Cookies, Candy & Desserts

Cap'n Crunch Cake - 2018
​​​​​​​​Recipe courtesy of Sherry Nohl

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​INGREDIENTS

Cake
  • 4 oz. unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup plus 2 ½ T granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
  • 6 T grapeseed or canola oi
  • 2 ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 6 oz (1 ½ cups) cake flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp kosher salt

​Corn Crumbs
  • 8 oz (6 cups) Cap’n Crunch cereal
  • 3/4 oz. (2 T) cornstarch
  • 4 tsp granulated sugar
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • 5 ½ oz (11 T) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
  • 3 ½ oz. white chocolate chopped (1/2 cup)

Corn Cream
  • 3 cups fresh or thawed frozen yellow corn kernels (from about 4 ears of corn)
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 tsp unflavored gelatin powder
  • 5 T granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 5 T sour cream 
  • 5 T heavy cream
  • 3/4 oz (3 T plus 2 Tsp) confectioners’ sugar

Topping
  • 2 Cups good quality strawberry preserves
  • 1 1/3 cups hulled and quartered ripe strawberries (plus more for garnish)

PREPARATION

Cake
  • ​Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat to 350 degrees.
  • Spray 3 8x2 round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
  • In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars on medium speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.  Scrape down the bowl.
  • On low speed, add the eggs one at a time, mixing for about 20 seconds after each addition.  
  • Return the mixer to medium speed and beat until homogenous and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Scrape down the bowl.
  • Combine the buttermilk, oil and vanilla in a 1 cup measuring cup.  With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture.  Increase the speed to medium and beat until the batter is almost white and twice the volume of the original fluffy butter and sugar mixture, 4 to 6 minutes.  Scrape down the bowl.
  • With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the cake flour, baking powder and salt.  Mix just until incorporated, 45 to 60 seconds. 
  • Divide the batter evenly among the cape pans and smooth with a spatula.
  • Bake the cakes until they’re golden brown, bouncy to the touch, and a tested inserted in the center of each comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes (rotate and swap the pans’ positions after 10 minutes).  Cool the cakes in their pans on wire racks.

​Corn Crumbs
  • Heat the oven to 300 degrees.  Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment.
  • In a food processor, grind the cereal to a powder.  
  • Combine salt, cereal, cornstarch, and sugar in a large bowl and mix with your hands. 
  • Add the melted butter and toss with a rubber spatula until the mixture is evenly moistened.  Squeeze the crumbs with your hands to make small clumps no bigger than peas and sprinkle them evenly on the prepared baking sheets.
  • Bake until the crumbs are a shade darker, about 15 minutes (rotate the sheets after 8 minutes).  Cool completely on racks.
  • While the crumbs cool, melt the white chocolate in a small microwave safe bowl in the microwave using 15 second high power intervals.  Let the melted chocolate cool until no long hot to the touch.
  • Transfer the cooled crumbs to a large bowl and pour the melted white chocolate over them.  Toss with your hands until the crumbs are enrobed in the chocolate.  Continue tossing with your hands every 5 minutes until the white chocolate hardens and the crumbs are no longer sticky, 30 to 40 minutes total.  Break any clumps that are larger than peas.
Corn Cream
  • Puree the corn with 1/3 cup water in a blender until smooth.  Strain through a fine sieve set over a measuring cup, pressing on the solids until you have 9 fl. oz of corn juice.
  • Put 1 T water in a small bowl.  Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let bloom for 5 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, combine the corn juice, sugar and salt in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.  Bring the mixture to a simmer and whisk for 2 minutes to cook out the starch in the corn (the mixture will thicken as it heats). Remove from the heat, stir in the gelatin, transfer to a heatproof container, and freeze until a pudding-like consistency, 1 to 1 ½ hours.
  • In a large bowl, whip the sour cream, heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar with a whisk to very soft peaks, 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the cold corn mixture and slowly whisk until the color is even.  Refrigerate until ready to use.
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ASSEMBLY
  • Assemble in an 8-inch springform pan.  Cut two 12x4 inch strips.  Fold the two strips lengthwise to get two 6x14 strips.  Line the inside of the pan with the strips, nesting them into each other with the folded edge on the top.
  • Release the edges of the cakes with a knife.  Turn the cakes out onto a clean work surface.
Layer one
  • Fit one of the cakes into the springform pan, trimming it to fit snugly if necessary.
  • Use the back of a spoon to spread ½ the corn cream over the cake evenly.
  • Sprinkle half of the corn crumbs evenly over the corn cream.
  • Whisk the strawberry preserves to loosen them.  Use the back of a spoon to spread 1/3 of the jam as evenly as possible over the corn crumbs.
  • Sprinkle 2/3 cup of the fresh berries evenly across the jam.
Layer two
  • Set another cake round on top of the berries and gently press it down.
  • Use the back of a spoon to spread ½ the corn cream over the cake evenly.
  • Sprinkle half of the corn crumbs evenly over the corn cream.
  • Use the back of a spoon to spread 1/3 of the jam as evenly as possible over the corn crumbs.
  • Sprinkle 2/3 cup of the fresh berries evenly across the jam.
Layer three
  • Spread the remaining jam over the cake.
  • Freeze the cake for a minimum of 12 hours to set it.
  • Cake will keep in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.  Wrap with plastic once frozen.
  • One to two days before serving remove the sides of the pan and let the cake completely defrost in the refrigerator.  This will take about 36 hours (?!) Do not thaw at room temperature.
  • Just before serving remove the parchment collar and garnish with fresh hulled and quartered strawberries.  Serve cold.