Frankfurter Kranz

Yield

1 cake, enough for about 12 servings

Ingredients

Cake batter

• 200g unsalted butter at room temp
• 250g granulated sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 8 large eggs
• 6g lemon zest
• 30ml lemon juice
• 300g all-purpose flour
• 100g corn starch
• 12g baking powder

Butter Cream

• enough vanilla pudding/pie filling packets to use 750ml milk: Shirriff Vanilla Cooked Pudding & Pie Filling or Jell-O Vanilla Cook & Serve Pudding or similar; or Dr. Oetker Vanilla Pudding with 3tbsp extra sugar overall
• 750 milliliters whole milk
• 67 grams sugar
• 300g unsalted soft butter
• 225g raspberry or apricot jam
• 9 - 12 candied cherries

Krokant

• Store-bought krokant

Instructions

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 10-inch Bundt pan and set it aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix softened butter with sugar, salt, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each egg. Mix in lemon zest and lemon juice.
3. Mix flour, cornstarch, and baking powder together in a small bowl, then sift flour mixture over the butter-egg mixture. Stir until the batter is smooth, but do not over mix.
4. Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan.
5. Bake for about 35 to 45 minutes until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
6. Take cake out of the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Turn the cake out on a wire rack and let it cool completely. (While the cake is cooling, make the buttercream, below).
7. Cut the cooled cake horizontally into 3 equal layers.

Filling

1. In a medium saucepan, prepare the pudding with milk and sugar according to the package instructions. Place the saucepan in a cold water bath to cool the pudding, pressing a piece of plastic wrap to the top of the pudding to keep a “skin” from forming. Do not place it in the fridge.
2. When the cooled pudding is at room temperature, stir until smooth. If there are any lumps, force through a sieve.
3. Both the pudding and the butter need to be at room temperature! In a large mixing bowl, cream butter with an electric mixer with a whisk attachment at high speed for at least 5 minutes until the butter is very light, fluffy, and almost white in appearance. Reduce the mixer to medium speed and add one tablespoon of pudding at a time to the butter, making sure the pudding is fully incorporated before adding the next spoonful. Once all the pudding has been added, increase the mixer speed slightly and whip for 2 to 3 minutes until the buttercream is light and fluffy.
4. Place 6 tablespoons of buttercream frosting into a pastry piping bag fitted with a swirl or star tip and set aside.

Finishing

1. Place the bottom layer of the cake on a serving plate. Using a pastry brush, spread half the jam on top of the bottom layer. Spread a thin layer of buttercream on top of the jam. Place the middle cake layer on top of the buttercream and spread with remaining jam and a second layer of buttercream. Place the final cake layer on top.
2. Spread the remaining buttercream over the top and sides of the cake, smoothing it with a spatula.
3. Sprinkle the Krokant on top of the cake.
4. Use the buttercream in the decorating bag to decorate with 9 to12 dollops and place a cherry on each.
5. Store the cake, covered, in the fridge for up to one week. Remove from the fridge at least ½ hour before serving.