Milk Caramel Cake adapted from Joconde’s baking

Milk caramel
100g sugar
30g water
270g condensed milk (warmed slightly)
120g fresh cream
3g baking soda

Caramel Whipped cream
140 g milk caramel
140 g mascarpone cheese
350g heavy cream

Sponge cake
125g soft flour
4g baking powder
2 eggs
80g sugar
145g milk caramel
130g sour cream
3g baking soda

Caramel syrup
Milk caramel 40g : hot water 40g = 1:1

Caramel glaze
Warm milk caramel 60g
1 Tbsp of fresh cream (20 g)
Mix and Cool to 28 deg C before use

Garnish
90g finely chopped hazelnuts
Prepared by baking for 6 minutes in an oven preheated to 160 deg C

To make Milk caramel (make the day before)

Add water and sugar into a saucepan. Bring to boil on medium heat until it turns an amber color. Add warm condensed milk and stir. Add fresh cream and stir. Simmer for about 5~6 minutes stirring continuously. Take off the heat and add baking soda. Stir. Let cool completely in the fridge. 

To make Caramel whipped cream

Mix 140g milk caramel, cold mascarpone cheese and half of the heavy cream. Mix until incorporated and mix in the rest of the heavy cream. Keep in the freezer for around 60 minutes until slightly icy. (Alternatively, make this the day before and place in the fridge overnight. Place in the freezer 60 min prior to using).

To make Sponge cake

Sift flour, baking powder together.

In a separate bowl, add eggs and 80g sugar. Whip at high speed for 6-8 minutes until double in size, light and fluffy. Sift in 1/3 of flour mixture and fold until combined. Sift in another 1/3 of the flour mixture. 

Take 145g milk caramel and 130g sour cream and incorporate. Add baking soda and mix quickly – the bubbles add to the airiness of the cake. Add half of this caramel mixture immediately into the first bowl. Sift in the last 1/3 of the flour mixture. Finally, add the remaining caramel mixture. Do not overmix. 

Place into a round 7x7inch pan (or use 3 pans – but reduce baking time accordingly). Bake in a preheated convection oven at 170 deg C for 28-30 minutes. Allow to cool and divide into 3-5 equal layers. 

To assemble

Whip the caramel cream from the freezer until 60% thick. Reserve 200g of the cream for decoration and place in the fridge. Whip remaining cream until 90% thick. 

Soak each cake layer in caramel syrup (Milk caramel 40g : hot water 40g = 1:1 ratio). Layer on caramel cream and sprinkle on hazelnuts. Repeat and crumb coat the cake. Take the 200g of cream set aside earlier, and whip until soft peaks (80%). This will be the top layer and sides of the cake. Pipe on rosettes for decoration. 

For the finishing touch, make a caramel glaze with 60g of milk caramel and 1 tbsp of fresh cream. Mix and cool to 28 degrees C (or less) before pouring on top of the cake. Garnish with more hazelnuts