Category Archives: Cakes

Cakes of all kind

The Ultimate Breakfast Cake

September 17, 2017 Chelsweets 2 Comments

One of my favorite things about the East Coast is diners! There are tons of old-school diners, complete with bottomless coffee and a 15 page menu. It has become one of my favorite weekend activities, and is also the inspiration for this cake. It’s made with maple cake layers, a maple buttercream, and even has a maple caramel drizzle! To decorate the top, I also added real mini pancakes, candied bacon, and some fondant fried eggs. You can watch a full tutorial showing how to decorate this cake here:

The recipes can be found below:

Recipes:

1 batch vanilla cake batter + 1 Tbsp maple extract (I get mine at Whole Foods)

1.5 batches buttercream frosting + 1 Tbsp maple extract

1 batch caramel + 1 tsp maple extract

Decorations:

2 fondant fried eggs (made out of yellow and white fondant, with edges painted brown using gel food coloring and vodka)
candied bacon (8-10 strips of bacon, sprinkled with brown sugar and tiny bit of cayenne pepper; baked at 400 degree F for about 20 minutes)
5 mini pancakes (about 2.5 inches in diameter, made with pancake mix)
1 pat of butter
chocolate ganache

Use the cake recipe to make four, 8-inch cake layers. Chill the layers in the freezer once baked and cooled, to make them easier to frost (I wrap my layers in saran wrap, and freeze them overnight, then allow them the sit out for about 20 minutes before frosting). Once the buttercream and caramel are prepared, assemble the cake. Spread an even layer of buttercream onto each cake layer, and drizzle maple caramel over the entire layer on top of the frosting. Stack and repeat using remaining layers, flipping the top cake layer upside down (makes it easier to frost). Apply a thin layer of frosting around the entire cake (crumb coat), and chill the cake for about 5 minutes in the fridge or freezer. Once the frosting is firm to the touch, apply a second, thicker layer of frosting and smooth using a bench scraper. You can see a full tutorial on how to frost a cake with smooth sides here.

Once frosted, begin decorating the cake by adding the hash brown boarder. Coat the sides of a frosting bag with chocolate ganache, and then fill with leftover buttercream.

Cut a small opening at the tip (1/4 inch), and pipe 1 inch lines in various directions around the base of the cake. The frosting should be streaked with the ganache giving it the look of browned hash browns.

Next, stack the mini pancakes on top of each other, and secure using a small skewer. Slice the candied bacon strips in half, and pile next to the pancakes. Add the fondant eggs to the remaining space on top of the cake.

Drizzle caramel over pancake stack and down the sides of the cake. Top the pancake stack with a pat of butter, then slice in and enjoy!!!

Easy Smash Cake Ideas

September 15, 2017 Chelsweets 3 Comments

Smash cakes seem to be a rite of passage for many of today’s children, and I wanted to share a few easy ways to decorate them! These smash cakes are inspired by Baked by Melissa’s (Melissa Ben-Ishay) new cake book! It includes a banana smash cake with a straight peanut butter filling, which she used to celebrate her daughter’s first birthday. This helps keep the sugar levels low in the cake…or at least lower than a normal cake! If you’re interested in ordering her book, you can click here.

I was able to make 3 smash cakes out of one batch of a banana cake recipe, which I baked in two half sheet pan! I built each smash cake using 4 inch circle cut outs. Each cake was built with three layers (total of 12 cut outs). You could definitely make larger cut outs if desired, or bake the layers in cake pans as opposed to doing cut outs.

I made three different designs; one was covered covered in sprinkles (easiest), one was decorated with buttercream flowers (more difficult), and another was decorated like a monster (moderate difficulty). Below is a full video tutorial showing how each smash cake is decorated:

The tools and recipes you need to make these cakes can be found below:

Recipes:

1 batch of your favorite banana cake (this is mine)
1 cup of your favorite frosting (here’s mine)
1 small jar of your favorite smooth peanut butter (I used Skippy’s)

Sprinkle Smash Cake Decoration:

one jar of rainbow jimmies

Pink Flower Smash Cake Decoration:

pink food coloring (I use americolor gel food coloring)
green food coloring
frosting piping bags (or ziploc bags)
Wilton 1M tip (open star)
Wilton 103 tip (petal tip) – optional

Blue and Green Monster Smash Cake Decoration:

blue food coloring (I use americolor gel food coloring)
green food coloring
frosting piping bags (or ziploc bags)
grass frosting tip (wilton 233)
black and white fondant

Once the cake batter is baked and cooled, cut out circles of desired size.

