Caramel Spill Gingerbread

It's up to you.

13 detailed steps, from preparation to service.

1. Preparing the mould and oven

   Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven and set it to 160 °C, conventional oven setting (no fan). Cut out a large strip of baking paper that covers the bottom and two large sides of the 24-cm cake mold, with tabs protruding from the edge, and then covers the small sides with a second strip. The paper makes it possible to unmould without taking additional butter from the 50 g provided for the dough.

2. Weigh the ingredients without mixing the dry ingredients with the liquid

   Pour the 250 g of flour into a large bowl. Add the 10 g of baking powder, the 6 g of sweet four-spice and the pinch of salt; whisk for about thirty seconds to distribute the baking powder. Weigh 200 g of honey and 80 g of brown sugar separately, then measure 150 ml of milk.

3. Dissolve honey, sugar and butter

   Pour the milk, honey and brown sugar into a saucepan, then add the 50 g of butter cut into small cubes. Heat over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring with a spatula, until the butter pieces and sugar grains disappear. The mixture should be homogeneous and warm, without boiling.

4. Let cool before adding the egg

   Remove the pan from the heat and let its contents go down below 40°C, stirring it occasionally. Break the egg into a small bowl, remove any shell chips and beat it with a fork. Pour it into the liquid and immediately scavenge: this wait avoids finding cooked egg filaments.

5. Stir in the liquid three times

   Make a hollow in the center of the dry ingredients with the whisk. Pour about a third of the liquid, mix in small circles in the center, then add the rest in two by gradually expanding the movements. Scrape the bottom and walls with the spatula; stop as soon as there is no more dry flour, even if the dough has some small irregularities.

6. Fill and Bake

   Pour all the dough into the prepared pan, scraping the bowl. Gently level the top with the back of a spoon and place the mold on the oven rack. Program first 45 minutes; avoid opening the door for the first 35 minutes, so that the cake can grow.

7. Check the cooking in the center

   At 45 minutes, stick a skewer in the middle of the cake, to the heart, then remove it. It can carry a few wet crumbs, but no liquid paste; otherwise, extends in 5 minutes, up to about 55 minutes. If the surface colours too much, place a sheet of baking paper on the mold, held by its edges and away from the heating elements.

8. Unmold without breaking and then cool

   Remove the mould with oven gloves and place it on a heat-resistant surface for 15 minutes. Then lift the cake by holding the two strips of paper, then place it on a wire rack and gently remove the paper from the sides. Allow to cool for about 2 hours, until the center and bottom no longer give off heat.

9. Waiting for the next day before the set

   Packs the cake completely cold in an airtight box or in cling film. Let it rest overnight in a cool room: the crumb firms and cuts cleanly. Do not pack it hot, as the steam will moisten the crust; the toppings and chocolate will be added after this rest.

10. Digging a shallow trench

    The next day, place the cold cake on a board, lengthwise. With a small knife, draw two lines 2 cm apart on top, stopping 2 cm from each end. Remove between these lines a strip of crumb 1 cm deep with a spoon; keep the pieces and leave the bottom of the cake intact.

11. Fill with thick caramel

    Stir the 100 g of salted butter caramel at room temperature to smooth it, without heating it. Place it with a spoon in the trench, in several passages, then spread gently to fill the cavity. If there is a bit of caramel left after filling to the brim, keep it in a small bowl to be served with the slices rather than overflowing it on the dish.

12. Forming the chocolate plate

    Chop the 70 g of dark chocolate with a knife and put them in a perfectly dry bowl. Pour 2 cm of water into a small saucepan, heat to a gentle simmer and then lower the heat. Set the bowl over the pan without touching the water and stir with a spatula. Remove while a few small pieces remain and stir off the heat until melted. Wipe the bottom of the bowl and do not pour any water into the chocolate. Pour it on a sheet of baking paper placed on a small baking tray. Spread it with a spatula in a rectangle of about 18 x 15 cm, 2 mm thick, then let take about 20 minutes in a cool room; prolongs if the center still marks to the touch.

13. Breaking and disposing of debris

    Take off the chocolate plate by gently flipping the paper, then break it into six large pieces and a few small pieces. Layer the chips partially in the caramel, without erecting them vertically, and sprinkle the cake crumbs reserved between them. Serve in thick slices; put the extra small chips in the caramel bowl and keep the rest of the canned cake closed in the cool.