Branch Crunch Cake Food

THE BEST LOUISIANA CRUNCH CAKE EVER

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees Fahrenheit.
• 2. Sift together cake flour, salt, baking powder and soda. Set aside.
• 3. In a large separate bowl, beat butter until very fluffy (approx. 5 minuets) then add 2 cups of sugar. Continue to beat until light and fluffy (approx. 2 more minutes).
• 4. Beat in eggs, one at a time, making sure that each egg is thoroughly blended before adding the next egg.
• 5. Mix in sour cream and vanilla extract.
• 6. Blend in some of the dry ingredients followed by some of the buttermilk in alternates. This is a way to ensure that the ingredients are being thoroughly blended together -- For example; add dry mixture followed by buttermilk, dry mixture, buttermilk dry mixture -- so on and so forth -- DO NOT OVER BEAT OTHERWISE CAKE WILL BECOME HARD AS A BRICK ONCE FINISHED BAKING!
• 7. Grease a bundt cake pan. I used a non stick angle food spring formed tube pan. If you do not have a non stick pan, be sure to grease your pan and dust with flour! Add in 1/4 cup of sugar to the bottom of pan and about 3 inches up the sides, tapping the pan to ensure even distribution. Leave excess sugar in pan. Sprinkle coconut flakes to the bottom of the pan. Scrape batter into the bundt pan and spread evenly.
• 8. Bake for about 50 minutes to an hour or until a wooden skewer inserted comes out clean (if it comes out wet, bake another 10 minutes or so, if it comes out crumbly, you over baked the cake).
• 9. Let cake cool for about 10 minutes, then carefully remove from pan, making sure that the sugary coconut side is faced upward. Use a knife to scrape the sides if cake becomes stuck. (this step is very important otherwise your cake will continue to bake and will become very dry and completely stuck in the pan).
• 10. Drizzle glaze over the crunchy top portion of cake. Please use my Vanilla Almond Glaze recipe to complete this cake!

ICE CREAM CRUNCH CAKE

Steps:

• Put a 9-inch springform pan in the freezer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, let 1 container vanilla ice cream soften at room temperature.
• Remove the pan from the freezer. Spread a 1/2-inch-thick layer of softened vanilla ice cream on the bottom and up the sides of the pan. (If the ice cream gets too soft, return to the freezer.) Freeze until firm, about 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, pulse the chocolate wafers in a food processor to break into large crumbs. Add the chocolate shell topping and pulse until the crumbs are moist, about 5 pulses; set aside.
• Let the chocolate ice cream soften at room temperature, about 15 minutes. Spread over the vanilla layer, firmly packing the ice cream into the pan. Spread the chocolate crumb mixture over the chocolate ice cream. Freeze until set, about 1 hour.
• Remove the remaining container vanilla ice cream from the freezer 15 minutes before assembling the final layer. Spread the ice cream over the crumb layer, packing it tightly, then smooth the top with an offset spatula. Freeze until firm, about 2 hours.
• To unmold, wipe the outside of the pan with a hot cloth, then run a hot knife around the inside; unlatch and remove the side. If the ice cream cake is too soft, refreeze 20 minutes.
• Spread 3 cups whipped cream over the top and sides of the cake. Freeze until set, about 20 minutes. Put the remaining 2 cups whipped cream in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip; pipe along the top and bottom edges of the cake and decorate with sprinkles. Return to the freezer; remove 15 minutes before serving and slice with a hot knife.

