Layers of delicately spiced cake and salted caramel buttercream is covered by a homemade caramel drip and decorated with Sammsterdam speculaas and other seasonal treats.
I love how this cake brings together all the classic flavors of fall and is an eye catcher at the same time. Sweetness balances out the spice and the salted caramel really makes it all pop.
"Your cake was the best looking one on the table."
This cake was a donation to a dessert dash which was part of a fundraising gala hosted by the Hansje Brinker Guild in the fall of 2019. I wanted the cake to not only to be stunning on the table but to reflect my design style and have some Dutch flavors all in one. It came out just as I had imagined it in my mind. For weeks I had thought about the design, going from bright orange designs, delft blue themes, or classic red white and blue. But when I started coming across recipes for apple spice cakes, I just knew I had to do something in that direction.
Salted Caramel Buttercream and Drip
I've never made caramel before. Or a caramel sauce for that matter. It sounds intimidating but it was actually pretty simple. The trick is to not walk away from the pan until it's done. After making the super rich and creamy caramel sauce, I let it cool to room temperature and then incorporated some of it into my buttercream and used the rest for the signature drip on the cake. Some of it may have been used for apple slices along the way, shhhhh.
Speculaas; a little pumpkin spice, a little gingerbread; speculaas is a subtle blend of both.
Let's Talk Cake
To add some Dutch touch to my cake, I modified a regular spice cake recipe by adding in spices I use in my speculaas cookies. I didn't want the cake to be overpowering but I also wanted to be able to taste that spicy cinnamon and ginger coming through the sweetness of the frosting and caramel sauce.
The decorations came together as most of my cakes do. I went shopping with colors and flavors in mind and used what I found that inspired me. Vanilla meringues, caramel and vanilla macarons, Sammsterdam speculaas cookies, and chocolate covered Dutch kruidenoten surrounded the top and small touches of buttercream, candy pearls, and candied oranges added the finishing touch. The hardest part is knowing when to stop!
Order for Your Next Event
I'd love to make this cake again! In fact, I had some orders from people who served them at their Thanksgiving dinners for friends and family. What a great way to have an impressive and memorable dessert on your table without having to give up your time to make it. Next holiday season, let me do the cleaning and baking for you and you just sit back and enjoy :)
Contact me to order your very own 8" Salted Caramel Drip Spice Cake - $85
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