Stack the layers, applying an even layer of peanut butter between each layer. Chill cake in freeze for roughly 10 minutes. This will make them much easier to frost.

Once chilled, apply a thin layer of frosting (crumb coat) using an offset spatula or butter knife. Be sure to cover the entire cake, so that all the crumbs from the cake layers will be locked in place. Chill the cake in the fridge or freezer until the frosting is firm to the touch (5-15 minutes), then add a second, thicker layer of frosting. Smooth using an offset spatula, and a bench scraper.

For the sprinkle version, take a handful of sprinkles, and very gently press them into the frosting. You want to press just firmly enough to stick them into the frosting, but not hard enough to cause an indentation in the smooth frosting.

To make the pink flower version, color 5/6 of the left over frosting pink, and color 1/6 of it green. Add dabs of pink frosting around the cake, and smooth around the cake to create a watercolor effect. Place some pink frosting into a piping bag with a wilton 1M tip, and pipe buttercream rosettes on top of the cake. If you have a wilton 103 or 104 tip, pipe roses onto parchment squares, and freeze until they’re firm to the touch (as seen here). Gently peel them off the parchment paper, and place on top of the cake. Add small dabs of green frosting between the flowers, to look like leaves.

To make the monster-inspired cake, divide the remaining frosting evenly between two bowls, and color blue and green. Place colored frosting into two separate bags with a grass tip. Starting at the base of the cake, pipe horizontal stripes of blue and green around the cake, until it is fully covered. Make fondant horns and eyes (could also use an oreo cookie for the eye, and macadamia nuts or almonds for the horns), and gently press into buttercream.

And then it’s time to place the smash cake in front of your adorable baby and see what happens!! Most kids get pretty into it, and tend to make a mess! Be sure to have a camera ready to capture the moment 🙂

Cakes, Uncategorized

Honey Lavender Buttercream Cake

August 27, 2017 Chelsweets 2 Comments

I’ve wanted to make another buttercream flower cake for a while now, and decided to make one for this week’s livestream for the Food Network! I love matching my decorations with the flavor of my cakes, so I decided to make a honey lavender cake!! Lavender is such a delicate ingredient, you need just the right amount to give the cake a bright floral taste. If you add too much, you can wind up feeling like you’re eating perfume! I use dried lavender from whole foods to incorporate the flavor into the cake layers and frosting.

Honey Lavender Cake Ingredients:

3 1/4 cup (416 grams) flour
3 cups (600 grams) granulated sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 1/2 tsp (13 grams) baking powder
1 tsp (5 grams) salt
1 cup unsalted butter or 2 sticks (226 grams), room temperature
2 tsp. (9 grams) vanilla extract
1 cup egg whites (244 grams) – about 7 large egg whites; I use egg whites from the carton to avoid wasting egg yolks
1 cups (240 grams) buttermilk, room temperature
1/2 whole milk
1 tbsp dried lavender
1/8 cup (28 grams) vegetable oil
purple gel food coloring (optional)

Honey Lavender Buttercream:

6 sticks or 3 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
12 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp. heavy cream, warmed and steeped with dried lavender
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp honey

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line four 8” round pans, or three 9″ round pans.

Begin by placing dried lavender into a coffee filter or tea bag, secure the top with a rubber band. Heat the whole milk until it is warm to the touch, and steep the lavender bag in the milk. Set aside, and steep for at least 10 minutes. Mix together all dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt) in a stand mixer with a paddle until fully combined.

