Burnt Sugar Candy Bar Cake Recipe

How to make it

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• Grease and lightly flour three 8 x 1 1/2-inch round baking pans or two 9 x 2-inch pans. In a large skillet, cook 3/4 cup granulated sugar over medium-high heat until the sugar just begins to melt (do not stir). Reduce heat; cook until sugar is golden brown, about 1 to 3 minutes more, stirring constantly.
• Carefully stir in hot water (syrup will form lumps). Bring mixture to boiling; reduce heat. Continue stirring until mixture is free of lumps. Remove from heat. Pour syrup into a large glass measuring cup. Add additional water to equal 1 3/4 cups liquid. Set aside to cool.
• Preheat oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl stir together flour, baking powder, and baking soda. In another large mixing bowl beat together the 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, the 2/3 cup butter, egg yolks, and the vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or until the mixture is smooth. Alternately add flour mixture and sugar syrup to egg yolk mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.
• Clean beaters thoroughly. In a medium mixing bowl beat egg whites with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Gently fold egg whites into batter.
• Divide batter into prepared pans; spread evenly. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans. Transfer cakes to wire racks; cool completely. Prepare Browned Butter Frosting.
• To assemble, spread 1/2 cup Browned Butter Frosting over bottoms of two of the cake layers. Sprinkle each frosted layer with half of the finely chopped candy. Stack these layers on a cake plate, frosted sides up. Place the third (unfrosted) layer on top, rounded side up.
• Spread remaining frosting on top and sides of cake. If desired, garnish with the coarsely chopped candy bar pieces. Makes 16 servings.
• Browned Butter Frosting
• In a small saucepan heat and stir 1/2 cup butter* over low heat until melted. Continue heating until butter turns a nut-brown color. Remove from heat; cool for 5 minutes.
• In a large mixing bowl beat together two 3-ounce packages of softened cream cheese with 3 tablespoons butter until combined. Beat in about 2 cups sifted powdered sugar. Beat in the browned butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Gradually beat in an additional 4 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar and 2 to 3 teaspoons milk until the frosting is of spreading consistency.
• *NOTE: Use butter only. Margarine or other spreads will not yield the same results and could keep the frosting mixture from setting properly.