caramel cake

    * 200g caster sugar
    * 125ml milk
    * 125ml cream
    * 200g butter
    * 3 eggs
    * 1 tsp vanilla essence
    * 250g plain flour
    * 2 tsp baking powder

preheat the oven to 180˚C.
butter and flour a cake tin.
combine the milk and the cream.

make the caramel:
either place the sugar in a non stick pan and melt over medium heat without stirring it (this would cause it to crystalise again). you can tilt the pan if it's not melting evenly. if the sugar starts to crystalise brush a little water around the edge of the pan.

or add 2 tbsp water to the sugar, stir well and then heat until the water evaporates and the sugar caramelises.

when the sugar has turned into deep golden caramel, remove from the heat and carefully whisk in the milk and cream mixture. if there are hard lumps in the caramel, whisk it over low heat to dissolve them. leave it to cool slightly.

soften and whip the butter until creamy. whisk in the caramel, vanilla essence and then one by one the eggs. beat until it thickens a bit.

sift together the flour and the baking powder and whisk into the mixture.

bake in the prepared tin for 35 minutes. the inside of the cake should stay moist.