Chocolate Caramel Poke Cake

This is no mean feat, especially for a chocolate and caramel lover. But that's exactly what I love about sheet cakes, the greater surface area allows for mass chocolate chip/drizzle combo topping. Its not the prettiest, nor the best executed. More like an excuse to make yourself a cake and load it up with all your favourite toppings.

There's no limit to poke cakes either. You could load it up with chocolate ganache, something boozy or anything else you fancy in place of the caramel. A poke cake literally means poke holes in it and pour over a sauce, it knocks the socks off a drizzle cake...unless it's the super boozy gin and tonic cake I made last week!

C H O C O L A T E   C A R A M E L   P O K E   C A K E
Serves 12

Chocolate cake

140g unsalted butter

350g plain flour

25g cocoa powder

2tbsp malted milk powder (like Horlicks)

1tsp bicarbonate of soda

2tsp baking powder

1/4tsp salt

300g soft light brown sugar

300ml milk

150ml vegetable oil

1tsp vanilla extract

Caramel

395g tin condensed milk

2tbsp golden syrup

60g unsalted butter

Chocolate caramel frosting

250g unsalted butter, softened

500g icing sugar

100g dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids), melted and cooled

1-2tsp caramel extract

Chocolate chips and 50g white chocolate for finishing

• Heat the oven to 180 degrees and grease and line a 23x33cm baking tray.
• Melt the butter in a small pan over a low heat and leave to cool slightly.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, malted milk powder, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt to remove any lumps and add in the sugar.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, vanilla and cooled butter before whisking into the dry ingredients. 
• Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool in the baking tray for 10 minutes before using the end of a wooden spoon to poke holes over the surface of the cake.
• Whilst the cake is baking in the oven, make the caramel. Add all the ingredients into a medium sized pan on a medium heat and gently whisk until the mixture starts to steam, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and continue to whisk for a further minute.
• Pour the caramel over the cake ensuring to cover every edge and poke hole. Cover and leave to chill for one hour in the fridge.
• To make the chocolate frosting, whisk the butter and sifted icing sugar together, gently at first, until light and fluffy. Slowly add in the cooled melted dark chocolate whilst continuing to beat.
• Spread the frosting evenly over the surface of the cooled cake. 

Top with whatever treats you want for finishing touches, I threw over a generous helping of chocolate chips and sprinkles and a drizzle of white chocolate.

The cake is quite oozy, so feel free to pop in the fridge to chill a little again in order to make neat slices for serving. Alternatively, eat straight from the tin with a fork and in great quantities. 

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