Branch Crunch Cake Recipes

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.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Thickly butter a 6-cup loaf pan. Pour in 3 tablespoons of the melted butter, swirl to coat the bottom, and sprinkle in 1/4-cup of the brown sugar. Drizzle in 2 tablespoons of the honey and sprinkle the almonds evenly over the bottom.
• In a large bowl, whisk the egg. Add the remaining 3/4-cup brown sugar and mix. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons melted butter and 1/2 cup honey and mix. Gradually mix in the buttermilk.
• In another large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Working in batches, and mixing after each addition, add the dry ingredients to the buttermilk mixture. Mix until smooth.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out dry and almost clean (a few crumbs are okay) 50 to 55 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and let cool until the topping is firm.

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.