Flashback Friday ~ Frankfurter Kranz

This cake is one of those favorite birthday cakes that many of the Europeans enjoyed.   When my husband tasted this cake while visiting the Calgary Cousins, he asked whether I thought I could make him one. I took on the challenge and have been making this for him annually.  Bake a simple sponge cake and yes, you can bake this in a round pan, but I prefer to use the loaf pan so that I can cut it into slices and freeze it.

I invited Frieda Bartel, a pro at baking cakes, for a lesson on cake baking...three simple steps.


Sponge Cake  ~ Step One

• 9 eggs separate yolks from whites
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1 1/2 half tbsp. cornstarch

Instructions.

1. Set oven at 350 °
2.  Separate egg whites from yolks.
3. Mix yolks and sugar at high speed for 5 minutes.
4. Add vanilla, baking powder, flower and cornstarch.
5. Blend ingredients well together.
6. Whip egg whites till stiff and fold into cake batter.
7. Grease the bottom of your pan and dust lightly with flour.
8. Pour sponge batter into your cake pan.
9. Bake for 40 minutes.
10. Turn the cake pan over and let it hang upside down for 40 minutes.
11. Cut cake into two layers.

Whip Cream~ Step Two

• 2 cups whip cream 
• 2 Tbsp. instant vanilla pudding

1. Spread whip cream over one sliced layer.
2. Spread whip cream over loaf.

Burnt Almond Mixture: Step Three.   This is the real secret to this cake.

• 2 cups whole blanched almonds chopped coarsely
•  2 cups sugar

1.  Immerse  almonds into hot water for 1 minute, to avoid nut crumbs flying all over the place. Chop coarsely and evenly.
2. Add almonds into frying pan and add 2 cups of sugar.
3. Stir slowly in frying pan at med-high heat, until all the sugar caramelizes and turns brown.
4. Rotate the heat from med to med-high over the next 45 minutes.
5. It needs to be done slowly, otherwise the sugar will not caramelize.
6. This process is what makes the cake special and as you can see, it takes.....TIME!
7. I had enough nuts left over to make another cake for a later time. I just froze them. 

Frieda carefully showed me how to stir the almonds to make sure they were the right texture and then how to apply them to the cake. 

Summary of Three Steps.

1. Make your simple sponge cake recipe, or buy a cake mix.
2. Remember to turn the cake upside down to cool for 40 minutes.
3. Slice cake into two layers.
4. Whip  two cups of whipping cream and add 2 Tbsp. instant vanilla pudding.
5. Spread first layer with whip cream mixture.
6. Spread middle layer with tart raspberry jam.
7. Spread remaining whip cream mixture over the entire cake.
8. Spread burnt almond mixture over the entire cake.

It's always fun to cook with someone else. You learn so many life lessons. I love her last words of advice to me.  Thanks Frieda.

"Marg, learn to buy cake mixes rather than thinking you need to do everything from scratch....The results are the same and no one knows."

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