Henry eat my share. Food Police in reverse. He will probably never, ever get that lucky again.

Here's the menu I missed.  Sigh.

In the midst of my writer’s block, I got a Facebook message from a friend. “Hey Liz, I’m going to make the Wacky Cake that's in your cookbook. Does it need frosting?”

You may remember I have a home-grown, self-published cookbook that I created for my kids. Over the course of the last several years, I have also given copies to people I love. Our friend Shana was one of those recipients. When I got her message, I didn’t have the heart to tell her I had never made the recipe in the book.

http://nevertrustaskinnycook1.blogspot.com/2010/09/recipes-from-home.html

Now in my own defense, I thought the recipe sounded good and since this book was intended for Andy and Eric only, I wasn’t overly concerned with testing recipes. Still, I didn’t feel comfortable giving Shana advice without having made the thing. So, I threw it together at 11pm. Turns out it was pretty easy. Turns out it was pretty good! And, if you care about these kinds of things, it is a vegan recipe.

Thanks, Shana! I appreciate the inspiration. As I posted on your wall, this cake is good “naked”, but even better if served with some softly whipped cream (maybe with the inclusion of a little cinnamon) or premium ice cream (coffee, perhaps?). I hope you made it for your dinner party and I hope it was a success!

WACKY CAKE (from Gale Gand)

1 ½ cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon white vinegar
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup cold water

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Grease and 8 x 8-inch square pan.

Place the dry ingredients in a bowl. Make three small holes in the mixture. Pour the vanilla in one hole, the vinegar in another and the vegetable oil in the third. Pour water over the top and mix.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until center is puffed and a cake tester comes out clean.

Cut into squares, as desired. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Serves 8 - 10

This is a very moist cake, kind of like a very “cakey” brownie, but lighter. It’s delightful as a snacking cake, with a glass of cold milk, late in the afternoon, especially if you are curled up on a chilly day with a good book.

I dusted mine with powdered sugar and yes … I ate a piece of it before I gave it away and got it out of my house. So much for my efforts to limit carbs and sugar. At least I abstained from the ice cream. Still, I guess I will never be a skinny cook. I guess that’s why you can continue to trust me!

Impress. Your Guests.

Everyone here in Atlanta is still talking about our recent ice storm, but the truth is, most of our stories are similar.  Suffice it to say, I can only imagine how many closets, drawers and basements were cleaned out last week.  In my case, it was the pantry.  What the heck else are you supposed to do when you can't leave the house for days on end?

Imagine my surprise when I unearthed a big box of amaretti cookies from deep within the bowels of my pantry shelves.  Well, well, well.  I started casting around for recipes which incorporated them.  But wait, it didn't really matter because what I was really after were THE PAPERS THEY ARE WRAPPED IN.

No, I'm not kidding.  No, I am not suggesting that you eat these papers or use them to roll up with something illegal.  I am, however, going to share an amazing trick you can do with them; one that will make you the hit of any party and cause you to kick yourself everytime you think of all the times you have thrown these things in the trash before you knew "the secret."

Here's the back story:

The year was 1959 or so.  Henry (about 8 years old) was having dinner with his family and their friends, Larry and Hilda Peirez at Andre's, which was apparently a fancy restaurant in Great Neck, NY.  As dinner came to a close, the check arrived, along with amaretti wrapped in "those papers."  Larry Peirez ate his cookies, then rolled the wrapper up like a cigarette and stood it on end.  He pulled out his lighter and much to the horror of everyone seated around the table, calmly lit the paper then watched impassively as it started to burn fiercely in the middle of the table. 

Just as the tablecloth was about to catch fire (and panic about to set in), the burning cylinder gracefully ascended and floated high above the table, almost to the ceiling.  Then, totally burned out, the charred remains drifted ethereally back to the table and its wide-eyed occupants.  Henry was mesmerized.  One can only imagine what the waitstaff must have been thinking!

So, now you know.  My suggestion is to get out there and buy a package of Amaretti Lazzaroni ASAP.  The next time you have to attend a stilted dinner party, tuck a few in your pocket and light 'em up at the table.  Yours hosts may be horrified, but you will save everyone from boredom and you will be a rockstar for the evening!