Mix chunks of room-temperature butter slowly into the dry mix, on a low speed. Continue to mix until no large chunks of butter remain, and the mixture becomes crumbly.

Pour in egg whites, and mix on low until just incorporated. Mix in the buttermilk, on a low speed. Remove lavender bag from milk, and add in lavender infused whole milk, vanilla, and oil into the batter. Mix at a low speed until fully incorporated. Add in a couple squirts of purple gel food coloring. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then beat on medium high for about 30 seconds.

Divide evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake for 35-37 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then run an offset spatula around perimeter of the pan to separate the cake from the pan. Place cake layers on a rack to finish cooling.

While the cake layers bake and cool, prepare the honey lavender buttercream (click here for tutorial). Beat the butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment, until smooth. Slowly add in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Add the lavender steeped cream (same process as used for the cake layers, but with cream) half way through. Once fully mixed, add in the honey, vanilla and salt, and beat on medium low until the ingredients are fully incorporated, and the desired consistency is reached. If the frosting is too thick, add in cream (1 teaspoon at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (quarter of a cup at a time).

Leave 3/4 of the frosting uncolored. With the remaining frosting, color half a few shades of green, and the half different shades of purple using gel food coloring. Place green frosting into piping bags and cut the tip to have a 1 cm opening. Place the purple frosting into piping bags with different frosting tips (Wilton 103, Wilton 104)

NOTE: If you are making frosting for a cake, it is important to mix the buttercream on low at the end of the process for a couple minutes, to get out any extra air that might have be incorporated during the mixing process. This will make it easier to get super smooth sides on your cake!

Next, prepare buttercream flowers of your choice! I made a few shades of purple buttercream, and used a Wilton 1M tip, Wilton 103, and Wilton 104 tip to pipe buttercream rosettes and buttercream roses. Once the flowers are piped, place them in the freezer until they are firm to the touch (only takes about 10 minutes).

To assemble cake, stack layers and spread an even layer of buttercream. Add a thick drizzle of honey, and repeat with remaining layers. Add a thin crumb coat, and freeze for roughly 5 minutes, or until the frosting is firm to the touch. Apply a second, thicker layer of frosting, and smooth with a bench scraper. To see a full tutorial on how to frost a cake with smooth sides, click here. Using the green frosting, pipe tapering vertical lines of green buttercream around the base of the cake. Pipe a semicircle of purple frosting on top of the cake, and secure frozen buttercream flowers into this frosting. Start with the largest flowers in the center, then fill in the remainder of the semi circle with the smaller flowers.

Fill in empty spaces by piping flower buds and leaves. I also used an Ateco 352 tip to pipe leaves between the flowers. Then slice, and enjoy!!

Cakes, Uncategorized

Pink Lemonade Cake

August 15, 2017 Chelsweets 8 Comments

I felt compelled to make a pink lemonade cake before summer comes to an end! I’ve always wanted to make a strawberry cake, but really struggled getting a strong strawberry flavor in my cake layers! Most strawberry cake recipes use strawberry jello, and while I was extremely hesitant to try it, it truly is the best way to incorporate a bright, vibrant strawberry flavor into cake. You have to try it to believe it!!

I made this cake using two strawberry cake layers, and two lemon cake layers. I frosted it with a lemon buttercream, and used dehydrated lemons and fresh berries to decorate this cake.

Strawberry Cake Batter:

1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup strawberry jello mix (1/2 package)
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup egg whites (about 3 large egg whites)
1/4 cup strawberry puree (I blended frozen strawberries)
1/2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
2 tsp. vegetable oil

Lemon Cake Batter:

1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
2 tsp. lemon extract
1/2 cup egg whites (about 3 large egg whites)
3/4 cups buttermilk, room temperature
2 tsp. vegetable oil
zest of one lemon
2 drops yellow gel food coloring

Lemon Buttercream:

6 sticks (3 cups) unsalted butter, room temperature
12 cups powdered sugar
3/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp. heavy cream
pink and yellow gel food coloring
2 tsp lemon extract
zest of 1 large lemon

Decorations:

dehydrated lemon slices
fresh strawberries
fresh raspberries
pink sprinkles

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line four 7″ round pans.

