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Prep time
30 minutes
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Cook time
20 minutes
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Makes
One 8" waffle cake
Author Notes
This is the cake to make for the breakfast lovers in your life, and the best part is it looks like it takes a lot more work than it does, so you can celebrate everything from birthdays to weddings in impressive breakfast style with ease. —Beth Kirby | {local milk}
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Ingredients
- For the waffle cake
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2 1/3 cups
all purpose flour
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1 1/3 cups
cake flour
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4 teaspoons
baking powder
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2 teaspoons
kosher salt
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2/3 cup
light brown sugar
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4
large eggs, room temperature
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12 tablespoons
brown butter, cooled to room temperature
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1/2 cup
real maple syrup
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2 cups
buttermilk
- For the sorghum meringue buttercream
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2
large egg whites, room temperature
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1/4 teaspoon
cream of tartar (scant amount)
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1/8 teaspoon
salt
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2 tablespoons
sugar
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2/3 cup
sorghum syrup
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1 cup
(2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
Directions
- For the waffle cake
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Whisk all dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl to combine well.
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Whisk all wet ingredients together to combine in a separate bowl.
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Stir wet ingredients into dry gently to just combine, being careful to not over-mix—this will make the waffles tough.
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Oil and heat your waffle iron and let the batter sit while you make your buttercream (recipe below).
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When waffle iron is hot, pour two small ladles of batter onto the griddle, close, and cook for 4 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Repeat with remaining three waffles. Cool waffles completely before assembling the cake.
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Once waffles are cooled, stack two of them to form the first layer of the cake, slather with the buttercream, top with two more waffles and then another layer of buttercream. Finish with fresh fruit.
- For the sorghum meringue buttercream
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Mix egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium speed until they hold soft peaks. Add in the sugar one teaspoon at a time, continuing to beat, until they just hold stiff peaks.
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Boil the syrup without stirring in a small sauce pan with a candy thermometer attached until it reaches 238° F to 242° F on the thermometer.
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Immediately remove from heat and stream down side of bowl into egg whites, beating constantly on high. Beat until meringue is completely cool, 10 minutes or more depending on how warm your kitchen is, and then gradually whip in the sorghum. **This is important. If the meringue is at all warm when you add the butter it will melt and become soupy. You can save it by chilling the bowl before continuing. If you add all the butter, and it's too soupy, stick in the freezer for about 5 minutes, whip, then set in the fridge for another 10-20 minutes. Whip again until normal consistency.
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Add the butter one tablespoon at a time, beating well between additions. If mixture looks curdled, just keep beating—it'll come together.
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Buttercream can be made up to one week ahead chilled and covered. To revive, just bring to room temp and whip back to life with your mixer.
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