Spiced Caramel Cake with Salted Maple Butterscotch and Pecan Crumble

Cake

• 115g White Wings Plain Flour, sifted
• 90g roasted pecans
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp each ground cloves and ground nutmeg
• 225g (1½ cups) White Wings Self Raising Flour, sifted
• 175g unsalted butter
• 85g CSR Brown Sugar
• 85g CSR Caster Sugar
• 180mL (¾ cup) maple syrup
• Finely grated rind of 1 orange
• 180mL (¾ cup) buttermilk, well shaken
• 3 eggs
• 2 packets CSR Buttercream Butterscotch Icing Mixture 

Salted Maple Butterscotch

• 200mL maple syrup
• 60g butter
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 100mL thickened cream
• 1 tbs bourbon whisky

Pecan Crumble

• 50g White Wings Plain Flour
• 40g (¼ cup) roasted pecans, coarsely chopped
• 30g CSR Brown Sugar
• 40g cold butter, chopped
• Roasted pecans, to serve

1. Preheat oven to 160°C, fan-forced. Grease and line two 20cm round cake pans with baking paper. Place plain flour, pecans and spices in a food processor and blitz until finely ground. Transfer to a large bowl with self-raising flour and whisk to combine, then set aside.
2. Cook butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes until nut brown. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the sugars and maple syrup and orange rind and stir to combine. Remove from the heat then whisk in the buttermilk. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool then add the eggs and whisk until smooth.
3. Make a well in the bowl with dry ingredients, then gently whisk in wet ingredients until a smooth batter forms (don’t over mix). Divide evenly among prepared pans and bake for 30 minutes or until centre springs back when lightly pressed. Cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, for salted maple butterscotch, place maple syrup in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes until caramelised. Remove from the heat, add the butter and salt, then whisk to combine. Add the cream and bourbon, then whisk until smooth. Refrigerate for 1- 2 hours until chilled.
5. For pecan crumble, line a large baking tray with baking paper. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the butter, and using your fingers, rub with the dry mixture to combine. Spread out over the prepared tray and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden. Remove from oven and cool completely.
6. Prepare CSR Butterscotch Buttercream as directed. Transfer buttercream to a large piping bag, fitted with a 2cm round nozzle.
7. Trim cake tops to level. Place one layer of cake on a serving platter. Pipe over half the icing in a circular motion, drizzle with some salted maple caramel and scatter over half the crumble. Top with the remaining layer of cake, pipe over the remaining icing, scatter with pecan crumble, extra roasted pecans and drizzle with remaining salted maple caramel sauce to serve.