First, make the lemon cake better. Mix together all dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt) in a stand mixer with a paddle until fully combined. Mix chunks of butter slowly into the dry mix on a low speed. Continue to mix until no chunks of butter remain, and the mixture becomes crumbly. Pour in egg whites, and mix on low until just incorporated. Mix in the buttermilk in two installments, on a low speed. Add in lemon extract, lemon zest, and oil, and mix at a low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then beat on medium high for about 30 seconds.

Next, make the lemon cake better. Mix together all dry ingredients (flour, strawberry jello mix, baking powder, sugar, and salt) in a stand mixer with a paddle until fully combined. Mix chunks of butter slowly into the dry mix on a low speed. Continue to mix until no chunks of butter remain, and the mixture becomes crumbly. Pour in egg whites, and mix on low until just incorporated. Mix in the buttermilk in two installments, on a low speed. Add in strawberry puree and oil, and mix at a low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then beat on medium high for about 30 seconds.

Divide batter evenly between the prepared cake pans, pouring half of each batter into a pan. Bake for 35-38 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then run an offset spatula around perimeter of the pan to separate the cake from the pan. Place cake layers on a rack to finish cooling.

While the layers bake, prepare the frosting. Beat the butter on high for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment, until smooth. Slowly add in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Alternate with cream, adding 1 tablespoon at a time. Once fully mixed, add in the lemon extract, lemon zest, and salt, and beat on medium low until the ingredients are fully incorporated, and the desired consistency is reached. If the frosting is too thick, add in cream (1 teaspoon at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (quarter of a cup at a time). Divide the frosting, place 3/4 in one bowl, and 1/4 in another. Color the bowl with 3/4 yellow using a few drops of yellow gel food coloring, and color the other bowl with pink gel food coloring.

To assemble the cake, frost each cake layer with buttercream. You can also add some of the fresh berries between each layer. Alternate yellow and pink layers, then apply a crumb coat.

Freeze cake for 5 minutes to allow the crumb coat to set, then use remaining frosting to add a second layer of frosting using piping bags. I cut my bags to have an opening of about 1.5 cm.

Smooth with a bench scrapper. Add fresh berries, citrus accents, and sprinkles in a semicircle around the top of the cake.

Cakes, Sweets, Tutorials, Uncategorized

Rice Krispie Burger Cake

August 3, 2017 Chelsweets Leave a comment

@Mister_Krisp and I made this rice krispie burger cake to celebrate the launch of her book, Treat Yourself! You can order a copy of it here: https://www.amazon.com/Treat-Yourself-Ridiculously-No-Bake-Crispy/dp/0761189807

Treat Yourself! is the perfect answer for any cook, crafty food lover, or creative parent looking to make crowd-pleasing and personalized treats for birthdays, holidays, school events, and virtually every other occasion. With no baking required, these playful, visually dazzling sweets are simple enough for anyone to whip up.

The full recipe can be found below:

Burger Buns:

2 1/2 cups (324g) all purpose flour
2 cups (424g) sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup (240ml) buttermilk
1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil
3 tsp vanilla extract
2 large egg
1 cup (240ml) water

Rice Krispie Burger Patty:

2 Tbsp butter
3 cups mini marshmallows
4 cups rice krispies

Vanilla American Buttercream Frosting:

4 sticks (2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
8 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp. heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla

Additional Decorations:

8 half circle cutouts of red fondant (tomatoes)
4 large yellow triangles of fondant (cheese)
white sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease and line 2 8 inch round baking pans.

Begin by making the burger buns. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to a large mixer bowl and gently mix. Add the buttermilk, and gently stir until just combined. Next, add in the water, vanilla, and vegetable oil, and mix until the batter comes together. Next, mix in the eggs (one at a time) until well combined.

Pour into lined pans, and bake for roughly 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let layers cool in pan for 10 minutes, then place in freezer to cool fully.

