Coffee-Toffee Crunch Cake

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

Cooking spray, for the pans

• 3 c.

all-purpose flour, plus more for the pans

• 3 c.

granulated sugar

• 1 tsp.

baking powder

• 1 tsp.

baking soda

• 1/2 tsp.

kosher salt

• 3

sticks salted butter

• 1/3 c.

instant coffee granules

• 1 1/2 c.

boiling water

• 3/4 c.

buttermilk

• 3

large eggs

• 1 tbsp.

vanilla extract

FOR THE FROSTING AND TOPPING

• 2 1/2

sticks salted butter, at room temperature

• 1

1-pound box powdered sugar

• 1/2 tsp.

kosher salt

• 1/4 c.

instant coffee granules

• 3/4 c.

heavy cream, plus more if needed

• 4

chocolate-covered toffee bars

(such as Heath)

Directions

•  
  1. 1For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350˚. Coat three 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and dust with flour. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment paper. Whisk the granulated sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
  2. 2Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Meanwhile, combine the instant coffee and boiling water in a medium bowl and stir to dissolve. Once the butter has melted, add the coffee mixture to the saucepan. Let it come to a boil for about 10 seconds, then remove from the heat and set aside.

1. 3In a separate medium bowl, whisk the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla until well combined. Pour the butter-coffee mixture into the flour mixture and stir gently. Add the buttermilk-egg mixture and stir gently until well combined. Divide the batter among the prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out almost clean, 23 to 25 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool for 15 minutes in the pans on a rack, then remove the cakes from the pans, remove the parchment and let cool on the racks.

For the frosting: Beat the butter in a large bowl with a mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar and salt and beat on low speed to incorporate. Stir the instant coffee into the heavy cream in a small bowl, then pour it into the mixer. Beat on low speed until combined, then beat on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, adding a little more cream if needed to make the frosting spreadable.

Assemble the cake: Finely chop 2 of the candy bars. Place 1 cake layer on a cake stand or plate. Spread 1 cup frosting on top and sprinkle with half of the chopped candy. Top with another cake layer, more frosting and the rest of the chopped candy, then top with the final cake layer. Spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides of the cake. Roughly chop the remaining 2 candy bars and sprinkle around the edge of the cake.