Any San Franciscan will sigh about the highly beloved but sadly departed, Coffee Crunch Cake when asked about dessert! Well, we say “departed” since the original coffee crunch cake people — Blum’s Bakery in San Francisco and Ernest Weil, the original baker who developed the recipe for this delicious cake in the 1940s — are long gone. But what was so legendary about it?

Let us correct you, it still is legendary and it’s because of the classic twin stars:

1. Coffee
2. Contrast

The coffee crunch cake is a sinful composition of lemon-vanilla flavoured, sponge cake layers, smothered generously with coffee-infused whipped cream, and covered in totality by a coffee crunch toffee topping. The contrast between crisp and soft textures and that of bittersweet coffee with lemon layers is truly exceptional.

The ’70s saw Blum’s shut shop, but the coffee crunch cake lived on in people’s taste buds and also recipes. That said, here’s how to make the perfect coffee crunch cake.

Ingredients for Sponge Cake:

• 2 1/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 6 large eggs, separated 
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Method:

• In a large bowl, whisk all dry ingredients with half the sugar. Add 3/4 cup water, oil, egg yolks, zest, and vanilla; beat until smooth.
• Whisk egg whites with remaining sugar until stiff, glossy peaks form.
• Fold the beaten egg whites gently with the batter in two rounds. 
• Pour in a 10-inch pan and bake in a pre-heated oven at 325 degrees for 1 hour. Chill for another hour before frosting.

Coffee Frosting:

• 2 1/2 cups well-chilled heavy cream
• 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 teaspoons roasted coffee granules

Ingredients for Coffee Crunch: 

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons strong brewed coffee 
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Method:

• Line a baking sheet with greasy parchment.
• In a saucepan boil sugar, coffee, and corn syrup over medium heat to 300 degrees.
• Remove from heat and after 10 seconds whisk in baking soda until combined and immediately pour over the baking sheet. Do not spread and let it cool for 30 minutes.
• Break into uneven pieces with a spoon.

Assemble the cake by covering the halved layers of cake with frosting. Before stacking the layers, cover with the crunch in between. Cover entirely with coffee crunch just before serving.

Baker’s tip: Remember that a lot depends on the starring ingredient—coffee. The whipped cream and the honeycomb flavours can make or break the coffee crunch cake. So, the coffee you use for infusing the whipped cream and for making the crunchy shards must be of stellar quality. The magic of this cake lies in the contrast that the unique caffeinated flavour provides. 

Ingredients make a world of difference. So, choosing the best coffee roasters in Sydney to bake this classic dessert is only fitting to its historical stature. With Grand Cru, your coffee crunch cake will be just perfect and might remind you of Sunday mornings in Union Square.