Buttercrunch Cake

In honor of January 20th being National Buttercrunch Day, I decided to make a Buttercrunch Cake. Did I say cake? Yes, c-a-k-e! I've been nursing a cold since the weekend. I wasn't in the mood for cupcakes, nor was I in the mood to bake from scratch. Truthfully, I've been craving the flavor of cake mix lately. I'm not gonna be all hoity-toity about it and act like "eww cake mix is so gross." No way, I grew up eating it, and I freakin LOVE the stuff! I did make my own buttercrunch candy, though. I found the recipe for Pecan Buttercrunch on one of my favorite blogs, Dessert First. I followed her recipe exactly, including sprinkling sea salt on top, and it's delicious! I used it to top my Buttercrunch Cake. I'll get right to it because my lunch is calling me from the microwave... Mmmm, my mom's leftover herb-crusted pork loin! But let me just say, this cake is delicious! The caramel filling is SO good. I'll definitely be using the recipe for it again!

Making the candy... Mmm doesn't it look good?
Buttercrunch Cake!
Want some?
This is what I had for breakfast! ;)

Pecan Buttercrunch with Fleur de Sel (from DessertFirst)
about 16 pieces (I got 45-50 small pieces)

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (I used 60% cacao)
1 cup pecan halves, toasted and chopped into small pieces
Fleur de Sel

Line a baking sheet or pan with a silicone baking mat.
Combine the sugars, butter, vanilla, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring to combine, until it comes to a boil.
Continue cooking without stirring until the mixture reaches 298°F on a candy thermometer.
Remove from heat and stir in the baking soda and vanilla.
Pour the mixture onto the baking sheet and spread it out evenly, working quickly before it sets. (I spread mine in a 12" circle) Let the toffee layer cool completely.
Either temper the chocolate or simply melt it in a double boiler. Pour the chocolate over the toffee layer and spread out evenly.
Immediately sprinkle the pecans over the chocolate. Sprinkle a few grains of fleur de sel over the chocolate. Let the chocolate fully set.
Break the toffee into pieces before serving.

Quick Caramel Frosting (from The Cake Mix Doctor)
(Makes enough to fill a 3 or 4 layer cake)
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup whole milk
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
(I added 1/2 teaspoon sea salt)

1. Place the butter and brown sugars in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir and cook until the mixture comes to a boil, about 2 minutes. (The book forgets to mention to be very careful on the next step. Add the milk slowly, because it will spatter a lot in the pan!) Add the milk, stir, and bring back to a boil, then remove the pan from the heat. Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Beat with a wooden spoon until the frosting is smooth. (The book says to use the frosting while it's still warm, but it was way too thin to spread. I let it cool all the way to room temp. Then I beat it on high with and electric mixer to fluff it up a little. It will thicken a lot when you start spreading it on the cake. If it gets too stiff, pop it in the microwave for 10-20 seconds.)

Chocolate Ganache
8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 - 3/4 cup heavy cream (depending how thick you want your ganache to set up)

Put chocolate chips and cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 45 seconds to 1 minute, depending on your microwave. Stir gently with a rubber spatula. Heat for 15-20 more seconds. Stir until well blended. Let sit about 30 minutes (or cool in an ice bath for 5 minutes) until ganache is spreadable.

To assemble the Buttercrunch Cake:
Bake and cool two 8-inch round cake layers. Split each layer in half. Fill with cooled caramel filling. Top with cooled chocolate ganache. Decorate with buttercrunch candy!

I don't even know if anyone even reads this far down but, PS: The new season of Big Love started on HBO last weekend. It looks pretty good so far. AND my new favorite show, United States of Tara, comes on Showtime. You should totally watch it. It's so hilarious and fun!!