Eating In // Caramel Soaked Spiced Loaf Cake
When Autumn rolls around, I, unashamedly, bake many many cakes and treats. It just feels appropriate. After all, we are entering the cold months...perfect time to bulk up for winter's hibernation. Jokes aside, there's nothing better than getting something sweet and spicy in the oven and sharing it with other people. Mostly so you (I) don't eat it all yourself (myself). This cake encompasses all that is fall- caramel, spices, and sweetness. Now, I have to admit, I used the fleur de sel caramel sauce from Traders Joes for the topping. Could I make caramel sauce myself? Of course. Have I? Yes. The TJ's sauce tasted nice and saved me from stressing out over my caramel crystalizing. That being said, I recommend it for this. Let's get baking! The sun is down by 7:00 these days so you may as well give it a try.
Ingredients
Serves 8 or so
- 2.5 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup organic whole milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 -3/4 cup salted caramel sauce
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease an average sized loaf pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, spices, salt, baking powder and baking soda and set aside.
2. Cream the butter and sugars together in a mixer on medium high speed until nice and fluffy, something like 5 minutes total.
3. beat in the eggs one at a time and then add the vanilla extract.
4. Starting with the flour mixture, pour a little bit in at low speed and alternate it with the milk until both are gone.
5. pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes clean. Allow to cool on a rack and then turn it out onto a plate. Pour the caramel sauce over the top while it's still warm. That's it!
Recipe:
Megan Forbes
Photos: