INGREDIENTS
Caramel
300 g caster (superfine) sugar
a few drops of lemon juice
150 ml single cream, warmed
75 g salted butter, cold

Cake
450 ml milk
4 eggs, separated
70 g salted butter, melted
90 g plain flour
pinch of salt

METHOD 

Grease a 24-cm cake tin with butter and line with baking paper (or use a silicon cake mould).

Begin cake by preparing the caramel. Heat the sugar and lemon juice in a large thick-bottomed saucepan until the sugar melts and turns a caramel colour. It is best to check the colour with a wooden spoon as the caramel can look dark in the bottom of the saucepan. Add the warm cream, taking care not to splash. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the salted butter.

Set aside 100 g caramel and pour the milk into the remaining caramel. Bring to the boil until the caramel is fully dissolved in the milk. Leave to cool.

Preheat the oven to 150°C.

Beat the yolks with the melted butter. Fold in the flour and salt then pour in the caramel milk little by little, beating constantly.

Beat the egg whites until stiff and, using a whisk, gently incorporate them into the batter. Pour the batter into the greased cake tin, smooth the surface with the blade of a knife and bake in the oven for 55 minutes. When the cake comes out of the oven it will wobble slightly.

Before turning it out, leave it to set in the fridge for at least two hours. Serve chilled.

Chef’s tip: Serve the cake with the remaining caramel sauce and a scattering of pine nuts.

This is an edited extract and images from Magic Cakes by Christelle Huet-Gomez, published by Hardie Grant Books.