Name: Millionaire Shortbread Cake Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 100 g slightly salted butter; 100 g soft light brown sugar; 400 g condensed milk; 250 g slightly salted butter; 250 g white caster sugar (superfine sugar); 4 medium free range eggs; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 4 tbsp whole milk; 250 g white self raising flour (self rising flour); 300 ml double cream (heavy cream); 1 tbsp vanilla extract; 150 g dark chocolate (bittersweet); 150 g milk chocolate

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This millionaire shortbread cake recipe takes a classic sweet treat and converts it from biscuit to sponge cake!

a slice of Millionaire shortbread cake on a white plate with the full cake in the background.

You still get the rich chocolate and smooth caramel layers, but with vanilla cake instead of shortbread biscuit!

The result is so impossible delicious, I can't believe it isn't a common dessert everywhere. Honestly, the combination of flavours and textures is out of this world.

To make this recipe, you'll start by making the caramel, which involves popping condensed milk, brown sugar and butter in a bowl and microwaving! It's a surprisingly effective way to get a really lovely, thick caramel that sets perfectly on the cake.

For the chocolate ganache, it's purely case of heating cream and vanilla in the microwave and then adding some chocolate, stirring until smooth!

a slice of Millionaire shortbread cake on a white plate with a fork cutting off the front point and the full cake in the background.

To make the sponge, you'll whisk butter and sugar, then beat in eggs, vanilla and milk before folding in self-raising flour. And that's your batter made! You'll then bake it low and slow for an hour to give a nice, neat rise that's perfect for slicing into two layers.

And finally, you'll layer everything up: cake, caramel, ganache, cake, caramel, ganache, with that final layer of chocolatey goodness covering the whole cake. Divine!

Here's the full recipe for my millionaire shortbread cake recipe. I've included lots of images to help you at every stage of the process.

Ingredients

For the caramel

100 g (3.5 oz) slightly salted butter
100 g (7 tbsp) soft light brown sugar
400 g (14 oz) condensed milk

For the vanilla sponge

250 g (2 sticks + 1 tbsp) slightly salted butter
250 g (1⅓ cup + 2 tbsp) white caster sugar (superfine sugar)
4 medium free range eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 tbsp whole milk
250 g (1⅔ cups) white self raising flour (self rising flour)

For the milk chocolate ganache

300 ml (1¼ cup) double cream (heavy cream)
1 tbsp vanilla extract
150 g (5.5 oz) dark chocolate (bittersweet)
150 g (5.5 oz) milk chocolate

Equipment

Weighing scales
18 cm (7 inch) cake tin
Baking paper
Large mixing bowls
Whisk
Silicone spatula
Sharp serrated knife

Instructions

Make the caramel

You can begin cooking the caramel once the cakes are in the oven.

Put the butter, light soft brown sugar and condensed milk in a large, heat proof bowl.

butter, light soft brown sugar and condensed milk in a large bowl.

Heat in the microwave for 2 minutes to melt everything together. Stir, then continue the heat and stir for 3 further 2 minute blasts (to a total of 8 minutes). Be extremely careful and use oven gloves and care when handling the bowl as the caramel will bubble and reach almost 120C (250F). Stir by reaching the silicon spatula into the microwave if possible and safe to do so so that you can avoid moving the bowl any more than necessary.

When you've finished cooking the caramel, leave it in the microwave to cool. It will thicken as it cools.

caramel cooling in a large clear bowl surrounded by ingredients.

Make the sponge

Grease and double line a tall 18 cm (7 inch) cake tin.

Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan, 350F).

Put the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl.

butter and white sugar in a large clear bowl surrounded by ingredients.

Whisk together until pale.

whisked butter and white sugar in a large clear bowl surrounded by ingredients.

Add the eggs, vanilla and milk.

whisked butter and white sugar in a large clear bowl surrounded by ingredients topped with 4 eggs.

Whisk again

whisked cake batter in a large clear bowl surrounded by ingredients.

Sift in the flour.

whisked cake batter in a large clear bowl topped with flour surrounded by ingredients.

Fold together.

cake batter mixture in a large clear bowl surrounded by ingredients.

Spoon into the lined tin and level off.

cake batter in a lined round cake tin surrounded by ingredients.

Bake for 1 hour minutes until golden. Leave to cool in the tin until safe to touch, then release onto a wire rack to cool completely.

baked round plain sponge cake on a wire cooling rack.

Make the milk chocolate ganache

While the cakes are cooling, you can make the ganache.

Put the cream and vanilla in a heatproof bowl.

cream and vanilla in a heatproof bowl surrounded by ingredients.

Heat in the microwave in 30 second blasts until almost boiling.

Add the chopped milk chocolate.

cream and vanilla in a heatproof bowl topped with chocolate chips surrounded by ingredients.

Allow to stand for 1 minute, then stir until smooth and silky.

chocolate creamy ganache in a large clear bowl surrounded by ingredients.

Assemble the cake

Important note: when assembling the cake, if the ganache or caramel are at all warm, they will be too loose to work with, so let them cool. Likewise, if they become too cool, they will be too stiff to work with. You can loosen them by placing them in the microwave for a few seconds, but do so very sparingly as they can easily become too warm again and melt.

Cut the cake into two halves using a sharp serrated knife.

Place the bottom cake half on a board, cut side up.

plain sponge cake on a wooden chopping board.

Top with a third of the caramel.

plain sponge cake on a wooden chopping board topped with caramel.

Spoon one quarter of the ganache on top.

plain sponge cake on a wooden chopping board topped with caramel and chocolate ganache.

Put the second cake half on top, cut side down.

plain sponge cake on a wooden chopping board topped with caramel and chocolate ganache and another layer of cake.

Spoon another layer of caramel on top, this time more generously - you might not need it all.

Millionaires sponge cake topped with caramel on a wooden chopping board.

Spoon the remaining ganache onto the cake and spread all over the top and sides to cover the cake.

Millionaires sponge cake topped with chocolate ganache on a wooden chopping board.

To serve, allow to set for at least an hour, then cut the cake into slices with a sharp, serrated knife.

a slice of millionaires shortbread on a white plate with a fork at the front.

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5 from 1 vote

Millionaire Shortbread Cake Recipe

This millionaire shortbread cake recipe takes a classic sweet treat and converts it from biscuit to sponge cake! So you still get the rich chocolate and smooth caramel layers, but with vanilla cake instead of shortbread biscuit!

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time1 hr

Total Time1 hr 15 mins

Course: Desserts and sweet treats

Cuisine: Australian

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: 16 slices

Author: Emily Leary