Gesine Bullock-Prado's Sticky Bun Layer Cake
Photo Credit: Raymond PradoMade with maple sticky bun cakes, a scrumptious German chocolate cake filling, and drizzled with even more caramel, this Sticky Bun Layer Cake from baker extraordinaire Gesine Bullock-Prado is truly a breakfast of champions. See our visit with Gesine at her Hartford, Vermont, baking school in this third season episode of Weekends with Yankee.
Gesine’s Pan Prep Tips: DIY Cake Strips
You might have noticed in baking supply shops that things called “cake strips” are being hawked as the fix to cake doming (doming is when the cake rises higher in the middle than on the sides). They do actually work, by creating something of a steam environment that regulates the temperature of the cake batter – keeping the sides from setting too quickly, and then having the batter settle all in the middle dome. Unfortunately, I find the commercial strips tend to work too well and can steam some cakes to the point where they have a gummy texture. But there’s a happy medium and that’s making homemade cake strips with things you already have at home.
I cut a few lengths of old, but clean, terry cloth towel. I make the strips about 2 ½ inches tall and I make sure the length is at least as long as the circumference of my biggest baking pan. I usually need two strips for this and it’s okay if they overlap a bit when wrapped around the pan. I wet the pieces, and then, using safety pins, I secure the strips snugly around the outer sides of my cake pan. To create an insulated environment, I wrap aluminum foil around the pan to cover the strips, keeping them from drying out too quickly.
Another tool I use is waterproofing repair tape that has a reflective, metal outer surface and a very sticky contact surface, just like a regular piece of tape. I use a small piece to keep aluminum strips together. It’s heat-safe because the outside is faced in metal, but make sure to only use just enough tape to secure the aluminum, as the sticky side can melt a bit onto the pan or the oven rack. It’s easy enough to scrape off once cooled. Using cake strips not only stops doming, which gives you an even layer of cake that is easily torted, but also keeps the edges of the cake from overbrowning.
Ingredients
Unsalted butter or baker’s nonstick spray for pans
Cinnamon-sugar ribbon (see Instructions)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup maple sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 cup roasted pecans
1/4 cup melted caramel, from store bought caramels
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350° for conventional or 325° for convection. Butter or spray the bottom of two 8-inch round cake pans and line with parchment. Attached soaked DIY cake strips to the outer sides of the pan (see Note above). Set aside.
Prepare the cinnamon-sugar ribbon: Place 1/4 cup light brown sugar, 1/4 cup pecans (lightly toasted), and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon in a food processor and pulse until combined and very fine. Set aside.
Prepare the cake: In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk for 30 seconds. Set aside.
Place the butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and maple sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla bean paste and then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl.
With the mixer on low speed, add a third of the flour mixture, then half of the buttermilk, and then continue to alternate between the flour and buttermilk until just combined. Take the bowl from the mixer stand and then, using a large rubber spatula, fold the batter a few times to ensure everything is well incorporated.
Add a quarter of the batter to each of the prepared pans and then divide the cinnamon-sugar ribbon mixture between the two pans, sprinkling evenly over the top of the batter. Divide the remainder of the batter evenly between the two pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cake springs back when gently poked.
To assemble the Sticky Bun Layer Cake: Place a cake layer on a cardboard round and spread the German chocolate cake filling (recipe below) evenly over the layer and top with the second layer. Press gently to adhere the layers to the filling and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
Using a large offset spatula and an icing scraper, coat the top and outside of the cake with a crumb coat of Caramel Buttercream (recipe below). Refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes to set.
Using a large offset spatula, spread the remaining buttercream over the top and outside of the cake and then create a swirl pattern on the top and sides of the cake with the spatula. Drizzle the cake with the caramel and pecans.
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