Chocolate Crunch Layer Cake with Milk Chocolate Frosting
- 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 1 3/4 cups cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup whole milk
- 1 1/4 cups whipping cream
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 pound milk chocolate, chopped
- 4 1.4-ounce chocolate-covered English toffee bars (such as Heath Bars or Skor), cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 7 ounces milk chocolate (such as one Hershey's bar or two 3- to 3.5-ounce milk chocolate bars)
- Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350F.
- Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 3/4-inch-high sides.
- Line bottoms of pans with waxed paper; butter paper.
- Dust pans with flour; tap out excess.
- Combine chocolate and 1/2 cup hot water in small saucepan.
- Stir over low heat until melted and smooth.
- Cool to lukewarm, stirring often.
- Whisk flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl to blend.
- Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy.
- Gradually beat in sugar.
- Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then vanilla extract.
- Beat in chocolate mixture.
- Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with milk in 2 additions, beating just to blend after each addition.
- Divide batter equally beween pans.
- Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean and cake just begins to pull away from sides of pan, about 35 minutes.
- Cool cakes in pans on racks 5 minutes.
- Cut around pan sides.
- Turn cakes out onto racks; peel off waxed paper.
- Cool cakes completely.
- Combine cream, corn syrup and butter in heavy large saucepan.
- Whisk over medium heat until mixture begins to simmer.
- Add chopped chocolate.
- Reduce heat to low and whisk until frosting is smooth, about 1 minute; transfer to large bowl.
- Fill another large bowl with ice.
- Set bottom of bowl with frosting atop ice.
- Whisk until frosting is cool and begins to thicken, about 8 minutes.
- Place bowl of frosting on work surface.
- Using electric mixer, beat until color lightens and just until frosting becomes thick enough to hold peaks when beaters are lifted, about 2 minutes (frosting will continue to thicken as it stands).
- Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on 8-inch-diameter tart pan bottom or cardboard round.
- If desired, place pan bottom with cake atop 8-inch-diameter cake pan to make simple decorating stand.
- Top layer with 1 1/2 cups frosting, spreading to edge.
- Sprinkle evenly with diced toffee.
- Top with second cake layer, flat side down; press slightly to adhere.
- Spread thin layer of frosting over top and sides of cake to seal and set crumbs.
- Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake (if frosting becomes stiff, stir gently with spatula to loosen).
- Stand chocolate bar on 1 short end.
- Using vegetable peeler and starting at top edge of 1 side, run peeler down length of bar (chocolate will come away from side of chocolate bar in curls).
- Pile chocolate curls atop cake.
- Chill at least 2 hours.
- (Can be made 2 days ahead.
- Cover with cake dome and keep chilled.
- Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.)
chocolate, water, cake flour, baking soda, salt, unsalted butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, milk, whipping cream, light corn syrup, butter, milk chocolate, chocolate, milk chocolate
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/chocolate-crunch-layer-cake-with-milk-chocolate-frosting-103151 (may not work)