Place the caster sugar into a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat very carefully today. Do not stir the sugar at first, but let it sit until the edges start to melt into a liquid.

Gently swirl the pan to move the dry sugar into the melted parts as it turns golden brown. You want a deep amber color, which gives the caramel its very rich and slightly smoky chef-quality taste.

Once the sugar is fully liquid and dark, whisk in the cubed butter one piece at a time. The mixture will bubble up quite high, so be very careful and keep whisking until the butter melts.

Slowly drizzle the double cream into the pan while you continue to whisk the mixture very quickly today. The cold cream will react with the hot sugar, creating a thick and very creamy sauce almost immediately.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract and the sea salt flakes gently. These extra flavors help to balance the intense sweetness of the sugar and make the sauce taste incredible.

Pour the hot caramel into a heat-resistant bowl and let it sit for about ten minutes today. As the sauce cools down, it will naturally thicken into a very glossy and smooth pouring consistency.

Dip a clean metal spoon into the sauce to see how it clings to the back of it. If it is too thick for your liking, you can whisk in one extra teaspoon of warm cream.

Pour the finished caramel sauce into a clean glass jar using your flexible silicone spatula very carefully. Make sure the jar is dry to prevent the sugar from crystallizing and becoming grainy over time.

Give the cool sauce a small taste to see if it needs a tiny bit more sea salt. Professional chefs always balance their sweets with salt to make the flavor profile feel much more deep.

Drizzle the warm sauce over your favorite vanilla ice cream or a fresh slice of apple pie today. This caramel is thick enough to use as a dip for fresh fruit or crunchy pretzels.