It's no wonder it became so popular at this time of year; the caramel cream is a perfect match for autumn and winter. The color instantly reminds me of falling maple leaves, evoking a romantic atmosphere unique to autumn and winter. The cake has incredibly rich layers. The cake base is a chiffon cake with a refreshing tea aroma, while the caramel layers include caramel cream, caramel hazelnuts, and even "caramel" almonds. In short, it's simply delicious!
Materials
How to make the must-try autumn/winter Caramel Butter Hojicha Cake
Mix 6 egg yolks with 45g of granulated sugar until smooth.
Pour 160g of milk and 180g of heavy cream into a saucepan, add 5g of vanilla extract, and cook over medium heat until warm.
While pouring the mixture into the egg yolk mixture, stir to combine them evenly. Strain the mixture twice to make it smoother.
Pour the batter into a 6-inch silicone mold, add 500ml of warm water to a baking pan, and bake in a preheated oven at 130℃ for about 20 minutes.
After taking it out and letting it cool, cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the oven to chill overnight.
For the 6-inch hojicha chiffon cake portion: Mix 3 egg yolks with 6g hojicha powder and 30g corn oil, then pour in 35g milk.
Finally, sift in 45g of cake flour, mix well, and set aside.
Whisk 3 egg whites at high speed throughout the process, adding 40g of granulated sugar in two batches, until the mixture forms clear lines and forms a small hook when the whisk is lifted.
Add a portion of the egg whites to the egg yolk mixture and roughly fold it in. Pour this into the remaining egg whites and gently fold the batter until combined.
Pour the batter into a 6-inch cake pan and bake in a preheated oven at 140 degrees Celsius for 45 minutes. Once baked, immediately invert the cake onto a wire rack and let it cool completely before unmolding!
Cut off the uneven top part, then cut it into 3 equal parts and set aside.
Egg white almond crisp: Mix 40g egg white with 60g sugar, then pour in 150g almond slices, making sure each slice is coated.
Bake in a preheated oven at 160℃ for 15 minutes, turning the cake over halfway through. Bake until golden brown. Let cool before using to decorate the surface of the cake.
Caramel sauce: Pour 50g of granulated sugar and 10g of water into a pot. First, let the water soak the sugar, then cook over high heat. The sugar will boil first, then large bubbles will appear. Finally, as most of the water evaporates, it will start to change color.
Once it turns caramel color, turn off the heat and add 40g of room temperature heavy cream, 10g of butter, and a pinch of 2g of sea salt to make sea salt caramel sauce. Let it cool and then refrigerate until chilled.
Caramelized Hazelnuts: After caramelizing the sugar and creating a caramel color, add 150g of hazelnuts and stir well. Finally, add 10g of butter and 2g of sea salt and mix well.
Pour the hot mixture onto a baking sheet and spread it out to cool. Once cooled, it will separate into individual pieces and won't clump together.
Assembly: Pipe a little cream (350g heavy cream + 60g caramel sauce + 2.5g sea salt whipped) onto the turntable, place a slice of cake on it to position, and pipe a layer of cream on top and spread it out. Make a ring of cream around the edge as a barrier, place chocolate chips and some caramel hazelnuts in the center, and pipe more cream on top and smooth it out.
Cover with a layer of cake, first spreading a layer of cream, then place the pre-made crème brûlée on top. If the edges protrude a bit, you can trim them with scissors. Cover with the last layer of cake and start frosting. First, smooth the side edges, then smooth the surface.
Arrange almond slices around the edges, pipe buttercream flowers onto the cake surface, and place caramelized hazelnuts in the center. You can use the remaining caramel sauce to decorate the surface! And you're done!