Yes, we have lift off!

Up, up and away!

 If you can't find Amaretti Lazzaroni locally, here is a link:

http://parthenonfoods.com/amaretti-cookies-lazzaroni-71oz-200g-p-2853.html

Now that you have used all of the papers, what are you going to do with those poor, homeless cookies?  Here's my recommendation:

CHOCOLATE AMARETTI CAKE (adapted from Giada De Laurentis)

¾ cup bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup slivered almonds
2 oz. amaretti cookies (10 small cookies)
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
Zest of 1 orange
4 eggs (I used medium-large)

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray and place in refrigerator to chill.

Melt chocolate in a small pan until smooth. Set aside to cool while you proceed with the other steps.

Combine almonds and cookies in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely ground, then transfer to a medium bowl. Place the butter, sugar and salt in the processor and blend until creamy and smooth. Add the orange peel and pulse briefly to combine. Add eggs, one at a time and blend until incorporated. Scrape sides down and blend again. Add the reserved nut mixture and melted chocolate. Pulse until blended, scrape downs sides again, and blend until combined.

Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the center puffs, about 30 – 35 minutes. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove sides of springform. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yield: 8 servings

As usual, here are my "post-recipe" comments.

*  I was pretty wary about using a food processor for a cake.  Normally it doesn't work, but since this recipe has no flour, it's perfectly okay.  You don't want to  incorporate air in this mixture, anyway.

*  The cake will rise in the oven, then fall when you take it out to cool.  No worries.  It will also look somewhat lopsided.  No worries about that either.  It contributes to the rustic look and it has no effect whatsoever on the taste or texture.

*  Do yourself a huge favor and slip a cookie sheet or pan under the springform as it bakes.  I don't care how secure you think your pan might be, it will leak.  Spare yourself from having to clean the oven after you bake this.

*  If you want to gild the lily, you can serve this with softly whipped cream, or even ice cream.  I have to say though, I think it is pretty stunning in its simplicity, so I serve it "naked" and unadorned.

I wish you could have been here last night as I was trying to light these things and photograph them at the same time.  Challenging, at best.  At least I didn't burn the house down!  Haha, and if you try this and burn your house down, I absolve myself of all liability!

Three Desserts to Enliven Winter Evenings

I know, I know, I know, it’s January and we’re all trying to take off the few extra pounds we took on over the holidays. So why in heaven’s name would I want to give you recipes for three absolutely delicious desserts? Well here is my reasoning. People are still having birthdays and need a nice cake. Friends who adore desserts are still coming over for dinner and asking as they walk in the door “What’s for dessert?” You still might have some apples in the fridge from your tree in the backyard or cranberries in your freezer. And Lavender Shortcake, who can resist these little squares of lavender goodness to remind us that better weather lies ahead? If none of these things convinces you to try one of the three, set this blog aside and pull it out again in April, but by then your apples will most likely be gone.

Jamaican Rum Cake

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ dark or light rum
6 tablespoons crushed walnuts, optional
Rum Syrup, see recipe below

1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Grease and flour a 9- or 10-inch spring-form pan.
2. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until they are fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, blending until smooth.
3. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, rum and nuts, mixing until smooth. Pour into the prepared pan.
4. Bake in the oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until the cake bounces back when pressed gently in the center. A 9-inch pan may take a little longer.
5. Prepare the syrup. See recipe below.
6. When the cake comes out of the oven, poke it with toothpicks. Pour the hot rum syrup over the hot cake.
7. Let the cake cool before removing from pan.
8. You might want to microwave each piece before serving. You can serve it with rum raisin ice cream which is yummy but not necessary.

Rum Syrup

½ cup (1 stick) butter
½ cup sugar
½ cup dark or light rum

1. Put the butter and sugar in a small saucepan. Stir to combine as the butter melts.
2. Add the rum and bring to a boil for a few minutes.

