Instead of the usual chocolate cake base, I found another similarly good one which was used by Jane in her salted caramel cake.
Chocolate cake
(recipe adapted from Passionate About Baking, originally from Martha Stewart)
Ingredients/ Method
375g plain flour
380g castor sugar
129g unsweetened dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 tbsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp coarse salt
4 large eggs
368g buttermilk (or 366g whole milk with 1 1/2tsp lemon juice, mix well and let it sit for 5 mins)
90g warm water
137g vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
- In a bowl, sift flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Beat on low speed until just combined.
- Add eggs, buttermilk, warm water, oil and vanilla extract and beat on medium speed, until smooth. Takes about 3 mins.
- Pour batter equally into two 9" lined round cake pans.
- Bake on pre-heated oven 180 deg C for about 35-40 mins, or until skewer inserted into centre of cake comes out clean.
- Let cake cool in pans on a wire rack for 15 mins.
- Remove cake from pans onto wire rack, and let cool completely.
