My Birthday Cake!!

I began researching and experimenting with this recipe about one month ago. I knew I wanted a cake that had a pronounced vanilla taste and enough structure to hold up the dense mascarpone cream filling. The cake in this recipe is absolutely great and can be used as the base for many desserts. This cake fed 12 people with a large wedge of leftover deliciousness that we ate for breakfast for many days--I'm pretty sure that birthday cake does not have any calories for the birthday girl!

The most important ingredient in the cake is the vanilla. Make sure you use a fresh vanilla bean. Carefully open the pod with a sharp knife and scrape out all of the paste. To begin making the cake, cream the butter and sugar on high until very light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the vanilla then alternate the wet and dry ingredients beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Divide the batter between two 8" layer pans that have been lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes in pans then turn out onto a wire rack. Once cakes are completely cool, slice each cake in half using a long serrated knife. Spread 1/8 cup salted caramel on the cut side of each layer.

The filling and frosting combine whipped mascarpone, salted caramel, and heavy cream. In a large bowl, combine mascarpone and 1/2 cup salted caramel, 2 tbs sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, and a pinch of flaked sea salt. Beat on high until very fluffy. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until it begins to thicken. Fold the two mixtures together and keep whipping on high until it is very thick. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. The ganache is very easy to make. Don't make it until you are ready to assemble cake so it will be pourable. Heat heavy cream until it is scalded but not boiling. Remove from heat and add chopped chocolate. Stir until chocolate is melted and glossy. It should be slightly warm when you pour it over the layers and top. If it is too warm it will slide off. Use an offset spatula to smooth out the chocolate between the layers and on top of the cake. The cake should be refrigerated overnight so the layers can set up.

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Vanilla bean cake with salted caramel mascarpone and chocolate ganache

yield: ~4 layer 8" cake. Serves many! prep time: ~2-3 hours difficulty: complicated Ingredients Vanilla Bean Cake: 1 1/2 cups white sugar 12 Tbs butter 3 large eggs (room temperature) 1 whole vanilla bean 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour 2 1/2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp sea salt 1 1/4 cup whole milk 1 jar Smuckers salted caramel topping Instructions: 1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy 2. Add eggs one at a time 3. Stir in vanilla bean and vanilla extract 4. Combine dry ingredients 5. Alternate adding dry and wet ingredients-begin and end with dry 6. Line the bottom of 8" round baking pans with parchment 7. Butter the pans and parchment. 8. Divide batter evenly 9. Bake for 30 minute at 350 F 10. Cool in pans for 15 minutes 11. Finish cooling on wire rack 12. When completely cool, slice each layer in half with a long serrated knife 13. Spread 1/8 cup caramel on cut side of each layer Ingredients Salted Caramel Mascarpone Filling and Frosting: 1 Container Creama Di Mascarpone (I used Bel Gioiso) 1/2 cup salted caramel topping (I used Smuckers) 2 tbs sugar 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp salt 2 cups heavy cream Instructions: 1. Whip the mascarpone, salted caramel, vanilla and salt until very fluffy 2. In a separate bowl whip cream until thickened but not at soft peaks 3. Fold in mascarpone mixture 4. Continue whipping on high until very stiff 5. Refrigerate for 30 minutes Ingredients Ganache: 1 1/2 cups heavy cream 12 oz high quality dark chocolate (I used Sharffen Berger 70%) Instructions: 1. Scald cream 2. Chop chocolate 3. Add to hot cream and let melt 4. Stir until smooth and glossy