10 servings
Adapted from Joan Nathan’s The New American Cooking

Sally Schmitt’s Cranberry and Apple Kuchen with Hot Cream
I have had The French Laundry Cookbook on my shelf since November 2003—a long time. In these seven years, I have made exactly one recipe from it. This one, in October 2004. I swear it is the only recipe in the whole book that I felt competent to tackle. But it quickly joined my list of “keepers” and has become a fall staple. Sally Schmitt was one of the original owners of The French Laundry Restaurant. She and her husband passed the restaurant and this recipe along to Thomas Keller when they were ready to devote themselves to their apple orchards some distance to the north.

6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
¾ cup sugar
1 large egg
1½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ cup milk or half and half
3 apples
1 cup fresh cranberries, at room temperature, defrosted if previously frozen
Cinnamon sugar: 1 tablespoon sugar mixed with ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Hot Cream Sauce, see recipe below

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter a 9-inch cake pan or spring-form pan. Put a round of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan.
2. Peel, quarter, and core the apples. Slice them into ¼-inch wedges.
3. Beat together the butter, sugar, and egg in a bowl large enough to hold all the ingredients until the mixture is fluffy and light in texture.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Add the dry ingredients and the milk alternately to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Do not overbeat; mix just until the ingredients are combined.
5. Spoon the batter into the pan. Press the apple slices into the batter, about ¼ inch apart and core side down. Work in a circular pattern like the spokes of a wheel. Put most of the cranberries in the middle of the cake and the remaining around the edges. Poke some into the dough. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
6. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the cake bounces back when softly pushed in the middle. Set on rack to cool briefly or let cool to room temperature.
7. Serve the kuchen in a good-sized puddle of the hot sauce. Pass the remainder in a pitcher.

Hot Cream Sauce

2 cups heavy cream
½ cup sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1. Combine the cream, sugar, and butter in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer for 5-8 minutes to reduce and thicken slightly.

8 servings
Adapted from Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry Cookbook

Lavender Shortbread Cookies

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
12 drops lavender essential oil
½ teaspoon salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 large egg
2 1/3 cups cake flour or unbleached regular flour
1 large egg white
1½ tablespoons dried lavender flowers
1 tablespoon sugar for sprinkling

1. In a food processor, blend the sugar and essential oil for 15 seconds, until well combined. Add the salt and the butter and pulse until the butter is well incorporated. Add the egg and pulse until incorporated. Add the flour and carefully pulse, until the dough forms small pebble-like shapes. Remove the dough from the processor and gently combine by hand until smooth. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
2. Roll out the dough to a thickness of ¼ inch.
Note: You may need to let it soften slightly before attempting to roll it out. Rolling it out between two sheets of plastic wrap may be helpful.
3. Line your rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
4. Cut the dough into rectangles and transfer to the baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between each shortbread. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes. If you have bits of leftover dough, mush them together, chill slightly, roll them out to ¼-inch thickness, and add to the baking sheet.
5. Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
6. Whisk the egg white in a mixing bowl for about 10 seconds, until it is frothy. Remove the cookies from the refrigerator, brush with the egg white and sprinkle with sugar and lavender flowers, pressing them slightly into the dough.
7. Bake until the edges are just starting to turn golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool before serving. The flavor and texture are much better at room temperature.

Makes about 27 2x2 inch cookies
Adapted from Mandy Aftel and Daniel Patterson’s Aroma

Baked

My cigar-smoking, power-lifting son (he’s the one in the middle of this picture but the other two, his dear friends Phil and Jerry might as well be called my sons also) inherited my penchant for cooking and baking. He lives in New York City and has a wide circle of friends, so it is not unusual for him to host a dinner party at his house or take a dish to a party. We have frequent phone conversations about what we are both cooking today, what we want to cook tomorrow or what we cooked yesterday. You get the picture.

He reads my blog (haha, at least I know someone does!) and decided to make those sweet and salty brownies from Baked that I told you about recently. He had a party to attend and thought they might be a hit.

http://nevertrustaskinnycook1.blogspot.com/2010/11/best-thing-i-ever-ate.html

Were they ever! I got an email and a picture from him with the comment “these are amazing.” He was pretty modest about it, but I’ll bet my last dollar he was the hit of the party.

He also made the pilgrimage from the city to Red Hook, Brooklyn the other day, solely for the purpose of visiting Baked (see blog entry above for more details about this place). He rarely eats flour or sugar these days but he made an exception for their Sweet and Salty Cupcake. Good call, Andy!

