Cake Series: Chocolate, Almond, and Caramel Filling

For my daughter's 3rd birthday, I made a fire truck cake.  The design of the cake was strictly for her - she loves fire trucks!  The inside of the cake, however, was a little bit selfish because I chose what went inside.  Really, my daughter doesn't care, as long as it's sweet.  I decided to do something similar to our wedding cake, which I don't remember the exact flavors of since I only got one bite, but I remember that everyone raved about it.  Anyway, this is my take on what was in it...or at least what I think was in it.  It's a very rich cake, so you only need a small piece...and a big glass of milk.  I made a chocolate cake and filled it with whipped ganache, almonds, chocolate, and caramel.

Chocolate, Almond, and Caramel Filling
Whipped chocolate ganache
Sliced almonds, toasted
Chocolate chips, melted
Caramel sauce (see recipe below)

On the bottom layer of cake, spread whipped ganache then sprinkle with almonds.  Drizzle with melted chocolate chips and caramel.  Place another layer of cake and repeat as many times as desired.

Sorry, I chose a bad piece to get a picture of.  The layers kind of ran together, but it still tasted good!

Caramel Filling
2 sticks butter
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt

Combine butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and sweetened condensed milk in a heavy saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.  Carefully stir in the heavy whipping cream.  Continue cooking until it reaches 238 degrees, or the softball stage.  During this time, you'll want to refrain from stirring, otherwise you'll end up with grainy caramel!  Once it hits 238, remove it from the heat and add the vanilla and salt.  Pour it into a bowl to cool.  It's important to let it cool before putting it on a cake, especially if you're putting it on a whipped ganache, as it will just melt the ganache if the caramel's still hot.

Watch the temperature closely!

Yum! 

The finished product!