Daring Baker's November Challenge: Caramel Cake with Caramelized Butter Frosting!

This month's Challenge was Caramel Cake with Caramelized Butter Frosting, recipe courtesy of Shuna Fish Lydon, as published on Bay Area Bites. We had to make both the cake and the frosting.

This month’s Challenge hosts are Dolores of Culinary Curiosity, Alex aka: Brownie of the Blondie and Brownie duo and Jenny of Foray into Food. Natalie of Gluten-a-Go-Go is assisting with alternative baking methods.



In the spirit of Thanksgiving, THANK HEAVENS for David Lebovitz. The man is brilliant. He suggested using a strainer over your caramel pan to stop the spatters and preventing the equivalent of Culinary Napalm (perfect description from Alton Brown) from splattering me and my kitchen.

This was actually fairly easy. I was quite worried about burning myself, but that didn’t happen, and I followed Shuna’s directions for the caramel challenged to a “T” and it all came together beautifully. I was afraid of my regular cake pans not being “tall” enough, so I used my 9” springform pan – fabulous! It pulled away from the edges just like it was supposed to and it turned golden brown and delicious.

Thanks to Dolores, Alex and Jenny for selecting this month’s Daring Baker Challenge. You can find the complete recipe for the caramel cake, frosting and optional caramels (which I did not make) on their sites.To see what all the other DBer’s did, you can find the blogroll here and if you’d like to join the monthly party, info about that can be found on that page as well.

TWD: (Shama Lama Ding Dong) Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes

If I searched,

This whole wide world,

I'd never never never, find me a girl,

Who'd love me, The way that you do.

Cause You're my Shama Lama, Rama Rama Rama Ding Dong

Baby, you put the ooh mou mou oh oh oh oh,

back into my smile, child

That is why,
That is why,

You are my sugar dee doo doo, yeah.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Can't name that tune? It's from "Animal House". Click here to sing along :D )

So Hit It: Here are Dorie's Chocolate-Chocolate Cupcakes but twisted up a bit. I used a rounded 1/4 cup of cocoa powder, added a teaspoon of instant coffee and changed out the buttermilk for sour cream. And The Filling. Oh the filling! The filling is the Hostess Ding Dong pure sugary bliss filling found here. I also used Nutella in some of them (Nutella! Where have you been all my life??? But that's another post.)

Thanks to Clara of I Heart Food4Thought for choosing this recipe. To see what all the other TWDers did with this recipe, check out the blogroll here. If you'd like to try making Dorie’s Chocolate-Chocolate Cupcakes for yourself, you can find the recipe on our hostesses blog, or in Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On another note, Tayna from Sunday Baker is celebrating her one year blogaversary this week with all kinds of fun things, including some giveaways, fun discussions, lots of recipes and more. Please check out her blog and if you want to be entered in her drawing, just leave her a comment. It's that simple. Be sure to mention me in the comment so I can get an extra entry in the drawing! ;) (You never know, if I win the cookbook (Taste of Home's Best Loved Cookies and Bars), you just might get a little something from me in return!) Check out this blog, you won't be sorry!