This cake is one of the most viral recipes I’ve ever posted on my social-media pages. People went crazy over this cake and rightly so, because it is deliciously decadent. Turning one of South Africa’s favouritedesserts into a sponge cake was an inspired idea and I have no regrets. 

Makes 1 × 20cm round cake 

 Ingredients  

180g butter, softened
18g caster sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup + 2 tsp (260ml) amasi or buttermilk
2 tsp (10ml) vanilla extract
1½ cups + 1 Tbsp (240g) cake wheat flour, sifted
2 tsp (10ml) baking powder
2 tsp (10ml) bicarbonate of soda
1 can (385g) Nestlé Caramel Treat
100g Nestlé Peppermint Crisp chocolate, crushed
}250g cream cheese, room temperature
Icing sugar, sifted, to taste 

Method 

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 20cm round cake tin and line it with baking paper.  
2. Cream the butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the Amasi or buttermilk and 1 tsp (5ml) of vanilla extract.  
3. Sift the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda together, then mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until fully combined.  
4. Spoon a third of the batter into the prepared cake tin, then dollop about a quarter of the Caramel Treat evenly over the batter. Sprinkle over a quarter of the Peppermint Crisp chocolate. Layer again with a third of the cake batter, a quarter of the Caramel Treat and a quarter of the Peppermint Crisp, ending with the remaining third of cake batter.  
5. Run a skewer through the layers to swirl the caramel through the batter. Smooth out the top layer of batter, then bake for 50–60 minutes, or until golden. The cake is baked when it springs back when lightly pressed or when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.  
6. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out and leaving on a wire rack to cool completely.
7. In the meantime, make a cream-cheese frosting by whisking the cream cheese, the remaining half can of Caramel Treat and the remaining 1 tsp (5ml) of vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Gradually sift in some icing sugar to adjust the sweetness as desired.  
8. Spread the frosting onto the cooled cake, then decorate with the remaining half of the crushed Peppermint Crisp chocolate. 

Words: Zola Nene 
Photographs: Toby Murphy