How to make caramel for Plum Cakes / No-Fail Blackjack or Caramel for Plum Cakes

Here's the most easiest and fail-proof way of making caramel or blackjack for Plum Cakes. Does your caramel go rock hard? Do you find it difficult to get the stuck bits of the ladle or pan? Too thick? Too thin? Not enough colour? Making caramel doesn't have to be scary or hard. Keep a few pointers in mind while making it and it's sure to be a breeze. Amidst all the other lovely ingredients that go into the making of a plum cake or fruit cake, its easy to overlook this little aspect. However, the perfectly "burnt" caramel imparts that characteristic punch to the plum cakes and gives it those unmistakably deep, dark and mysterious undertones. 0:00 Introduction 0:15 What you Need 0:30 Starting the Process 0:45 Browning and Bubbling 1:15 Melted Sugar 1:25 Frothing and Rising 2:12 Darkened in colour and thickened - Time to add Water 3:35 Cooled and ready fo storage This video demonstrates the dry method of making caramel and the ratio mentioned should work for both small and large batches. The optimal liquid percentage : 30% This means that for whichever qty of sugar used, take 30% of it as the weight of water. For example, if you plan to make caramel with 1 kg of sugar, you will need 300 ml (30% of 1 kg) of water to arrive at an optimal consistency. For the purpose of this video, I have used the below 1. Sugar : 800g 2. Water : 240g TIME REQUIRED : 35-40 mins YIELD : 950g of Caramel WASTAGE/LOSS BY EVAPORATION : 10% METHOD: 1. Take the granulated sugar in a large thick bottomed pan (preferably with high walls), spread it out evenly and place on medium flame. Allow it to slowly heat up and start melting. 2. Give the pan a good shake and swirl at regular intervals to help the sugar melt evenly. In about 10-12 mins, all the sugar would have started to melt and gradually transform into a beautiful reddish brown glossy liquid. 3. It will then start bubbling up wildly and steadily climb up the walls of your pan (make sure you use a large high walled pan). As it climbs up, reduce the flame to low and give it a stir with your wooden spoon. The bubbling will slowly subside and settle down to a simmer. 4. At this point, increase the flame to medium again and allow it to keep simmering. After 5 mins, you will notice that the liquid starts to thicken slightly and is till reddish brown. 5. Keep simmering for another 5 mins, the mixture thickens and starts turning blackish black 6. Another 3 mins and it will turn almost black. (You may think you have hopelessly burnt your caramel, but NO, don’t give it up) At this juncture, reduce flame to low again and add the pre-measured water into the pan a little at a time. Be extremely careful as the sugar will splutter. 7. Using the wooden ladle, keep stirring the caramel as you gradually exhaust the measured qty of water. Initially it may feel as though the sugar has hardened, but as you stir it will blend together and become smooth. 8. Once smooth, increase the flame to medium and allow to gently simmer for another 2-3 mins. Turn off the stove and allow it to cool. It will be very viscous when warm but will thicken up nice and pretty as it cools down. Once cooled completely, it can be stored in glass jars or steel containers or food grade plastic containers. POINTS TO BE NOTED 1. Make sure you use a large thick bottomed pan, preferably with high walls. 2. Do not be tempted to increase the flame. It must be at medium at all times except while adding water. 3. When adding water, pour a little at a time at intervals. Adding all the water at once will hopelessly harden your caramel. 4. Use a knife to scrape off the sugar bits stuck to the ladle when stirring. 5. When making with smaller quantities, the time required for each stage will also be lesser. Keep an eye out for the changes as described in the video. Try it out and let me know your experience in the comments below. If you liked what you saw, do consider subscribing for more of such videos and share among your friends who would love to watch them too - http://bit.ly/cakesbym Lets Connect Facebook - @cakesbym.cbm Instagram - @cakesbym.cbm Behind the Scenes Details Shot on my One Plus 5T Edited using Movavi Video Editor Plus Music from the Youtube Audio Library Thumbnails and Artwork with Canva What Child Is This by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Artist: http://audionautix.com/