Recipe: Butter Brickle Cake with Whipped Cream Frosting

Dear Maine,

I did a search for you and found the following from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The frosting recipe follows the cake recipe below. It sounds good; I might try making it myself! I hope it works for you.

Marilyn

BUTTER BRICKLE CAKE WITH WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING
Source: Food - Monday, March 19, 2001 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Article by Raenne Sarzen
Yield: 14 servings

Betty Crocker discontinued its Butter Brickle Cake Mix and frosting mix in 1990, but fans can re-create the flavors. General Mills, which manufactured the mixes, suggested using its yellow, butter yellow, golden vanilla or French vanilla cake mix and folding in 1/2 cup of Butter Brickle pieces. You can make the cake mix according to the package instructions or follow a suggestion from Anne Byrn, author of "The Cake Mix Doctor": She recommends using melted butter instead of oil and adding flavoring extract, such as vanilla, to hide the "cake mix flavor." We did both, and the tricks were effective. General Mills didn't have a solution for duplicating the frosting, so we've provided a delicious alternative.

CAKE:
1 (18.25 oz.) box yellow or white cake mix
1 cup whole milk
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup almond toffee baking bits
1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING:
2 Tbsp. cold water
1 tsp. unflavored gelatin* (see note)
2 cups cold whipping cream
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup crushed almond toffee baking bits
1 (8 oz.) pkg. milk chocolate toffee bits** (optional)

TO PREPARE CAKE:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 (9-inch) nonstick cake pans.

Place cake mix, milk, butter, eggs and vanilla in bowl of electric mixer. Beat on medium speed 3 minutes.

Toss toffee bits with flour in small dish; fold into cake batter. Divide batter between pans; smooth tops with rubber spatula.

Bake until cake is set and springs back when lightly touched in center, about 30 minutes. Let cool on wire rack 10 minutes. Run knife around pan edges. Remove from pans; let cool completely before frosting.

TO PREPARE WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING:
Refrigerate bowl of electric mixer and beaters about 15 minutes.

Pour water in glass measuring cup; sprinkle gelatin over water. Let stand 2 minutes.

Microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds. Stir thoroughly; let stand until gelatin is completely dissolved, about 2 minutes.

Beat cream and sugar in bowl of electric mixer on medium speed. As cream just begins to thicken, add cooled gelatin mixture. Beat until cream is thickened. Beat in vanilla extract. Fold in crushed toffee.

Split cake layers in half horizontally, using serrated knife. Place 1 layer, cut side up, on serving platter. Brush off crumbs. Spread layer with 1/4-inch layer of frosting. Top with another cake layer. Repeat with remaining frosting and layers. Frost top and sides of cake. Garnish sides of cake with milk chocolate toffee bits.

*NOTE: Gelatin added to whipped cream gives it a firmer, mousse-like texture and keeps liquid from separating. It also holds up longer.

Editor's note:
**Hershey's Heath Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits (click here)

Hershey's Crisp Butter Toffee Skor Bits (click here)