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Whole Chocolate Treasure Crunch Cake covered with chocolate sprinkles and assorted chocolate candies

Chocolate Treasure Crunch Cake

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A tall, moist chocolate layer cake filled and covered with creamy chocolate fudge frosting, coated with chocolate sprinkles, and topped with crispy hazelnut truffles, mini peanut butter cups, chocolate curls, and assorted chocolate candies.

  • Total Time: About 1 hour 55 minutes
  • Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

Scale

Chocolate Cake

  • 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1¾ cups (350 g) granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup (65–75 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1½ teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine salt
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, room temperature
  • ½ cup (120 ml) neutral vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (240 ml) hot brewed coffee

Chocolate Fudge Frosting

  • 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • ½ cup heavy cream, plus more only if needed
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch fine salt

Chocolate Crunch and Treasure Topping

 

  • 1 cup chocolate sprinkles
  • 8–10 crispy hazelnut chocolate truffles
  • 6 mini peanut butter cups, halved
  • ½ cup assorted milk chocolate pieces
  • ½ cup chocolate curls
  • 3–4 filled chocolate eggs or oval chocolate candies

Instructions

  • Prepare the oven and pans. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment circles and lightly grease the parchment.
  • Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined and free of large cocoa lumps.
  • Add the wet ingredients. Add the eggs, whole milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Mix on low speed until combined. Avoid prolonged mixing once the flour is wet.
  • Add the coffee. Slowly pour in the hot brewed coffee while mixing on low. The finished batter will be relatively thin. This is expected.
  • Fill the pans. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Using a kitchen scale gives the most evenly sized layers.
  • Bake. Bake for 28–33 minutes. Begin checking at 28 minutes. A toothpick inserted near the center should come out without liquid batter; a few moist crumbs are fine.
  • Cool. Leave the cakes in their pans for about 10–15 minutes. Turn them onto wire cooling racks, remove the parchment, and allow them to cool completely before frosting.
  • Prepare the frosting. Beat the softened butter until creamy. Beat in the cocoa. Gradually add the powdered sugar, alternating with small additions of heavy cream. Add vanilla and salt. Beat for another 2–3 minutes until fluffy. If necessary, adjust with a small amount of cream.
  • Fill the cake. If necessary, level pronounced domes with a serrated knife. Place one cake layer on a cake board or serving stand. Spread a generous, even layer of chocolate frosting over it. Place the second layer on top.
  • Crumb-coat the cake. Cover the top and sides with a thin layer of frosting. Refrigerate for 15–20 minutes to firm the crumb coat.
  • Apply the final frosting. Cover the chilled cake with the remaining chocolate frosting. Smooth the top and sides while leaving enough frosting for the sprinkles to adhere.
  • Create the crunchy exterior. Working over a tray or parchment, gently press chocolate sprinkles onto the freshly frosted sides until densely covered.
  • Decorate the top. Arrange the hazelnut truffles, halved mini peanut butter cups, milk chocolate pieces, chocolate curls, and filled chocolate candies over the top. Keep the arrangement abundant but slightly irregular to reproduce the reference style.
  • Chill before slicing. Refrigerate the completed cake for approximately 20 minutes. Cut with a sharp knife warmed in hot water and wiped completely dry. Clean the blade between slices.

Notes

  • Do not add extra flour because the batter looks thin after adding the coffee.
  • Cool both cake layers completely before frosting.
  • Room-temperature eggs and milk combine more readily with the other ingredients.
  • Do not overbake. Begin testing at 28 minutes.
  • If the frosting becomes too soft to support the chocolates, chill it briefly before decorating.
  • Apply sprinkles while the final frosting is still soft enough for them to stick.
  • For the reference-photo appearance, use mostly brown and milk-chocolate decorations rather than colorful candy.
  • A 20-minute final chill helps create cleaner slices.
  • Do not taste raw batter containing uncooked flour and eggs.
  • Author: Elian Cove
  • Prep Time: 45 minutes
  • Additional/Chilling Time: 40 minutes
  • Cook Time: 28–33 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American-inspired

Find it online: https://recipesmind.com/chocolate-treasure-crunch-cake/