Candy Bar Pound Cake

Prep Time:

1h 25m

Bake/Cook Time:

Yield:

1, standard loaf size

This Candy Bar Pound Cake is a candy lover's dream come true. A delicious pound cake topped with peanut butter cream, a peanut caramel layer, and a smooth chocolate glaze. Whether you are serving this pound cake to someone who is 1 or 100, there is no doubt this cake will bring a happy smile to their face. (If short on time, you can use a store-bought pound cake to get started.)

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Products Used

Extra Fine Granulated Pure Cane Sugar Bag

Confectioners Powdered Sugar Poly Bag

Ingredients

Pound Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour*
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, very soft
1 cup Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup milk

Peanut Butter Cream

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, very soft
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter, room temperature
1 2/3 cups Dixie Crystals Confectioners Powdered Sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons milk

Peanut Caramel Layer

1 cup peanuts (pre-roasted and lightly salted)
Homemade Caramel Sauce

Chocolate Glaze

2/3 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
6 ounces high-quality chocolate (50-55% cocoa)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

*Spoon & Sweep method: Use a spoon to fill measuring cup with flour until required amount is obtained. Scooping measuring cup directly into flour bag will firmly pack flour resulting in too much flour required for recipe.

Directions

If using a purchased pound cake, jump to step 10. Preheat oven to 350°F. For easy removal, line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper or butter. Flour loaf pan and set aside.
Sift flour together with baking powder and set aside.
In a stand or hand-held mixer, mix butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add one egg and mix batter again until light and fluffy. (If at any time batter becomes heavy and is no longer light, use a hair dryer to warm sides of bowl to make batter fluffy.)
Keep adding one egg at a time waiting for previously added egg to be well incorporated and batter remains fluffy.
Add salt and extract.
Alternately add flour and milk in 5 steps, starting with and ending with flour. Scrape well in between.
Fill into prepared pan and place in oven and bake until center of cake bounces back when lightly pressed with a finger or an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 60 minutes. If cake turns too dark before being done, cover it with a lightly buttered piece of foil.
Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan.
For peanut butter cream, mix butter until creamy. Add peanut butter and mix well together.
Add powdered sugar and mix more until well combined. Add vanilla and 1 tablespoon milk. If consistency is creamy and smooth, do not add remaining milk. Otherwise add another tablespoon and, if needed, a third.
If cake has a dome, cut off excess to make it level. Frost sides of pound cake. Place remaining cream in a piping bag fitted with a large plain pastry tip. Pipe a tube, about a third of an inch high and wide on all sides of pound cake.
Place cake in freezer or refrigerator.
Prepare caramel without using liquor. Once made, measure 1 cup of caramel. If it got cold, reheat in microwave oven until warm/hot.
Mix in peanuts and let cool until slightly cooler than lukewarm.
Spread between tubes of peanut butter cream. Place in refrigerator.
For chocolate glaze, bring cream, and sugar to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat.
Add chocolate and butter. Whisk smooth.
Place cake on an icing rack and pour chocolate glaze over it. Using a metal spatula or back of a knife, create a wavy pattern on surface.