Instructions

Make the Craic Pie Frosting: 

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Pan-spray a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Combine the sugar, brown sugar, milk powder, corn powder, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed until evenly blended.
2. Add the melted butter and paddle for 1 minute on low speed until all the dry ingredients are moist.
3. Add the heavy cream and vanilla extract and continue mixing on low for 1 minute until any white streaks from the cream have completely disappeared into the mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
4. Add the yolks, paddling them into the mixture just to combine; be careful not to aerate the mixture, but be certain the mixture is glossy and homogenous. Mix on low speed until it is.
5. Pour the craic pie filling into the loaf pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. At 20 minutes, gently shake the pan: The crack pie filling should be firmer and more set around the edges but slightly jiggly and loose in the center. If the crack pie filling is jiggly all over, give it 2 to 3 minutes more in the oven. It should just start to brown on top.
6. Let the pie filling cool to room temperature.
7. Put the softened butter, confectioners’ sugar, salt, and cooled crack pie filling in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed to combine, then bump up the speed to high and cream for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy.
8. Use the frosting immediately or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. If you store it in the refrigerator, be sure to loosen it up before using, otherwise it will be impossible to spread. The easiest way to do this is by putting the frosting in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beating it on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes.

Make the Chocolate Crumb

1. Heat oven to 300F. Line a sheet pan with parchment or a Silpat.
2. Combine sugar, flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt in the bowl of a stan mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, and paddle on low speed until mixed.
3. Add melted butter and continue to paddle on low speed until the mixture starts to come together in small clusters
4. Spread the clusters on the lined sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes, breaking them up occasionally. The crumbs should still be slightly moist to the touch at that point; they will dry and harden as they cool.
5. Let the crumbs cool completely before using. They will keep in an airtight container int he fridge or freezer for up to 1 month.

Make the Chocolate Cake

1. Heat the oven to 350°f.
2. Combine the butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the eggs, and mix on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once more.
3. On low speed, stream in the buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and paddle for 4 to 6 minutes, until the mixture is much lighter in color, twice the size of your original fluffy butter-and-sugar mixture, and completely homogeneous. Don’t rush the process. You’re basically forcing too much liquid into an already fatty mixture that doesn’t want to make room for the liquid. There should be no streaks of fat or liquid. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
4. On low speed, add the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Mix for 45 to 60 seconds, just until your batter comes together and any remnants of dry ingredients have been incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
5. Pam-spray a quarter sheet pan and line it with parchment, or just line the pan with a silpat. Using a spatula, spread the cake batter in an even layer in the pan. Give the bottom of your cake pan a tap on the countertop to even out the layer.
6. Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes. The cake will rise and puff, rising to the top of the sheet pan. At 30 minutes, gently poke the edge of the cake with your finger: The cake should bounce back slightly and the center should no longer be jiggly. Leave the cake in the oven for an extra 3 to 5 minutes if it doesn’t pass these tests.
7. Take the cake out of the oven and cool on a wire rack or, in a pinch, in the fridge or freezer (don’t worry, it’s not cheating). The cooled cake can be stored in the fridge, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 5 days.

Make the Graham Ganache

1. Toss the graham crumbs, milk powder, sugar, and salt with your hands in a medium bowl to evenly distribute your dry ingredients.
2. Whisk the butter and heavy cream together. add to the dry ingredients and toss again to evenly distribute. The butter will act as glue, adhering to the dry ingredients and turning the mixture into a bunch of small clusters. The mixture should hold its shape if squeezed tightly in the palm of your hand. If it is not moist enough to do so, melt an additional 14 to 25 g (1 to 1½ tablespoons) butter and mix it in.
3. Combine the graham mixture, milk, and salt in a blender and puree on medium speed until smooth and homogenous—it will take 1 to 3 minutes. If the mixture does not catch on your blender blade, turn it off, take a small teaspoon, and scrape down the sides of the canister, remembering to scrape under the blade, then try again. Use the ganache right away, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Assembly (Milk Bar Style)

1. Make the chocolate soak by mixing the Ovaltine and milk together until dissolved.
2. Using a cake ring, cut out two 6-inch circles from your 9×13 sheet of cake. Cut two half circles with what remains.
3. Then, using the 6-inch cake ring lined with acetate, start assembling your cake. Place the two half circles in the bottom of the pan, and add in extra cake in the middle if needed to fill it out. Dunk a pastry brush in the chocolate milk soak and give the layer of cake a good, healthy bath of half of the soak.
4. Use the back of a spoon to spread one-third of the milk bar pie frosting in an even layer over the cake.
5. Sprinkle one-third of the chocolate crumbs evenly over the frosting. Use the back of your hand to anchor them in place.
6. Spread half the graham ganache over the top of the crumbs.
7. Set your second cake round on top of the frosting, and repeat the process for layer 1 (if 1 of your 2 cake rounds is jankier than the other, use it here in the middle and save the prettier one for the top).
8. Then, place the final cake round on top and spread with craic pie frosting. Decorate with leftover chocolate crumb if desired.
9. Refrigerate until ready to serve.