
Ease of Preparation: Easy
Time of Preparation: 45-50 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Sweet, salty, and decadent: it’s the only way to describe these sinfully delicious little cakes! Rings of juicy, fresh pineapple is caramelized atop these tender sponge cakes before they’re drizzled with luscious salted caramel sauce.
Ingredients:
Salted Caramel Sauce:
- ¾ cup (180 ml) sugar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) water
- 1 cup (240 ml) whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (60 ml) butter, unsalted
- 3 ½ teaspoons (17.5 ml) flaky sea salt
Cakes:
- 1 cup (240 ml) plus 2 tablespoons (30 ml) unsalted butter, room temperature, divided (plus more for ramekins)
- ½ cup (120 ml) brown sugar
- 6 slices fresh pineapple, about ¼ -inch (6 mm) thick
- 1 cup (240 ml) sugar
- 1 ¾ cups (410 ml) cake flour
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) lemon extract
- 1 ¾ teaspoons (23.25 ml) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (1.25 ml) salt
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 2/3 cup (160 ml) 2% milk
- Salted Caramel Sauce
- 6 maraschino cherries, to garnish
Special equipment:
- 6 10-ounce ceramic ramekins (round, 4 ½-5-inch x 2 ½-inch/11.25-12.5 x 5.75 cm)
Method:
For the Salted Caramel Sauce:
Heat the sugar and water in a heavy saucepan over high heat. Cook until the sugar has dissolved, about 1 minute.
Continue to cook without stirring, until the mixture thickens and turns a deep amber color, 5-8 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat, carefully add the whipping cream, being aware of splattering.
Return the pan to the heat and reduce the heat to medium. Cook until uniformly thick and creamy, stirring occasionally to help incorporate the cream, about 5 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla, butter, and salt.
Keep warm.
For the Cakes:
Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C).
Generously butter ramekins and arrange on a baking sheet with a rim.
Melt ½ cup (120 ml) butter in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in the brown sugar.
Using a 4 ½-5-inch (11.25–12.5 cm, to match the ramekin) round cutter, trim pineapple slices to fit into the bottom of each ramekin.
Use a small round cutter to remove the core from pineapple rounds, and place one round in the bottom of each ramekin.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, combine the remaining butter, sugar, and lemon extract. Beat until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Gradually add flour mixture and the milk to the mixer with the butter-egg mixture, alternating, in stages, beating between each addition. Continue until batter has been formed.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared ramekins to a depth of about 1 inch (2.5 cm).
Bake for 30 minutes, until the top is firm, and a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Let cakes cool 1 minute before inverting onto serving plates.
Gently reheat the Salted Caramel Sauce and serve with the cakes.
Garnish each cake with a maraschino cherry, serve immediately.