Sticky Caramel Cakes: Any Tips for Making the Perfect Drizzle?

[jenoz]

First of all I just wanted to say I started PC in May, this is my first post but I love this group- I have learned so much! Anyways I just wanted to ask if anyone out there has made the sticky caramel cakes yet successfully. I tried them tonight. The cakes came out perfect popped right out of the silicone pan. When I tried to make the caramel drizzle sauce it didn't work. It just got thicker and thicker until it was a big blob which there was no way was going to drizzle off the bamboo spoon! I followed the directions I thought to a tee and even tried it again a second time and the same thing happened. Plus I got second degree burns on 2 fingers b/c I put my finger on the sauce while it was on the spoon to test to see if I could still feel sugar in there or if it was all melted- what an idiot! Anyways I used actually caramel sauce in a jar for the other caramel sauce at that point and it was definitely yummy with the bananas and cake (plus a scoop of vanilla ice cream- couldn't resist). What am I doing wrong???

 

[heat123]

I am going to try them at my preview show and thought to use the squeezable carmel sauce I already have to save on time and ingredients. I can't wait to get my silicone pan next month!

 

[soulsing]

messed up sticky caramel cakesI tried them this morning, but they stuck to the pan. I followed the recipe exactly, but I can't figure out what I did wrong. Any advice?

Jenny G

 

[Grandmarita]

Did you spray each individual indent with PAM? It pooled in the bottom of each cup but they came out so easy. I've considered brushing the cups with
Crisco using our pastry brush but that is for another time. Has anyone else
used Crisco in the solid form with our pastry brush?

Also, has anyone used the Silicone cupcake pan to make Jello molds? How did you get them all to slip out, as the cupcakes do? I tried them, and only two came out easily. I had used PAM, that time, too.

 

[BethCooks4U]

When I have used this pan I have used our spritzer and then taken a paper towel to dab out the pooled oil and it has worked great evvery time.

I have not done the jello yet but I would not spray the pan. When the jello is set I would put it in a pan of warm water (taking care to keep the water out of the cups ) for a few minutes. They should easily pop out that way. I have done that with other molds that I have used for jello.

One other tip: after you turn the pan over press lightly on each cup to loosen whatever you have in it.

There's another thread where they have said that the silicone basting brush works great with solid shortening.

 

[soulsing]

ThanksI must not have sprayed enough cooking spray on the cups. I'll try it again and make sure I put enough on them. Thanks for the tips!

 

[Koolotus]

I can't get the sauce to work either!
I usually make my own caramel sauce and I had a friend over who has seen me do it, we tried this recipe and I could not figure out what is wrong!
I am thinking their might be a typo in their somewhere. It did not seem to use enough water.
any help appreciated

 

[masterschef]

I made this for a customer appreciation night last night and it turned out great. I did have to make the caramel sauce twice though. The first time I didn't cook the sugar mixture long enough and so it didn't get thick enough. It does feel like you don't have enough water, but the sugar melts a little bit and it works. And the sauce is so much better than the kind that comes in a jar. I like this recipe for a show for one main reason. There is no way to make this without our tools. You really need the chopper to get the pecans chopped finely enough.

Does anyone have any ideas on a non-dessert to make in this pan? I heard about someone making pats of butter in it (although I think they'd be huge). Any other ideas?

 

[jenniferlynne]

I can't get the sauce to work either!
I usually make my own caramel sauce and I had a friend over who has seen me do it, we tried this recipe and I could not figure out what is wrong!
I am thinking their might be a typo in their somewhere. It did not seem to use enough water.
any help appreciated

My director made these for one of our meetings and couldn't get the caramel right either. I want to make them for my show on Sunday, so I think I will just use caramel from a jar!

 

[jrstephens]

My director said she did not even try to make the caramel b/c the jar kind ws so much easier and she is all about whatever is easier for the us and the customer !!

 

[Ginger428]

I made this for a customer appreciation night last night and it turned out great. I did have to make the caramel sauce twice though. The first time I didn't cook the sugar mixture long enough and so it didn't get thick enough. It does feel like you don't have enough water, but the sugar melts a little bit and it works. And the sauce is so much better than the kind that comes in a jar. I like this recipe for a show for one main reason. There is no way to make this without our tools. You really need the chopper to get the pecans chopped finely enough.

Does anyone have any ideas on a non-dessert to make in this pan? I heard about someone making pats of butter in it (although I think they'd be huge). Any other ideas?

Saw a thread somewhere here about making panckes in them. Also I was just thinking, maybe something like twice baked potatoes or maybe even sweet potatoes ( for the sweets, I'm thinking a butter & brown sugar sauce)

 

[jenniferlynne]

Oh yum! Sweet potatoes.

Yes, you can make pancakes in them. I tried it this morning. HOWEVER, the previous post about it said not to use any Pam or anything and mine all stuck except the sunflower shape I still had to use a knife to pry them out too. I think next time I will be spraying them! The kids said they were better than usual too. They said they tasted fluffier. Now we are talking teen and pre-teen, not some little kid that just likes them better because they are in the shape of a flower

 

[Ginger428]

Oh yum! Sweet potatoes.

Yes, you can make pancakes in them. I tried it this morning. HOWEVER, the previous post about it said not to use any Pam or anything and mine all stuck except the sunflower shape I still had to use a knife to pry them out too. I think next time I will be spraying them! The kids said they were better than usual too. They said they tasted fluffier. Now we are talking teen and pre-teen, not some little kid that just likes them better because they are in the shape of a flower

YUMMY....and what can we put under the pancakes????
Hmmmmmmmm.....a sausage patty???
Maybe some sliced Fruit????

 

[jenf]

My friend made me a delicious Apple Spice cake with caramel sauce from Martha Stewart's website. The sauce was delicious and so much better than the kind from the jar. She said it was really easy to make. Here it is:

Caramel Sauce
1 cup light-brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

1. Combine ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until thickened to desired consistency.

 

[kjledford]

On the caramel... if it seems too watery just boil for a minute or two longer - when its all together... I make the decorations first - don't even bother cleaning the pot - then make the carmel sauce... it worked like a charm and MAN was it the tastiest thing EVER!

 

[sarahmarie]

i just made the sauce. it would not melt. i added way more water then they wanted. the sugar wasnt melting but when i added the water it started to boil. it came out perfect! you have to drizzle quickly or esle your caramel gets too hard.

 

[reba515]

Oh yum! Sweet potatoes.

Yes, you can make pancakes in them. I tried it this morning. HOWEVER, the previous post about it said not to use any Pam or anything and mine all stuck except the sunflower shape I still had to use a knife to pry them out too. I think next time I will be spraying them! The kids said they were better than usual too. They said they tasted fluffier. Now we are talking teen and pre-teen, not some little kid that just likes them better because they are in the shape of a flower

a KNIFE! YIKES JMO but maybe using the flat side of the citrus peeler would be safer

 

[sarahmarie]

the caramel sauce did not work! i mad the drizzles but the sauce flopped. the cakes were awesome thoguh!

 

[pamperedgirl3]

What kind of store bought caramel sauce are you using? Is there actual caramel sauce, or is it ice cream topping?

 

[Cookin'InTX]

Caramel SauceLast weekend I did a show for my mom and I just used ice cream topping. The only complaint I had was that it made the banana slide once I started assembling them. Also some of my cakes came out lighter than others. Can't figure what I did wrong?

Any tips or suggestions?

 

[chefmelody]

Sorry to revive an old thread, but I'm making this recipe for the first time at a biiiig show this week and I want to make sure it's done right. Has anyone sucessfully made the drizzle designs and caramel sauce? I want to do at least one to take up the time while the cakes are baking, but I don't want a disaster!

 

[Ginger428]

Sorry to revive an old thread, but I'm making this recipe for the first time at a biiiig show this week and I want to make sure it's done right. Has anyone sucessfully made the drizzle designs and caramel sauce? I want to do at least one to take up the time while the cakes are baking, but I don't want a disaster!

I made the drizzle design the first time I made these & it was pretty scary...they came out fine, BUT I almost ruined 1 of my bamboo spoons ( no great loss) & the pot I made it in ( I forget which 1 ) I had to soak it for awhile before I did anything to it. The designs came out REALLY nice & the spoon & the pan are fine ( spoon a little discolored ) I think I might have cooked them too long. I would definatley try them again, but you should make them once before you demo them...HTH

 

[chefmelody]

Okay, I just tried making these... the cakes came out great, but the caramel sauce was weird. (DH ate it anyway!) I may have cooked it too long... what is "honey-colored," anyway? I kept thinking, "well, that looks kinda like honey... but maybe a little longer..." When I poured the cream in, the mixture bubbled like the recipe said, but then all the sugar/corn syrup mixture clumped up on the spoon, leaving the cream mostly separate! After stirring in vain for a few minutes, I put it back on the heat and brought it back to a slow boil, which finally dissolved the big clump... but I don't want something like that to happen at the party tomorrow!

Maybe I should just go with caramel sauce... but I wanted something to do while the cakes were baking...

 

[TammyJo]

Try This Sauce!I also tried the caramel sauce and couldn't get it to work but I found a great Butterscotch Sauce in the Taste of Home book that taste great with the Caramel Sticky Cakes and is easy to make. Try it you will love it!!

1/2 c brown sugar--1/4 c butter, cubed (no substitutes)--1/2 c heavy whipping cream.
In small pan combine brown sugar & butter. Cook over med. heat until butter is melted. Gradually add whipping cream, bring to a slow boil over med. heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat & serve with cake.

I make my sauce before I go to the show and put it in a hot cup to transport so it will stay warm. At the show I just put it in a SA small bowl. The sauce is the best when it cools a little before serving.

Enjoy!!

 

[chefmelody]

OK, I made the drizzle designs too... and they came out better. I might just make those at the show then. I figured out the trick to it, I think. You have to have the heat fairly high when you're melting the sugar... it'll look like it's bubbling up and not doing anything, but DON'T stir it too much! You'll be able to tell when the sugar melts... the syrup will suddenly become clear and much thinner. I stirred it about every minute or so and that worked.When the stuff started getting too thick to "drizzle," I put it back on the heat for a minute and stirred constantly until it thinned again. Though I did tend to get big blobs pouring it off the spoon... I couldn't seem to get a nice thin stream to start.I think I burned my little spoon, though... it's dark-colored on the tip now.

 

[ChefLaurel]

I have been making these a lot - and I can NEVER get the caramel sauce to come out correctly- I think there's something wrong with the recipe- there are lots of good recipes for caramel sauce on places like allfoods.com and epicurious.com, so i might just go use those. Mostly, I have been using jarred sauce - it goes so quickly, and everyone is happy to see quick and easy. Also - i usually need to cook the cakes a couple of minutes longer than it calls for

Funny, but worth knowing - I keep messing the recipe for the cakes up - I forgot to put the vanilla in once, and forgot to toast the nuts the second time (I am 5mos pregnant, and a little silly by 8pm) they still always come out great

 

[chefmelody]

Ahah... well, I was making these REALLY wrong... I'd misread the recipe as saying it needed 1 1/2 CUPS of butter, not 1 1/2 STICKS. They still came out tasty, but they were VERY rich and heavy! More like butter pecan cakes than caramel!

 

[Cookin'InTX]

thinner batterHas anyone noticed this or did I just do it wrong? I noticed that when I added the liquid ingredients, my cake babater was a little runny. I watched the demo video and their batter was a little more on the solid side. What did I do wrong?

 

[Chef Endora]

Sticky Caramel SauceI made the sauce at home & it came out perfect!
I made it for my 2nd show ever & it stuck in my non-stick saucepan & all over the bamboo spoon like a hard caramel candy, which it was!

The ONLY difference was that the 1st time, I heated the cream WHEN the step by step directions said to and it had cooled off too much so I reheated it in the microwave. This made the big bubbling the recipe referred to.

The 2nd time I again did it by the book, but didn't reheat the cream & didn't have the big bubbling going on.

I plan to try it again but won't heat the cream until right efore I use it.

Stay tuned......

 

[chefmelody]

I heated the cream right before I used it, and made sure it was hot. It bubbled like crazy, but the syrup stuff still got all sticky on my spoon and the pan. I had to put it back on the heat to make it melt again.

 

[Koolotus]

Does anyone have this recipe on the compuiter?
I don't want to type it all out and need to e-mail it to a host/recruit lead.
Please post it if you can
I am a horrible typer

 

[PamperChefCarol]

Here you go,.
The Pampered Chef ®
Sticky Caramel Mini Cakes
Recipe

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter (do not substitute margarine)
1/2 cup toasted pecans
11/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
11/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon Double-Strength Vanilla
Sliced bananas (optional)
Homemade Caramel Sauce and Caramel Drizzle Designs (optional)


Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray Silicone Floral Cupcake Pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. In Small Batter Bowl, microwave butter on HIGH 11/2-2 minutes or until melted, stirring after each 30-second interval; set aside to cool slightly. Finely chop pecans using Food Chopper. In Classic Batter Bowl, combine pecans, flour, baking powder and salt; mix well and set aside. Add brown sugar, eggs and vanilla to butter; whisk until smooth using Stainless Whisk.

Add butter mixture to flour mixture; fold together using Classic Scraper just until combined (do not overmix). Using Large Scoop, place one level scoop of batter into each well of pan. Bake 18-22 minutes or until edges of cakes are golden brown. Remove from oven; cool 5 minutes in pan. Carefully invert cakes onto Stackable Cooling Rack.

If desired, arrange five banana slices in a circle in center of each serving plate. Drizzle plate with Homemade Caramel Sauce. Top with one cake. Decorate with Caramel Drizzle Designs, if desired. Serve warm.

Yield: 12 cakes

Nutrients per serving: (1 cake): Calories 280, Total Fat 15 g, Saturated Fat 8 g, Cholesterol 65 mg, Carbohydrate 35 g, Protein 3 g, Sodium 190 mg, Fiber less than 1 g

Cook's Tip: If desired, 1 teaspoon vanilla can be substituted for the Double-Strength Vanilla.

 

[Koolotus]

You are awesome!!!
Thank you SO much!
!

 

[MGG]

Okay, I just tried making these... the cakes came out great, but the caramel sauce was weird. (DH ate it anyway!) I may have cooked it too long... what is "honey-colored," anyway? I kept thinking, "well, that looks kinda like honey... but maybe a little longer..." When I poured the cream in, the mixture bubbled like the recipe said, but then all the sugar/corn syrup mixture clumped up on the spoon, leaving the cream mostly separate! After stirring in vain for a few minutes, I put it back on the heat and brought it back to a slow boil, which finally dissolved the big clump... but I don't want something like that to happen at the party tomorrow!

Maybe I should just go with caramel sauce... but I wanted something to do while the cakes were baking...

Way late on this post, but it clumped b/c the cream was too cold. Maybe that will help for a future show or recipe.

 

[chefann]

There was also an update sent from HO to add the cream about a teaspoon at a time.