CARAMEL CAKE (Kek Gula Hangus / Kek Sarang Semut)

Yes, I did it! Hehee....! I searched the recipe, found it and tried it. Some call it Ant's Nest Cake. Well, the result, WONDERFUL! The rich caramel aroma filled the house when I baked it and it tasted to good. Springy texture with lots of 'airholes', just like the ants nest..hehehe! 

I was given a version of this recipe many years ago by a family acquaintance, however, she did not give a thorough explanation of how to make it. All she said was, follow the recipe and bake as per normal. I remember trying it twice, and both times, the cake failed to cook nicely becoming leathery and tough. I even remember that at one occasion, the cake got so oily whilst baking, with the oil rising to the surface....gosh! And since then I told myself to just lay off this cake for awhile and try something else. 

So last week, I found this recipe, got enough courage and baked it. I was GLAD :)

CARAMEL CAKE (Kek Gula Hangus / Sarang Semut)

Prepare 8" pan, greased and lined.

prepare caramel:

1 cup castor sugar

1 cup hot water

50gm butter

-  place sugar in a heavy pan over a slow fire and allow to carmelize (very dark brown). This colour is important as it'll determine the colour of your cake. 

- remove from heat. 

- with oven mits, slowly pour the hot water into the caramel. Be careful as this will result to lots of hot steam. Stir till you get syrup.

- add butter and allow butter to melt in this syrup. Stir and put aside.

4 eggs

1 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

-Sieve flour with bicarbonate of soda.

-Beat the eggs till frothy.

-Add condensed milk and continue beating.

-Fold in flour

-Add caramel mix to egg batter and mix thoroughly.

Pour batter into pan. Cover with aluminium foil and let it sit for at least 1-3hrs. 

Heat up oven to 160deg. Bake in  lower heat for 30 mins and switch to up and down heat for the next 20mins.

Enjoy!

Sheen Mars is a SAHM with 2 lovely boys who loves the simple pleasures of home-cooked meals. Get more scrumptious ideas on Sheen's Tea-time and Simple Desserts Treats (Western and Asian).