Gooey Toffee Butter Cake

 

My husband was having a charity bake sale at his work.  His first and only request was for me to bake some toffee butter cakes for them to sell.  I’ve baked it so many times for him over the years, that I don’t even need a recipe.  If you’ve never had a butter cake, it’s similar to chess squares.  Let’s be real…this is not a healthy recipe, but it’s so ooey, gooey, good.  Sometimes you just need to indulge your sweet tooth!

Let’s Bake!

This cake has two layers.  For the bottom cake half, combine the cake mix, 1 egg, and 1 stick melted butter in a large bowl.  Make sure your butter isn’t hot or else you’ll make scrambled eggs and we don’t want that!   Mix well.

It will form a sticky dough ball.

Pat into the bottom of prepared pan(s).  The recipe calls for 1 (13x9x2 inch) pan.  Because I made these cakes for a bake sale, I used smaller disposable pans.  It doesn’t change the recipe at all.

Next, you make the filling or second layer of the cake.  Beat the softened cream cheese with your electric mixer until it’s smooth and fluffy.

Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.

Then you add the box of confectioners’ sugar and combine.  I add it a little bit at a time, so it doesn’t make a big mess.

Lower your mixer speed and slowly add another stick of melted butter.  Mix well.  It isn’t called a butter cake for nothing!

Fold in 1 cup of toffee bits.

Pour the filling over the cake mixture and spread evenly.

I like to sprinkle the remaining toffee bits on top of the filling.

And now, they’re ready to bake!

Bake for 34-45 minutes.  You want the center to still look a little gooey and jiggly.

Let them cool completely before serving.  Slice into small squares.  It’s a rich cake and little goes a long way!

Enjoy!

 

Ingredients:

Cake:
1 (18.25-ounce) box yellow cake mix (I used Butter Recipe Yellow)
1 large egg
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 (16-ounce) box confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup toffee bits (I buy a bag of Heathy toffee bits in the baking section.  I use 1 cup in the filling and the remaining toffee bits sprinkled on top of the cake.)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13 by 9 by-2-inch baking pan.

For the cake: In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well. Pat into the bottom of prepared pan and set aside.

For the filling: Still using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Dump in confectioners’ sugar and beat well. Reduce the speed and slowly pour in butter. Mix well. Fold in toffee bits.

Pour filling onto cake mixture and spread evenly. You can top the cake with the leftover toffee bits.  Bake for 35-45 minutes. Don’t be afraid to make a judgment call on the cooking time, because oven temperatures can vary. You want the center to be a little gooey, so don’t bake it past that point!

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares. Just remember that these wonderful cakes are very, very rich, and a little will go a long way.

Mine are packed up and ready to for the bake sale!

#choosejoy

Recipe from Paula Deen

Brown Sugar Pound Cake with Caramel Drizzle

I recently baked this cake for a potluck brunch.  I love recipes based on brown sugar. It goes great with coffee or as you can serve it as a dessert.  In my opinion, it’s always a good time for cake.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and start by creaming 3 sticks of softened butter.  (This is obviously not a healthy recipe, but sometimes you need to indulge!)

Add your sugars and beat until fluffy.

Then add one egg at a time, beating well between each addition.  I actually googled why you add them one at a time.  If you add them all at once, they won’t let themselves be worked in.  By adding them gradually, they can emulsify with the fats in the mixture.  (This concludes science class.)

 

In a separate bowl, combine your flour, baking powder, and salt.  Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternating with the milk.  Begin and end with the flour.

You don’t need to over-mix it…just make sure it’s all combined.

Stir in toffee bits and pecans.

Spoon into your prepared bundt pan.  Mine says it holds 10-15 cups and it worked perfectly.

 

Bake and let cool for 30 minutes.  The cake is more likely to fall apart if you don’t let it cool.  Patience is the toughest part of baking.

This is a great time to lick the bowl…if you’re into that kind of thing!

And, the MOMENT OF TRUTH….Please tell me that you hold your breath when you flip your cake over.

Once the cake is completely cooled, you can make the caramel drizzle.  Note: the caramel must be applied immediately, so don’t make it until the cake is ready.

The caramel is easy to make…no candy thermometer needed, but you have to stir constantly.  Combine the brown sugar and condensed milk over medium high heat and bring to a boil.  Whisk constantly…seriously.

Reduce heat and let simmer for 5 minutes…continue whisking.  It’s a nice arm workout.

Remove from heat and add the butter and vanilla.

 

Drizzle the caramel over the cake immediately.  It cools very quickly.  It helps to place parchment or wax paper under your cake to catch the little puddles of caramel.

 

It’s so pretty!

INGREDIENTS:

1-1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 cup granulated sugar
5 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
1 – 8 ounce bag of toffee bits
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 recipe CARAMEL DRIZZLE (see below)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Spray a 12 cup Bundt pan with nonstick baking spray with flour. Set aside.
Beat the butter until creamy. Add sugars, beating until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture in thirds, alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat until just combined. Stir in toffee bits and pecans.
Spoon batter into prepared pan.
Bake until a wood pick inserted near the center of cake comes out clean, 75 to 85 minutes. (Mine only needed to bake for 70 minutes.)
Cover top of cake with foil to prevent excess browning if necessary.
Let cake cool in pan for 30 minutes.
Remove from pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack. NOTE: Don’t freak out if your cake doesn’t come out perfectly.  GOOD NEWS! We get to cover all the imperfections with yummy caramel! Place wax or parchment paper under your cake to catch the caramel.
Spoon Caramel Drizzle over cooled cake.

Recipe from Lady Behind The Curtain

 

CARAMEL DRIZZLE

INGREDIENTS:

1 – 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a medium saucepan, combine condensed milk and brown sugar; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly.
Reduce heat, and SIMMER for 5 minutes, whisking constantly.
Remove from heat; whisk in butter and vanilla.
NOTE: Make sure you drizzle the caramel while it’s still HOT. When cooled the caramel does somewhat harden, and it does cool quickly!

This recipe is from The Taste of the South’s Southern Cakes Magazine.

#choosejoy