Pumpkin Cake with Caramel

Directions

1. 1

   Step 1

   

   Take 100 g of butter out of the refrigerator an hour before cooking so it softens. Also take out the eggs so they have time to reach room temperature. Remove the seeds from the pumpkin. Sift the flour. Prepare a mixer, blender, cake pan, 2 saucepans, a piping bag with tips, and a kitchen thermometer.

2. 2

   Step 2

   

   Peel the pumpkin and cut the flesh into medium-sized pieces. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place in an oven preheated to 240 °C for 30 minutes. The pumpkin should become soft.

3. 3

   Step 3

   

   Remove the pumpkin from the oven, let it cool slightly, transfer to a blender bowl, and puree.

4. 4

   Step 4

   

   Beat 100 g of softened butter with 200 g of sugar until fluffy and light. Add the eggs one at a time to the butter mixture, without stopping the mixer.

5. 5

   Step 5

   

   Combine the flour with baking powder and cinnamon. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in portions, mixing the batter each time.

6. 6

   Step 6

   

   Add the pumpkin puree and candied fruit to the batter. Mix until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.

7. 7

   Step 7

   

   Line the pan with parchment and grease with 2 tbsp of vegetable oil. Fill with batter to ⅔ of the volume. Bake for 45 minutes at 160 °C.

   TipIf possible, use the convection mode in your oven and remember that the exact cooking time depends on the oven's power. Check the doneness with a toothpick: it should come out of the batter dry. At the same time, it's important not to over-dry the cake.

8. 8

   Step 8

   

   For the caramel, pour sugar into a saucepan. Place over low heat and heat without stirring until the mixture reaches 130–150 °C.

   TipTo prevent the caramel from crystallizing, you can add glucose to the sugar. The lower the heat, the easier it is to work with the mixture. Stirring the caramel will cause the sugar to start crystallizing and form lumps. Therefore, do not touch it in the initial stages.

9. 9

   Step 9

   

   Heat the cream in a saucepan or microwave, but do not bring it to a boil. When the caramel approaches the desired temperature, pour in the hot cream in three additions, stirring constantly. Cook the caramel for another 2 minutes until it reaches 130 °C, then remove from the heat. Let the mixture cool to 90 °C.

   TipThe mixture will start to bubble actively, so wear an oven mitt and carefully stir the caramel with a wooden spatula.

10. 10

    Step 10

    

    Cut 120 g of butter into cubes and add, stirring, to the caramel along with the condensed milk.

11. 11

    Step 11

    

    Add vanilla and salt to the caramel, cover with plastic wrap 'in contact', and let cool completely.

12. 12

    Step 12

    

    Cut the cooled cake in half. Spread the bottom half with half of the caramel, transferring it to a piping bag.

    TipYou can bake not one large cake, but make several small, elegant muffins.

13. 13

    Step 13

    

    Cover the caramel with the top half of the layer. Place the cake on a wire rack before covering with glaze.

14. 14

    Step 14

    

    For the glaze, break the chocolate into small pieces, place in a bowl, and melt in the microwave in short pulses of 10–15 seconds. Be sure to stir in the pauses so it melts evenly and doesn't burn at the edges. Pour the grapeseed oil into the melted chocolate. Crush the almonds into coarse crumbs, add to the glaze, and mix everything.

15. 15

    Step 15

    

    Cover the cake with the resulting glaze on top and sides, let the mixture set slightly. Transfer the baked goods to a serving plate. Pipe the remaining caramel onto the cake using a decorative tip.

16. 16

    Step 16

    

    For the caramel shards, melt the sugar in a saucepan. Crush the nuts and add them to the sweet mixture when it turns light brown. Remove from the heat and pour onto a silicone mat or parchment, spreading the mixture in a thin layer.

17. 17

    Step 17

    

    Wait for the caramel shards to set. Break them into large fragments of arbitrary shape.

18. 18

    Step 18

    

    Decorate the cake with walnut kernels and caramel shards.