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Monday, February 21, 2011

Coffee Heath Bar Crunch Cake


I was very excited to make the February cake slice cake.  I love toffee, I love coffee, so combing the two can be nothing but wonderful.  The cake was moist and had a nice soft crumb, and the struesel topping provided a crunchy contrast.  I had picked up a bag of Heath Bar baking chips, which were convenient, but if I made it again I would use chopped Heath bar.  I like struesel toppings with a bit of irregularity, it is always a nice treat to bite into a larger piece of the crunchy topping.   The bag of chips where not chocolate coated, and I still haven't decided if this was good or bad.  I sprinkled some chocolate chips on top, but I'm not sure it needed it.  I can't believe I'm actually going to say this, but I think the chocolate interfered with the other flavors - what is this world coming to I can't believe I am actually saying something would be better without chocolate!  This recipe will move to my keep and make again folder.  I'm not sure what I will do when I make this cake again, go with the pre-chopped bag or chop myself, which is more important the surprise of the larger chunks or keeping the chocolate out - oh the dilemmas.
Check out the results of the other Cake Slice bakers!


Coffee Heath Bar Crunch Cake
(Recipe from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman)

For the Cake
1½ cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp instant espresso powder
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1½ tsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk
For the Streusel
1 cup/4 Heath bars (1.4ounces each), chopped *(see below)
2 tbsp light brown sugar
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tbsp butter, softened

Method – Streusel
Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9inch round springform pan.
Combine the Heath bars, brown sugar, flour and butter in a medium mixing bowl. Work the
mixture with your fingers until it resembles large crumbs. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Method – Cake
Combine the flour, espresso powder, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
Combine the butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer
on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as
necessary. With the mixer on low speed, add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla.
With the mixer on low speed, add a third of the flour mixture and then half the milk, scraping
down the bowl after each addition. Repeat, alternating the flour and milk, ending with the flour.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer with a spatula. Scatter
the streusel onto the batter, distributing it evenly over the cake.
Bake the cake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, 55 to 60
minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Release the sides of the
pan and use a large spatula to slide the cake from the pan bottom to onto a wire rack. Cool
completely, cut into wedges and serve.
Store uneaten cake in a cake keeper or wrap in plastic and store at room temperature for up to
3 days.

7 comments:

  1. Kim, I chopped up the bars (and added chocolate chips to the batter) and I recommend chopping them next time. The candy bars actually have little chocolate and it's milk chocolate so less intensely flavored. The topping with chopped versus the baking chips probably is chunkier. I loved it this way!

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  2. I'm so silly, got carried abway with chips vs chopped, I forgot to say what a gorgeous cake you made! SO lovely looking.

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  3. I honestly think that ladies in the western hemisphere are pampered 110%! pre-chopped, pre-cut and pre-almost-everything-else.

    I had to hand chopped mine, Twix! that is!

    Your cake turned out pretty good!

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  4. Your cake looks delicious. I love the sound of the extra chocolate chips

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  5. Well done - looks great. I am so embarrassed by my cake - everyone else has had a lovely result. Just not my month, I'm afraid.

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  6. Yummy looking cake. I ended up putting my Heath bars in my mini food processor to get them chopped quickly. I think I might even make a little more next time and put a layer in the middle of the cake too.

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  7. This combines 2 of my favorite things! I must try it! YUMMMM

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