So here I am to give you their recipe for Sweet and Salty Cake. It was one of the three I made for that birthday party last week. It was amazing. Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, (owners and creators of Baked) I bow down in humble appreciation to you. Thanks for publishing your cookbooks!

SWEET AND SALTY CAKE (from “Baked, New Frontiers in Baking”)

For the cake:
¾ cup dark cocoa powder (I used Valrhona)
1 ¼ cups hot water
2/3 cup sour cream
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour (I used unbleached)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt (I used Kosher salt)
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup vegetable shortening, softened
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
3 eggs, room temperature (I used extra-large)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325-degrees. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans, line bottoms and sides with parchment paper and butter the parchment. Dust with flour, knocking out excess.

In a medium bowl, combine the cocoa powder, hot water and sour cream and set aside to cool.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and shortening on medium speed until ribbonlike, about 5 minutes. Add the sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, then add the vanilla and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and mix again for 30 seconds.

Add the flour mixture, alternating with the cocoa mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 30-40 minutes, rotating the pans halfway during baking, until a toothpick inserted into the center of each layer comes out clean. Transfer the cakes to a wire rack and cool for 20 minutes then invert onto a cooling rack. Remove pan and cool completely, then peel off parchment.

For the salted caramel:
½ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon fleur de sel
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
¼ cup sour cream

In a small saucepan, combine the cream and fleur de sel. Bring to a simmer over very low heat until salt is dissolved.

Meanwhile, keeping a close eye on the cream mixture so it doesn’t burn, in a medium saucepan combine ¼ cup water, sugar and corn syrup, stirring carefully so as not to splash sides of the pan. Cook over high heat until an instant-read thermometer reads 350-degrees or until the mixture is dark amber in color, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and cool 1 minute.

Add the cream to the sugar mixture. Whisk in the sour cream. Let the caramel cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the cake.

For the whipped caramel ganache frosting:
1 pound dark chocolate (60 to 70% cacao), chopped
1 ½ cups heavy cream
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, soft but cool, cut into ½-inch pieces

Put the chocolate into a large heatproof bowl and set aside.

In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer over very low heat.

Meanwhile, keeping a close eye on the cream mixture so it doesn’t burn, in a medium saucepan combine ¼ cup water, sugar and corn syrup, stirring carefully so as not to splash sides of the pan. Cook over high heat until an instant-read thermometer reads 350-degrees or until the mixture is dark amber in color, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and cool 1 minute.

Add the cream to the caramel and stir to combine. Stir slowly for 2 minutes, then pour the caramel over the chocolate. Let the caramel and chocolate sit for 1 minute the, starting in the center of the bowl and working your way out to the edges, slowly stir in a circle until the chocolate is completely melted. Let mixture cool the transfer to the bowl of an electric mixture fitted with the paddle attachment.

Mix on low speed until the bowl feels cool to the touch. Increase speed to medium-high and gradually add the butter, beating until thoroughly incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and beat on high speed until mixture is fluffy.

To assemble the cake:
Fleur de sel

Place on cake layer on a serving platter. Spread ¼ cup of the caramel over the top. Let caramel soak into the cake, then spread ¾ cup of the frosting over the caramel. Sprinkle generously with fleur de sel, the top with second cake layer and repeat. Top with third layer and spread with caramel. Crumb coat the cake with a very thin layer of frosting and refrigerate for 15 minutes to firm up the frosting. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting and garnish with more fleur de sel.

This cake will keep well for up to 3 days in a cool and humid-free place. It can be refrigerated, but let sit at room temperature for a least 2 hours before serving.

Serves 12

Alright, so let's just deal with this now.  I am not Rachael Ray (thank goodness, although I wouldn't mind her salary) and I'm not always about easy recipes or 30 minute meals.  This recipe will take you some time and it's not exactly easy.  You certainly can't produce it in 30 minutes.  You have to make caramel twice and you might read this and say to yourself "it's just not worth it."  Oh, but it is!  If you are going to knock yourself out and make a homemade layer cake, it's well worth your time and trouble to make this one.  Trust me!