To make the rice krispie burger patty, melt 2 tbsp butter. Add 3 cups mini marshmallows and stir until coated and 75% melted, add brown food coloring. Turn off burner and add 4 cups Rice Krispies, stir until coated and pour the mixture into greased 7″ cake ring, press to edges.

While the cake and krispie layers cool, prepare the vanilla frosting. Beat the butter on medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment, until smooth. Slowly add in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Add the heavy cream half way through. Once fully mixed, add in the vanilla and salt, and beat on medium low until the ingredients are fully incorporated, and the desired consistency is reached. If the frosting is too thick, add in cream (1 teaspoon at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (quarter of a cup at a time).

Color 2/3 of the frosting tan using a couple drops of brown and yellow food coloring. Divide the remaining frosting between three bowls , coloring one green (lettuce), one red (ketchup), and one yellow (mustard).

To assemble the cake, first trim one cake layer to make it;s shape resemble a dome. Place the bottom cake but on a cake round, and place the top bun onto a flat surface. Smooth the tan frosting onto the two cake layers using an offset spatula, and an acetate sheet. Sprinkle sesame seeds onto to top, rounded bun.

Place the burger patty onto the bottom bun, then drape the yellow fondant triangles over the sides of the patty. Place green frosting into a piping bag with petal tip (Wilton 402), and pipe ruffles around the perimeter of the patty.

Place red fondant semicircles on top of the lettuce, and fill the center with the red and yellow buttercream. Gently lift the top burger bun up using a larger offset spatula, and place on top of the cake.

Then it’s time to slice in and enjoy!! I’m always amazed at how delicious cake and rice krispies are together!!

Cakes, Sweets

Beer Mug Cake

July 2, 2017 Chelsweets Leave a comment

Originally I wanted to share a beer cake for Father’s Day, but I wasn’t able to edit the footage in time! Luckily, beer never goes out of style, and this cake is also perfect for summertime bbqs / cook outs! I replaced some of the buttermilk with beer in my go-to vanilla layer cake recipe, and frosted the cake with a vanilla buttercream. The full recipe and instructions can be found below:

Beer Cake Batter:

2 1/8 cup flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter (1.5 sticks), room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup egg whites, room temperature
1/2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
1/2 cup beer, room temperature (I used Budweiser)
1 Tbsp vegetable oil

American Buttercream Ingredients:

6 sticks (3 cups) unsalted butter, room temperature
12 cups powdered sugar
3/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp. heavy cream
3 tsp vanilla

Additional Decorations:

white gum paste or fondant with tylose powder
toothpicks

Instructions:

Prepare the beer handle the night before using white gum paste or fondant with tylose powder. Mold handle to be roughly 6 inches tall, and insert toothpicks into the tips of the handle. Set onto parchment paper to fully firm overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line six 6” round pans.

Begin by preparing the cake batter. Mix together all dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt) in a stand mixer with a paddle until fully combined.

Mix chunks of room-temperature butter slowly into the dry mix, on a low speed. Continue to mix until no large chunks of butter remain, and the mixture becomes crumbly.

Pour in egg whites, and mix on low until just incorporated. Mix in the buttermilk on a low speed, and then the beer. Add in oil and vanilla, and mix at a low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then beat on medium high for about 30 seconds.

Divide evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then run an offset spatula around perimeter of the pan to separate the cake from the pan. Place cake layers on a rack to finish cooling.

While the cakes bake and cool, prepare the buttercream frosting (click here for tutorial). Whip the butter until it is light and creamy, then slowly add the powdered sugar. Alternate installments of powdered sugar with heavy cream, and continue mixing until the frosting has reached desired consistency. Add salt, and vanilla extract, and continue mixing on medium-low until fully incorporated. Color 2/3 of the frosting the shade of your favorite beer, and leave the remaining 1/3 uncolored. Place the white buttercream in a piping bag.

Stack and frost the cake layers using the beer colored frosting. Once stacked, apply a thin crumb coat. Chill cake in the freezer for 5 minutes.

