beesting toffee topping

[luke]

I've been baking my whole life, and I'm very good at figuring out how a cake is made with the exception of one! At my local coffee shop there is a lady that makes the most addictive beestings. She uses a mini vanilla chiffon cake as a base, cuts in half and fills it with pastry cream and then tops it off with a kind of grilled toffee pecan nut topping. I have seen the toffee cooking in her kitchen and she has told me she only grills it on high for 3 minutes. So I have been trying to recreate it and so far only disaster.
Her topping doesnt soak in, caramely with English toffee texture. Mine just runs down or soaks into the cake. I've tried the broiled brown sugar topping, but that's a sugar crunch not a beautiful chewy toffee. Is there anyone that can help me?

 

[Becky]

What is your recipe? Might be worth trying something that is more of a caramel - perhaps something like this one:

https://www.nigella.com/recipes/salted-caramel-sauce

(minus the salt of course - unless you want it salted)

 

[luke]

I don't have a recipe unfortunately. I've tried almost any recipe resembling a toffee topping, from joy of baking honey glaze, brown sugar topping (or white, which makes an amazing quick butterkuchen topping). So again today I tried. I found a recipe online for a fruit cake topped with a toffee fruit and nuts. It came out like a biscuit. So I tried the recipe again omitting the flour and it came out as a solid piece of toffee. I added lemon juice the third time and accidentally made "Wilson's toffee".

I've been bake to the besting lady and found out that she uses milk to make the toffee. I've sired for a toffee recipe that uses only milk and not condensed milk but to no luck.

 

[Becky]

How about this one?

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/245648/oh-so-easy-caramel-sauce/

 

[luke]

So today's experimentation has been the closes I've gotten. I'm going to give my recipe and see if you could do it better.
Do not make the toffee until the cake is filled and ready to be grilled.

Quick besting recipe

Easy vanilla chiffon cake
9 eggs
3 cups sugar
2 cups boiling water
1 cup oil
4 cups flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Method
- sift flour, salt and baking powder together 3 times.
- break the eggs into a stand mixer.
Whisk on high for 5minutes until its about 10x its size and white.
- add the sugar and continue whisking for 4min.
- meanwhile combine the water and oil.
Once the eggs are ready whisk in the flour mixture and oil mixture.
- divide into 3 9inch greased cake pans (2 round pans makes 1 big rectangle cake, and 1 round cake makes 2 log cakes or 12 muffin size cakes).
- bake at 180c (375) for 20minutes.
Take out cool down.

Pastry cream (enough for 2 round cakes or 12 muffins)
2 cups milk
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
4 eggs
1/2 tsp salt

Method
- bring milk to scalding point.
- meanwhile combine flour, sugar and salt.
- whisk in the eggs until smooth.
- slowly whisk in the egg mixture into the scalded milk and cook over medium heat until it starts to bubble.
-take off heat and cool down.

- cut cake in half and sandwich together with pastry cream.

Toffee topping
120g (40 ounces) butter
120g syrup
120g milk
120g flaked almonds

Method
- combine all ingredients in a pan and bring to a boil.
Cook for about 5minutes or until it is thick and a medium caramel colour.
- take off head and carry on stirring until it is thick enough to spread over the cakes.
- divide between two cakes, spread until it jus reaches the ends.
- place under griller and grill until brown and bubbling.
- cool down and enjoy.

 

[Becky]

That sounds delicious, and I'm glad to hear you're getting closer to the coffee shop version! If I give this recipe a try I'll be sure to let you know

 

[luke]

4 onces not 40

 

[luke]

I finally figured out the topping!!!! Its amazing

Toffee cake topping (enough for two 9inch cakes)

Ingredients
125g butter
1/2 cup white sugar
3 tbsp milk
1/3 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Method
Using a heavy based pot with high side, melt the butter.
Add the rest of the ingredients and cook stirring often until a dark caramel is reached.
Once the cake has cooled down and been filled. Spread the warm topping on and leave to cool slightly.
Grill for 3minutes.

Enjoy and try not to eat it all by yourself

It bubbles up quite a bit so be carefull