Heath Bar Brunch Cake

This is the kind of cake that vanishes from the brunch table before anyone remembers to take a photo.

The base is a tender buttermilk batter with a fine, even crumb. Buttermilk and baking soda work together to give it lift and a slight tang that cuts through all that sweetness from the toffee.

Two finely chopped Heath bars get folded right into the batter so you hit pockets of melted toffee throughout. Six more crushed bars go on top along with chopped pecans and a reserved cup of the butter-sugar-flour crumb mixture. That triple layer of topping bakes into a craggy, crunchy crust that shatters when you cut into it.

Serve it with cocoa-flavored whipped cream as the recipe suggests, or alongside a scoop of coffee ice cream for a brunch-meets-dessert moment.

Chef Tips

• Chill the Heath bars before crushing them. Cold toffee snaps cleanly. Warm toffee bends and sticks to everything.
• Reserve the crumb topping before adding the wet ingredients. Once the buttermilk goes in, you can’t go back. Measure out that cup first.
• Don’t overbake. The toffee bits will keep cooking and hardening after the cake comes out of the oven. Pull it when a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs.

Variations

• Use Skor bars instead of Heath for a slightly more buttery toffee flavor.
• Swap pecans for walnuts or sliced almonds depending on what you have on hand.
• Add a tablespoon of instant espresso to the batter for a mocha-toffee twist that pairs brilliantly with the coffee ice cream serving suggestion.