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Clean recipe · theviewfromgreatisland.com

Chocolate Crunch Cake

Chocolate crunch cake is my snack-friendly take on the viral dessert: an 8x8 chocolate cake with glossy ganache and a crispy cornflake topping.

Original recipe: theviewfromgreatisland.com

Yield:
12 servings
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Chocolate Crunch Cake

Ingredients

  1. 1 cup all-purpose flour
  2. 1 cup sugar
  3. 6 Tbsp cocoa powder
  4. 1 tsp baking soda
  5. 1/2 tsp baking powder
  6. 1/2 tsp salt
  7. 1/2 cup buttermilk
  8. 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  9. 1 large egg
  10. 1/2 tsp vanilla
  11. 1/2 cup hot coffee
  12. 6 Tbsp heavy cream
  13. 3 ounces dark chocolate chips, or chopped dark chocolate (about a heaping 1/2 cup)
  14. 1 Tbsp Nutella
  15. pinch sea salt
  16. 1 1/2 cups cornflakes, lightly crushed
  17. 1/2 cup Nutella
  18. 3 Tbsp bittersweet chocolate chips, or chopped bittersweet chocolate
  19. 1 1/2 tsp butter
  20. pinch salt
  21. 1/4 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts, optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease and line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper. The paper is optional but allows you to remove the cake for cleaner frosting and serving.

  2. for the cake

    Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  3. In another bowl whisk the buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla and mix until combined. Stir in the hot coffee.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until well combined, but don't overmix. The batter will be thin.
  5. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 28–32 minutes, checking at 25 minutes. Let cool completely.

  6. for the ganache

    For the ganache, heat the cream until steaming, then pour over the chocolate, salt, and Nutella. Let sit 2–3 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Spread over the cooled cake.

  7. for the crunch topping

    Add the Nutella, bittersweet chocolate, butter, and pinch of salt to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in short 15-second bursts, stirring between each, just until melted and smooth.
  8. Fold in the lightly crushed cornflakes until they’re completely coated. Stir in the toasted hazelnuts, if using.
  9. Spoon the mixture over the still soft ganache layer and gently spread it out with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Don’t press too hard ~ you want to keep some craggy texture. I dolloped it onto the cake in small mounds and then gently nudged it across the surface.
  10. Let the topping set before slicing. For the cleanest slices, chill the cake briefly, then let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.