Can't get no satisfaction /-/ Boozy Butterscotch Cinnamon roll cake

This is my first post in my Festive bakes series! Festive bakes you ask? I told you guys last time that I had a number of big cake projects lined up at the end of the year. This one is the first! Well it is a 4 part series made up of two fondant cakes and two designed celebration cakes. While I know this may be a boring post (self reflection post), baking does that to me.



Yes that is a cinnamon roll on top the cake but I get to that later. (or you can scroll down and get the recipe now, I do not mind). However if you want to hear my rant; proceed
 
Sometimes our expectations are too great for our skill level. As a self-taught baker, making the transition to professional or industry standard baking has been incredibly difficult. I am not talking about the skills you need to refine or the tricks you learn from experience; I am referring to the rapidly changing standards you have for yourself (well your baking anyway).



Think about the first time. When you first begin to bake for yourself; your standards are quite low. Most likely first time you made a cake or a new dessert it did not turn out perfect but you were over the moon that it resembled what you were trying to achieve. 

 However as you research and study your cook books, you try the recipe multiple times (with your adaptations) and find out the tips and tricks of getting it right. The expectation for success grows as you learn more. Of course this happens! It is main reason why people practice skills in the first place



However I think the internet is partly to blame for the rise in “unattainable perfection” syndrome in the amateur cook. As much as I love the authors and cooks who put their soul into developing recipes then writing up a tutorial on EXACTLY how to do it; I think the tag line of “If I can do it; any one can” is overused.

With people posting up recipe for perfectly shaped croissants, macarons with no holes and cakes decorated to sugar art perfection; it is hard to stay realistic. If you think I was hard on myself before; over the past few months it seems like I can never be happy with my baking. There is always a texture problem, colour problem or design problem. Even when people cannot see it; you still have the urge to point out the mistake to them.

I know my techniques may not be perfect and I have a long way to go to become a professional; but I hate when people tell me to not compare myself to them. Industry baking and home baking are two completely different things. Home baking is fun and light hearted; as long as it taste really good, I am happy. On the flip side when bake with professional standards in mind; nothing can go wrong or else… MELTDOWN…..

Can you guys relate? Anyone looking to break into the professional business struggle with their expectations? Maybe you can share some thoughts with me. 


 
Now enough with myself indulgent rant. The occasion I made this cake for is my Dad’s Birthday. If you saw last year’s cake; you will know this is completely different. No sprinkles; no confetti and no chocolate for that matter. 

Here is key example of home baking. This cake did not turn out how I imagined it. Not the look but the texture. All the components where very nice but my constructing technique was not right. I left the cinnamon roll topping in the fridge for too long and dried out; for anyone that know bread (bread does not go the fridge EVER). 


 
However the cake combination at the bottom is one of my faves. The butterscotch sauce heavy flavoured by bourbon seem bring some Christmas cheer to the cake. Layered with whipped cream, crunchy brown sugar meringues and egg yolk sponge; I thought it was too pretty to be covered up by a layer of buttercream (not that I was too lazy to make a batch or defrost it).




Simply this is a cake that may not win a beauty contest or even come close to professional bakeries but it does remind you of the classic cream filled sponges.
Slightly sweetened; yielding fragrant cake layers; not too robust but highly flavourful due to good quality ingredients. In addition the extra special spark that comes from baking with love. The cake is a bit last minute job but it is well worth it.
Cheesy? Yep but He deserves it.


 
 Boozy caramel Cinnamon roll cake.

Egg yolk Sponge cake From Daily Delicious
I simply doubled this recipe to fill 4 18cm round cake tins.( left overs are too eat^_^)

• 80g cake flour
• 60g corn flour
• 4 large eggs
• 4 egg yolks
• 100g caster sugar
• 3g pink sea salt
• 1 tbsp clear vanilla extract
• 125g rice bran oil
• 125g Melted butter, melted and warm

Pre heat oven to 190C
Shift your corn flour and cake flour over large bowl twice.
Line your 4 greased 18cm pan with baking paper.
Combine oil and butter in a jug.
In a stand mixer whip the eggs, yolks, sugar and salt until it is triple in size and forms a thick pale ribbon.
Add vanilla and beat again.
Sieve over flour and fold into the egg mix.
Pour butter/oil mix down the side of the bowl in three stages. Fold it in while turning the bowl at the same time.
Pour into your lined pans, try to get them as even as possible.
Once in the oven turn the heat down to 170C and cook for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
Once fully baked, invert to cool on a wire rack.

Butter scotch sauce adapted from Nigella Lawson

• 50g light brown sugar
• 20g raw caster sugar
• 180 golden syrup
• 45g butter
• 100g flavoured butterscotch thicken cream
• 40ml Bourbon

In a sauce pan melt caster sugar, brown sugar, syrup over low heat for 6 minutes. Bring to gentle boil for 3 minutes.
Remove from heat source and whisk in thicken cream.
Set sauce aside until needed.

Brown sugar meringues
 

• 3 egg whites
• 180g brown sugar
• Pinch of salt

Pre heat oven to 120c. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
In a large bowl whip on high with an electric mixer till soft peaks. On medium speed add your brown sugar one table spoon at time whisking well between each addition.
Place tablespoons of egg mix on trays. Any shape will do.
Bake in oven for 1 hour and half. Turn oven off and leave the door slightly open to finish drying out.   



Assembly

• One cake recipe
• One cinnamon roll recipe from the Pioneer woman  (I did not post this as everyone has their fave recipe; I used the Pioneer’s woman’s one. Make it ON THE DAY you serve it to prevent the problem I had. Simply cool to room temp and top it on the cake when ready)
• Two batches of butter scotch recipe
• One meringue recipe
• Stabilised Whipped cream ( Whip 500ml of cold thick cream and one bloomed sheet of gelatin to soft peaks)
• Pecans (optional)

Place on cake at the base of your cake plate. Spread with whipped cream; making a shallow dam in the middle. Pour 50ml of butterscotch in this dam. Crush your brown sugar meringue in large pieces on top the cream and butter scotch. Repeat for all 3 layers.
Place cinnamon roll on the top of the cake (you with have the cream to help it stick)
Transfer to fridge for 30 minutes.
Serves with more butter scotch sauce and top with pecans.