Today is our anniversary day and so, I made layer caramel cake for this special occasion (here’s video-recipe). I just noticed that I probably struggling with stage fright, because once I finally decided to make a nice video-supported material for this recipe I screw up a little bit by changing the order of actions. Nevertheless, the cake turned out really tasty, and I highly recommend you to try it.
I can proudly say, that this particular recipe is mine. When I used to be a kid my favourite layer cake was so called “Medovik“, super sweet Russian traditional layer cake made with honey. Few years ago I tried to find a veganized alternative recipe to treat myself for my birthday. I could not find anything that would suit me to 100%. So I developed my own idea.
It might be so, that I don’t remember the taste of the original cake, however this one really brings me back to my best childhoods memories, while it comes along with my today’s lifestyle and food-expectations. And plus, it is relative low-fat, low-calorie dessert.
Ingredients:
For sheets of cake:
Water 100g
Sugar 125g
Agave Syrup 100g
Soda 1tsp
Coconut oil 100g
Whole-wheat flour 450g
For cream №1:
Orange juice 500ml
Sugar 2tbsp (35g)
Zest of 2 oranges
Semolina 0,5 cup (120g)
For cream №2:
Water 500ml
Almonds 60g
Sugar 2tbsp (35g)
Semolina 0,5 cup (120g)
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon (65g or more)
Vanilla extract 0,25 tsp
Caramel:
Dates 5pcs (85g)
Water 60-100ml
Salt 0,5-1 tsp
+Walnuts for decorating 50g
How to make Caramel Layer Cake
First you need to prepare the dough for cake-sheets. Create a steam bath: Boil water in a pan and place a glass bowl on top (instead of lid). In the bowl, dissolve sugar and agave syrup in 100ml of water. Stir constantly and once you will see that syrup is homogeneous and hot, add soda. You will see chemical reaction, white foam will appear on the surface. (In my case the foam was not so impressive, because I added oil before soda. I think my cakes would be puffier if not this mistake). When you will see that reaction is completed and nothing else happening, add oil and flour. Mix until well combined, form the dough and divide it into 6 pieces. Turn off the heat and leave the dough in a bowl in warmth (on the pan with hot water) and cover it with clean towel.
You have to start baking immediately. Spread a little bit of oil on baking paper sheet and you can roll out the piece of dough straight on it. Shape a nice form of your choice: make it a circle (⌀ 24cm), or a square (20x20cm) – it is up to you. Bake each cake-sheet for 4-6 min at 180’C.
Ones you finished with cake-sheets, prepare cream:
Pour orange juice to a stew-pan, add orange zest, sugar and turn on the heat. Gradually pour semolina into the juice and stir constantly, until the porridge thickens. Set it aside and let it cool down.
Prepare the second type of cream: let almonds soak in boiling hot water for 10 min. That will neutralize enzyme inhibitors in nuts (so it will be easier to digest them), and let you peel almonds from their skin easily. Blend peeled almonds in blender with sugar and 500ml of water and pour resulted “milk” into a stew-pan. Same as before, turn on the heat and gradually pour semolina into almond milk, constantly stiring until porridge will be ready. Set it aside to cool down.
Meanwhile you can prepare caramel:
Remove stones from dates and blend them together with salt and 60-100 ml of water. Maybe you will need more water, it depends on type of dates you use. You need smooth and creamy consistency.
If your semolina porridge is cold enough, blend it until smooth and creamy consistency in high-speed blender: first white cream, and then the orange one (in this case it is not necessary to wash the container in-between 🤭). When blending white cream (cream №2) add lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla extract. The orange cream needs just blending.
Now you can design your cake, putting the layers all together. Between third and forth layer I usually sprinkle a bit of minced walnuts, but it is optional. My grandmother did so.
The last layer has to be covered with orange cream (so better to begin with a white one). Straight on the top of the last cream layer gently spread the “caramel” and decorate your cake with walnuts, as you pleased.
The Caramel Layer Cake is best to be served after refrigerating through the night. Naturally, it is not a dessert “for every day”, it has too much sugar and sweeteners. But for the special occasion, accompanied by a cup of coffee with home-made almond milk…. mmm… you deserve it!
Hope you will enjoy that too!
Here are some pictures from my previous experiences of making same cake:
