Recipe:
Sponge Cake
You will need an 8" vanilla sponge cake.
Trim the top and sides of the sponge cake and divide it into three layers and keep aside.
For the butterscotch
150 grams granulated sugar
3 teaspoons of butter
5 tablespoons of crushed cashew nuts
½ teaspoon of vanilla essence or 2 drops of butter scotch essence
A few drops of vegetable oil
Spread the vegetable oil over your cleaned kitchen counter top.
Stir together sugar and butter over a low heat in a thick bottomed pan till the sugar has melted. Let the mixture boil till it turns golden brown in colour.
Take the pan off the heat, and mix in crushed cashewnuts and essence. Pour it over the oiled surface and let it cool and harden completely.
Once it has hardened, break off pieces and place it in a ziploc bag. Crumble it using a mallet or a rolling pin.
For the sugar syrup
1 cup of water, approximately
1 to 1½ tablespoons of sugar
1/4 teaspoon of vanilla essence or a drop of butterscotch essence
Mix together all the ingredients for the sugar syrup and stir until the sugar has dissolved completely. Adjust sweetness according to your taste.
Whipped Cream
1½ cups + ½ cup (about 500 ml) of cream, chilled. (I used 25% Amul Cream that comes in tetra packs)
2/3 cups butter
6 tablespoons of powdered sugar (adjust according to taste)
½ teaspoon of vanilla essence or a drop of butterscotch essence
Heat the butter and half a cup of cream, stirring constantly till the butter has melted. Let it cool completely.
Beat the remaining cream at high speed till it turns thick and frothy. Add powdered sugar and essence and continue beating till the sugar has mixed in well with the cream.
Add the butter cream little by little, beating at low speed with stiff peaks have formed.
Test for sweetness and adjust as required.
Assembling the cake
Place the bottom layer of the cake on the serving platter. Starting from the outer edge of the layer, spread in tablespoon by tablespoon of the sugar syrup, moving inward to the centre, such that the entire surface has been moistened. I used about 12 tablespoons of syrup for each layer.
Heap about 1/5th of the cream on the layer and spread it out evenly. Sprinkle a little less than 1/3rd of the butterscotch on top of the cream.
Repeat with the next layer.
Keep the topmost layer upside down to get a smooth finish, and again add sugar syrup, followed by cream and butterscotch.
Use to and fro motions of a palette knife to spread the rest of the cream on top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle the rest of the butter scotch on top and sides of the cake.
Chill for a few hours before serving so that the sugar syrup is absorbed completely into the sponge layers.
If you find it difficult to slice the cake, then keep some hot water ready. Dip your knife into the water, wipe dry quickly, and slice. Repeat before making each slice into the cake.
