Spiced Caramel Sauce Recipes

OH-SO-EASY CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring brown sugar, butter, and milk to a gentle boil and cook until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat; add vanilla extract.

SPICED CARAMEL SYRUP

Steps:

• Pour the sugar into a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan set over medium-high heat. Once the sugar starts to color, swirl the pan so that it melts and colors evenly.
• When the caramel is a light reddish-brown color, or as Mr. Skurnick says, "Irish-setter red" (it takes about 5 minutes to reach this stage), drop in the spices and, standing away from the pan, carefully pour in the water. When it boils, reduce the heat to very low and cook for 2 minutes.
• Strain the caramel into a heatproof container (discard the spices or use them for tea), and cool completely. You can keep the syrup covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. It will thicken; warm gently to reliquefy.

SPICED BUNDT CAKE WITH APPLE CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• For caramel sauce:
• Combine sugar, cream of tartar, and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cook, without stirring and occasionally swirling pan for even cooking, until mixture turns a dark amber color. Remove from heat; slowly add apple cider, cream, vinegar, vanilla, and salt (mixture will bubble vigorously), whisking to combine. Return pan to medium heat and bring to a vigorous boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring to dissolve any caramel bits, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool. Set aside. DO AHEAD: Caramel sauce can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm slightly before using.
• For cake:
• Arrange a rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350°F. Generously coat Bundt pan with nonstick spray. Place butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Cook, stirring often, until butter foams, then browns (do not burn), about 5 minutes. Carefully remove vanilla bean; pour brown butter into a medium bowl and chill until slightly firm, about 45 minutes.
• Pulse flour and almonds in a food processor until almonds are finely ground. Transfer to a large bowl. Whisk in baking powder and next 7 ingredients; set aside.
• Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat brown butter, brown sugar, sugar, and 3/4 cup powdered sugar in a large bowl, frequently scraping down sides and bottom of bowl and beaters, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Mix in lemon zest. Add eggs and yolks one at a time, beating to blend between additions; beat mixture until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Reduce speed to low. Add half of dry ingredients; mix until almost blended. Add milk and mix until almost blended. Add remaining dry ingredients; mix until batter is blended and smooth. Scrape into prepared pan. Tap pan gently on counter to even out.
• Bake until a tester inserted near the center of cake comes out clean and cake is dark golden brown and has begun pulling from sides of pan, 65-70 minutes.
• Transfer pan to a wire rack. Let cake cool in pan for 25 minutes. Invert cake onto rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour. DO AHEAD: Cake can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
• Dust cake lightly with powdered sugar. Drizzle caramel sauce over cake, allowing it to drip down sides and into grooves and crevices. Serve remaining sauce alongside.

SPICED ORANGES WITH CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• In a 4 cup glass measuring cup combine the brown sugar, heavy cream and light corn syrup. Set aside in microwave until later.
• To cut oranges into supremes: remove rind and pith. Over a bowl to catch the juices, cut in between skins to release supremes. Squeeze juice from skins over supremes and toss with a bit of cardamom to taste. Set supremes in 4 dessert bowls.
• When ready to eat microwave brown sugar mixture, uncovered at full power for 2 minutes. Whisk to blend, and cook 1 minute more until a bit thickened. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Immediately pour over oranges and garnish with pistachios. Sauce will thicken as it cools. Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for a week. To soften, microwave 30 seconds to a minute, uncovered.

CINNAMON-SPICED CARAMEL CAKE

Steps:

• For stars:
• Spray inside of 4 star-shaped cookie cutters with nonstick spray. Oil baking sheet; place cutters on sheet. Combine sugar and 2 tablespoons water in heavy small saucepan over low heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil until syrup turns deep amber, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan occasionally, about 4 minutes. Immediately pour thin layer of hot syrup inside each cookie cutter. Cool stars completely. Push stars out of cutters; wrap in foil. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Store at room temperature.)
• For syrup:
• Stir sugar and 1/3 cup water in heavy small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup turns deep amber color, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan occasionally, about 7 minutes. Add 1/2 cup hot water (mixture will bubble up). Stir over low heat until hard bits dissolve. Cool caramel syrup.
• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line pans with waxed paper; butter paper. Sift first 4 ingredients into small bowl. Stir milk and butter in small saucepan over low heat just until butter melts; set aside.
• Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar in large bowl until thick enough for batter to fall in heavy ribbon when beaters are lifted, about 5 minutes. Beat in orange peel and vanilla. Add flour mixture; beat just until blended. Add warm milk mixture; beat just until blended. Divide batter between prepared pans.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean and cakes begin to pull away from sides of pans, about 24 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 20 minutes. Cut around pan sides and turn cakes out onto racks; peel off paper. Turn cakes right side up. Using toothpick, poke holes in tops of cakes. Brush half of caramel syrup over each cake. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap cakes and let stand at room temperature.)
• For frosting:
• Combine all ingredients in large bowl; beat until firm peaks form. Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread 1 1/2 cups frosting over. Top with second layer. Spread frosting over top and sides. Chill at least 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; keep chilled.)
• Stand stars upright on cake. Serve cake cold or let stand up to 1 hour at room temperature before serving.

CARAMEL-RUM SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine sugar and cornstarch in a heavy saucepan.
• Stir in cream, water and corn syrup.
• Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly (mixture may looked curdled. Not to worry).
• Cook and stir for 2 minutes more.
• Remove from heat and stir in butter, vanilla and rum (have a shot for yourself).
• Let mixture stand at room temperature until cooled.
• Store in refrigerator for up to 2 months.

SPICED CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a large frying pan.
• Bring to the boil over high heat.
• Cook, stirring for about 6 minutes till sugar dissolves and sauce thickens.
• Set aside to cool.

CARAMEL SPICE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 2 (9 inch) pans. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg, cloves and allspice. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together the shortening, brown sugar and 1 cup white sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with 1 1/2 buttermilk, mixing just until incorporated. Stir in pecans. Pour batter into prepared pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
• To make the frosting: In a large bowl, combine butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla and about 1 cup of the confectioners' sugar. Beat well, then gradually beat in the remaining confectioners' sugar alternately with 1/4 cup buttermilk. Beat until smooth and creamy and spread on cake.