BLACKOUT CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE CRUNCH

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-by-2-inch-round cake pans and dust with flour, tapping out the excess. Combine the chocolate, milk and 1/2 cup water in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until the chocolate is melted; whisk until smooth, then let cool. Meanwhile, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl; set aside.
• Beat the butter in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until creamy, about 4 minutes. Add the vegetable oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla; beat until fluffy, about 4 more minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the melted chocolate mixture; beat until just incorporated.
• Divide the batter between the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes in the pans, then run a knife around the edges and invert onto a rack to cool completely.
• Reheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Using a long serrated knife, cut each cake in half crosswise to make 4 layers. Crumble one of the layers into small pieces on the baking sheet. Bake until dry, about 20 minutes; let cool completely. Cover with parchment paper and crush with the bottom of a saucepan to make coarse crumbs; set aside.
• Make the frosting: Combine the chocolate, corn syrup and 1/2 cup hot water in a large heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water; stir until melted, about 5 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pot and let cool 10 minutes. Transfer to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and start beating on high speed; beat in the vanilla, then the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar and beat until creamy. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until thick enough to spread, about 10 minutes. (If the frosting is too thick, microwave in 10-second intervals for up to 30 seconds to soften.)
• Put one cake layer on a platter; spread 1 heaping cup frosting on top. Add another cake layer, more frosting and the last cake layer. Cover the top and sides with the remaining frosting. Press the reserved cake crumbs all over the cake.

INDIVIDUAL CRUNCH CAKE

Steps:

• For the banana cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 12-by-18-inch jelly roll sheet pan with parchment and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Line a tray or baking sheet with parchment.
• Heat the butter in a medium saucepan until browned. You will see tiny rust-colored specks float to the top and the butter may become foamy when it is ready. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
• Whisk together the pastry flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a large bowl and set aside. Add the brown sugar and eggs to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and mix on medium speed for 30 seconds. Whisk the brown butter, bananas, sour cream and vanilla together in a medium bowl, then add to the egg mixture and mix until just combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined.
• Pour the batter into the prepared jelly roll sheet. Bake, rotating the pan 180 degrees halfway during cooking, until the cake is light golden brown and a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 15 to 18 minutes.
• Cool the cake completely and freeze for 1 to 2 hours. Turn out the frozen cake onto a flat surface and use a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter to cut out 24 even circles. Place the rounds on the prepared tray and cover until ready to assemble and frost.
• For the milk chocolate frosting: Add the butter to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and cream on slow speed until smooth, glossy and free of lumps (do not fluff).
• Add the milk and vanilla and mix to incorporate.
• Add half of the confectioners' sugar and mix to incorporate. Add the rest of the sugar and mix on low speed until smooth.
• Add the milk chocolate and bittersweet chocolate and mix on medium speed until fully incorporated, scraping down the bowl as you go.
• For the toffee: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place a clean silicone mat on another 12-by-18-inch sheet pan. Combine the sugar, corn syrup and cream in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat without stirring. Add the butter and begin to stir until the caramel turns the color of peanut butter.
• Pour immediately onto the prepared baking sheet and bake until the toffee turns a deep amber color and spreads thinly on the pan, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool, then chop into tiny pieces that will be easy to chew.
• To assemble: Fill a pastry bag with some of the milk chocolate frosting.
• Top 2 mini cake rounds with frosting and about 2 teaspoons of chopped toffee. Stack these on top of each other and top with an unfrosted round of cake. Wrap the small cylinder in plastic wrap. Repeat with the remaining cake rounds. Freeze until the frosting has set, about 30 minutes.
• Place a small cake on a revolving cake stand and pipe on the frosting to cover completely. With a small offset spatula, even out the surfaces of the little cake and swirl the frosting in a pretty, decorative pattern of your choice.
• Top each mini cake with crushed toffee and dust with confectioners' sugar.

PLUM CRUNCH CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 160°C.
• Butter and line the base of a 2 lb loaf tin.
• Lightly beat the eggs and yolk with a pinch of salt.
• Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy.
• Pour in the eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Fold in the flour with the orange zest and two tablespoons of the juice.
• Fold in the chopped plums (or other fruit you are using).
• Spoon into the prepared pan.
• Scatter the plum wedges over the top.
• Bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
• Cool for 10 minutes, then turn out on a wire rack.
• Mix the remaining orange juice with the lemon juice and caster sugar.
• Spoon over the cooling cake and sprinkle with the crushed sugar pieces.