Prep 50minBake 35-40minMakes about 40

When the French profiteroles arrived in Brazil, a bakery in Sao Paulo created its own version – the Carolinas. Instead of filling the profiteroles with vanilla custard, they used pure dulce de leche then it became one of the staples in Sao Paulo bakeries.
This version, created by Make Me a Baker student Ana Moreno for her graduation, includes cream to make them less sweet than the ones you find in Sao Paulo, but still with plenty of dulce de leche to give the authentic taste.

Ingredients

1 quantity Basic Choux Pastry
150g good-quality dark chocolate (45-54% cocoa), chopped into small pieces
Edible gold leaf flakes, to decorate

Dulce de Leche Cream
250ml (1 cup) thickened cream
30g (¼ cup) icing sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
320g (1 cup) dulce de leche

Method

1. To make the profiteroles, preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Line 2 large oven trays with non-stick baking paper.
2. Spoon the choux pastry into a large piping bag fitted with a 0.9cm (#9) round piping tip. Pipe 3cm rounds onto the lined trays, about 2cm apart. Use a damp fingertip to smooth any peaks on each of the rounds. Sprinkle the lined tray with a little water.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until well puffed and golden. Reduce the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced) and bake for a further 15-20 minutes or until golden and crisp on the outside. Remove from the oven and use a 0.7cm (#7) star piping tip to make a hole in the base of each of the hot profiteroles for the steam to escape. Place hole side up on a wire rack and allow to cool completely
4. To make the Dulce de Leche Cream, combine the cream, icing sugar and vanilla bean paste in a mixing bowl and use a balloon whisk or hand held beaters with a whisk attachment to whisk on medium-high speed until soft peaks form.
5. Spoon dulce de leche into a medium bowl. Add a third of the whipped cream mixture and use a large metal spoon or spatula to fold gently through the dulce de leche to retain as much air as possible until just combined evenly. Add the remaining cream in two more batches folding gently until just combined.
6. Place the Dulce de Leche Cream into a pastry bag fitted with a 0.7cm (#7) star or round piping tip. Insert the tip into the hole in the base of a profiterole and fill with the Dulce de Leche Cream.
7. To decorate the profiteroles, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set over a saucepan of simmering water (make sure the water doesn’t touch the base of the bowl). Stir occasionally until the chocolate melts and is smooth.
8. Dip the tops of each of the filled profiteroles in the melted chocolate to coat and set aside on a wire rack to stand for 10 minutes. Carefully decorate each profiterole with a little edible gold leaf before the chocolate is fully set.

Prep 20min (+2hr cooling time)
Bake 30-35minMakes 15

Prep 35min (+1hr cooling time)
Bake 25minMakes 12 serves

Layer upon layer, this impressive cake is deceptively simple to make. What’s more, you could call it a hazelnut hummingbird cake with the added bonus of lashings of caramel. Now what’s not to love about that!

Ingredients

Banana and hazelnut cake layers

melted butter, to brush

300g (2 cups) plain flour

3½ teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

220g (1 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar

100g hazelnut meal

60g (⅔ cup) desiccated coconut

150g butter, melted and cooled

3 eggs, lightly whisked

4 ripe medium bananas (about 200g each), mashed

2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract or essence

Caramel

165g (¾ cup) caster sugar

60ml (¼ cup) water

150ml pouring cream

30g butter, cubed

Cream cheese frosting

250g cream cheese, cubed, at room temperature

80g butter, cubed, at room temperature

1 teaspoon natural vanilla essence or extract

185g (1½ cups) icing sugar

Method

1. To make the cake layers, preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Brush three shallow 20cm round cake tins with melted butter and line the bases with non-stick baking paper.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and cardamom into a large bowl. Stir in the brown sugar, hazelnut meal and coconut and stir with a wooden spoon to combine, breaking up any lumps. Make a well in the centre. Use a fork to whisk together the butter, eggs, banana and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients and use a spatula or large metal spoon to fold together until just combined.
3. Divide the cake mixture evenly among the prepared cake tins, smoothing the surface with the back of a spoon. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, swapping the tins around halfway through baking, until pale golden and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean. Stand the cakes in the tins for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool.
4. Meanwhile, to make the caramel, combine the caster sugar and water in a small saucepan and use a wooden spoon to stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to medium and bring to the boil. Boil for about 10 minutes, brushing down the side of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to dissolve any sugar crystals, until the mixture turns a deep caramel. Remove immediately from the heat and carefully add the cream and butter. Stir with a wooden spoon until well combined and the caramel is smooth. Brush a little of the hot caramel over the warm cakes.
5. Pour the caramel into a heatproof bowl or jug and set aside to cool, stirring occasionally, with the cakes (this will take about 1 hour).
6. Meanwhile to make the cream cheese frosting, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until well combined and creamy. With the mixer running, gradually beat in the icing sugar until well combined and smooth. Cover and set aside in a cool spot (but not in the fridge).
7. To assemble the cake, spread about ½ cup of the cream cheese frosting over the top of one of the cake layers. Top with another cake layer, another ½ cup frosting and the remaining cake layer. Spread a thin layer of frosting around the outside of the cake so that the cake layers show through. Spread the remaining frosting on top. Pour a generous amount of the caramel over the top of the cake, allowing it to drizzle down the sides. Serve in wedges with the remaining caramel passed separately, if desired.

Prep 30min (+30-60min standing time)Bake 1hr 10minMakes 10-12 serves

This recipe is from Anneka's SBS Food online column, Bakeproof: Comforting Custard.

CLICK HERE for more Bakeproof recipes.

Photography by Alan Benson. 

Prep 30min (+1hr cooling and 1hr chilling time)Bake 20minMakes 20 pieces

This has to be the perennial favourite... biscuit base, gooey caramel centre and chocolate topping is a combination made in heaven. This chocolate caramel slice has been given a little makeover with a feather-patterned topping.

Ingredients

Caramel filling

Chocolate topping

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease a 16cm x 26cm (base measurement) shallow slice tin and line the base and sides with one piece of non-stick baking paper, cutting into the corners to fit.
2. To make the base, combine the flour, baking powder, desiccated coconut and brown sugar in a medium bowl. Add the butter and vanilla and mix well. Crumble evenly over the base of the lined tin and use your hands to press down firmly and cover evenly. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until cooked through and lightly golden. Remove from the oven.
3. Meanwhile, to make the Caramel Filling, combine the sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, golden syrup and butter in a small saucepan and cook over a low heat, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes, or until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens slightly (do not boil).
4. Pour the hot caramel immediately over the base and use the back of a metal spoon to smooth the surface. Return the slice to the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the caramel has darkened slightly and starts to bubble around the edges. Remove from the oven and set aside for 1 hour or until cooled completely.
5. To make the Chocolate Topping, combine the dark chocolate and butter in a medium heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (don’t let the water touch the base of the bowl). Stir frequently until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth. Pour over the cooled slice and use the back of a metal spoon to cover evenly. Tap the tin on the bench to even the topping and to remove any air bubbles. Melt the milk chocolate in the same way as the dark chocolate and butter in a separate small heatproof bowl. Place the slice with the long edge facing you. Use a teaspoon to generously drizzle the milk chocolate widthways across the dark chocolate to form vertical lines. Then use a skewer to run through both the dark and milk chocolate lengthways 5-6 times in alternate directions to form a feather pattern. Place in the fridge for 1 hour or until the chocolate sets. 
6. Use a warm large sharp knife to cut into to serve.

This recipe is from Anneka's SBS Food online column, Bakeproof: Childhood Favourites.

CLICK HERE for more Bakeproof recipes.

Photography by Alan Benson.