Once the crumb coat is firm to the touch, apply a thick, second layer of frosting. Pipe a line of white frosting around the base of the cake, the cover the rest of the cake with the beer colored frosting. Smooth with a bench scraper. Clean the bench scraper, then make vertical lines around the sides of the cake, roughly 1 inch apart.

Gently insert handle into the side of the cake. Use the remaining white frosting to pipe foam around the top of the cake, and a bit down the sides of the cake.

Cakes, Uncategorized

Oreo Waffle Cake

July 2, 2017 Chelsweets 2 Comments

As part of Oreo’s flavor creation campaign, I made an Oreo waffle Cake! I used my go-to vanilla layer cake recipe, and added crushed oreos and a touch of maple extract! I frosted the cake with a maple buttercream, and drizzled some maple caramel between the layers. It’s any waffle enthusiast’s dream, plus oreos!! The full recipe can be found below:

Maple Oreo Cake Batter:

3 1/4 cup flour
3 cups granulated sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), room temperature
1 tsp maple extract
1 cup eggs white, room temperature (I use egg whites from the carton to avoid wasting egg yolks)
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
1/8 cup vegetable oil
1 cup finely chopped oreos

Maple Buttercream:

5 sticks butter
10 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp. maple extract
2 Tbsp. heavy cream
1/2 tsp. salt

Maple Caramel Recipe:

1 cup granulated sugar
6 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream, room temperature
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp maple extract

Additional Decorations:

Miniature waffles
milka oreo chocolate bars
1 cup crushed oreos (to place between layers and for decoration)
1 sleeve regular oreos

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line four 8” round pans.

Begin by preparing the cake batter. Mix together all dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt) in a stand mixer with a paddle until fully combined.

Mix chunks of room-temperature butter slowly into the dry mix, on a low speed. Continue to mix until no large chunks of butter remain, and the mixture becomes crumbly.

Pour in egg whites, and mix on low until just incorporated. Mix in the buttermilk in two installments, on a low speed. Add in maple extract and oil, and mix at a low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then beat on medium high for about 30 seconds. Fold in crushed oreos using a spatula.

Divide evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake for 35 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then run an offset spatula around perimeter of the pan to separate the cake from the pan. Place cake layers on a rack to finish cooling.

While the cakes bake and cool, prepare the maple buttercream frosting (click here for tutorial). Whip the butter until it is light and creamy, then slowly add the powdered sugar. Alternate installments of powdered sugar with heavy cream, and continue mixing until the frosting has reached desired consistency. Add salt, and maple extract, and vanilla, and continue mixing on medium-low until fully incorporated.

Next, prepare the maple caramel (click here for a tutorial)! Turn stove onto medium heat, and place a pot over element. Pour in sugar. Using a heat proof stirring utensil (I use an old-fashioned wooden spoon), stir until sugar begins to melt into a clear liquid. Continue to stir, until clumps of sugar begin to form. Slowly the color of the sugar clump will deepen from white to amber. Keep stirring until all the clump of sugar have dissolved, and then turn off the heat. Mix in butter slowly, then stir in cream, maple extract, and salt. Place in fridge to cool for 20 minutes, then pour into desired container. I put mine in a squirt bottle (for drizzling)!

For the cake assembly, I also made miniature waffles to decorate the cake. I used pre-made waffle mix, as this cake already has enough components from scratch!! I also added 1/2 cup of crushed oreos. You could also cut out premade waffles using a circle cutter to make miniature waffles!

Stack and frost the cake layers, adding a few spoonfuls of crushed Oreos and a drizzle of maple caramel between each layer.

Once stacked, apply a thin crumb coat. Chill cake in the freezer for 5 minutes. Once the crumb coat is firm to the touch, apply a thick, second layer of frosting. Smooth with a bench scraper. Alternate adding full Oreo cookies and waffles to the base of the cake. Chill cake again for 5 minutes in the freezer. Add warm drizzle of maple caramel around the sides of cake using a squirt bottle or spoon, then pipe swirls around the top of the cake using a Wilton 4B tip.