Frankfurter Kranz A La Dr. Oetker - cooking recipe

Ingredients

DOUGH
1/2 cup butter, less 1/2 tsp
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
4 drops lemon extract (I prefer Lemon) or 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (I prefer Lemon)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
1/3 cup potato starch (cornstarch will do in a pinch)
2 teaspoons baking powder
BUTTER CREAM FROSTING
3 ounces vanilla pudding (the kind you have to cook on the stove top)
1 1/2 milk
1 cup butter
KROKANT or BRITTLE
1 teaspoon butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup blanched almonds or 1 cup hazelnuts, chopped into tiny pieces

Preparation

1. DOUGH:
2. Preheat oven to 360\u00b0F.
3. Cream the butter til fluffy.
4. Add sugar 1 tbsp at the time, mix until creamy.
5. Add eggs 1 at a time, mix until smooth.
6. Mix flour, starch, baking powder and salt.
7. Add flour mixture 1 tbsp at a time until fully absorbed.
8. Pour into a greased & floured bundt pan.
9. Bake for 35 to 45 minute toothpick should come out clean.
10. BUTTER CREAM FROSTING:
11. Prepare pudding per package directions using only 1 1/2 cup milk.
12. Cool pudding, cover with plastic wrap to prevent skin while cooling.
13. Bring butter to almost room temperature.
14. Cream butter.
15. Stir 1 cup pudding into creamed butter 1 tbsp at a time (be sure temperatures are pretty even and not to cold, otherwise the mix will separate).
16. KROKANT or BRITTLE:
17. In a nonstick pan over medium heat stir butter and sugar until sugar is slightly brown.
18. Stir in nuts and cook on low heat until it all has a nice cognac color (220\u00b0F brittle stage on candy thermometer).
19. Transfer to a greased cookie sheet and let cool completely.
20. Break into real small pieces (English toffee bits could be substituted).
21. ASSEMBLY.
22. Cut cooled cake in three layers.
23. Spread 1/2 cup butter cream frosting on each cut layer and reassemble cake.
24. Frost cake outside with remaining butter cream frosting, reserving about 1/3 cup.
25. Sprinkle krokant or brittle over entire cake.
26. Decorate with reserved butter cream frosting.
27. It's best if it has a day to sit in the refrigerator.