Butterscotch krimpets are snack cakes made from sponge cake topped with a small amount of butterscotch-flavored frosting. Although it is possible to purchase commercially prepared butterscotch krimpets, many people prefer to bake the cakes themselves. This allows them to prepare the cake whenever they would like, as well as control the amount of butterscotch flavor in the cake. In addition to the signature butterscotch frosting, butterscotch krimpets are known for their wavy shape. The cake generally is cut into bars with wavy edges.
Krimpets are made with a delicate sponge cake that generally stays moist longer than traditional butter cake. In addition, sponge cake tends to have a tighter crumb, meaning that it can usually be cut into pieces and picked up without crumbling into small pieces. Most sponge cakes are made by combining eggs, sugar, milk, butter, flour and baking powder. Sponge cake gets its spongy texture from beating eggs and sugar for several minutes to create a fluffy mixture, then folding in the rest of the ingredients while keeping the mixture light and airy. After being baked, the cake should cool before the butterscotch frosting is added.
Butterscotch-flavored frosting is added to the top of cooled sponge cake to make butterscotch krimpets. The frosting usually includes powdered sugar, butter and milk. To create the signature butterscotch flavor of the krimpet frosting, melted butterscotch chips are added to the frosting. Some people even use a small amount of brown sugar in place of a portion of the powdered sugar to give the icing a maple flavor, which they feel complements the butterscotch flavor well. After the frosting has been added to the sponge cake, many people cut the cake into wavy bars, although this is not necessary.
First appearing in the 1920s, butterscotch krimpets became popular as lunchbox items. The cakes can be enjoyed on a variety of occasions. Krimpets might be eaten as an afternoon snack or a dessert. Some people prefer to enjoy the treats during tea time, because little individual cakes that complement their coffee or tea. The cake also can be cut into smaller portions and served at a special brunch, lunch or dinner.
Some people enjoy making other variations of the butterscotch krimpet. These include krimpets filled with jelly or krimpets made using caramel flavoring. Although the flavors of these treats are different from the butterscotch version, the shape and type of cake used is generally kept the same.