Chef Jake Thompson - Comfort Food Specialist
👨‍🍳 Brunch Master

Recipe by Mitchell

🎓 Pastry Arts Specialist ⏰ 18+ Years Experience 🍽️ Cafe Menu Consultant

❤️ My Recipe Story

"I first encountered 'Brick Toast' while traveling abroad, but I wanted to bring that concept home to the Sunday breakfast table. By using a whole loaf of Brioche and carving it myself, I realized I could create a textural masterpiece—crunchy on the outside, custardy in the middle, and creamy at the core."

Jake specializes in elevating weekend staples into restaurant-quality experiences. His approach to brunch combines nostalgic flavors with modern, architectural presentation.

View All Mitchell's Recipes →
A golden, caramelized cubic stack of French toast dripping with honey and topped with thyme on a marble surface

The Secret to the Crunch

The defining feature of this French toast is the caramelized crust. Unlike traditional recipes that just use butter, we use a mixture of butter and honey in the pan. As the sugars in the honey heat up, they caramelize around the bread, creating a candy-like shell that shatters when you cut into it.

Because of the high sugar content in the pan, heat management is critical. Medium-low heat allows the custard inside to cook through without burning the honey exterior. If the pan smokes, it's too hot.

💡 Professional Tip

Use day-old or stale brioche. Fresh bread is too soft and will collapse under the weight of the filling and the moisture of the custard. If your bread is fresh, leave the slices out on a wire rack for an hour to dry.

Frequently Asked Questions

It is not recommended. You need a whole unsliced loaf (like Brioche or Shokupan) so you can cut thick, 2-3 inch slabs that can stand up on their own.

Absolutely! Thinly sliced strawberries or bananas work great layered in with the cream cheese filling.

You likely soaked it too long. Because this is a stuffed stack, a quick dip (5 seconds per side) is all you need. The residual heat will cook the interior.

Yes, use plant-based butter, oat milk, and a vegan cream cheese alternative. The caramelization works just as well with vegan butter and honey.

Maple syrup works, but it has a lower burning point, so watch the heat. Brown sugar mixed into the butter is another great alternative for a caramel crust.

Use two spatulas or a spatula and a broad knife. Treat it gently, like a delicate cake. Turn it on all four sides to ensure even cooking.

It's optional, but the herbal, savory note of thyme or rosemary cuts through the intense sweetness of the honey and cream, creating a more sophisticated flavor profile.

You can, but you won't get the same glass-like caramelized edges. If baking, cook at 375°F for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway.

Recipe Troubleshooting Guide

✅

Soggy Center

Problem: The inside of the bread is raw/wet

Solution: The heat was too high. Lower the heat to cook it longer, or finish the tower in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes after searing.

✅

Burnt Sugar

Problem: The outside blackened immediately

Solution: Honey burns fast. Wipe the pan clean between batches and lower your flame. Add a splash of oil to the butter to raise the smoke point.

✅

Leaking Filling

Problem: Cream cheese is oozing out into the pan

Prevention: Leave a small border around the edge of the bread when spreading filling, and chill the assembled tower for 10 minutes before dipping in egg.

✅

Tower Collapsing

Problem: Bread layers sliding off each other

Recovery: Use 'mortar'—ensure the cream cheese is sticky, or use a skewer through the middle to hold it while flipping (remove before serving).

✅

Egg Scramble on Bread

Problem: Bits of cooked egg white on the surface

Prevention: Whisk your custard thoroughly. You can even strain the egg mixture through a sieve for a perfectly smooth, golden finish.

✅

Flavor Adjustments

Too Sweet: Add a pinch of flakey sea salt to the top

Too Salty: Serve with fresh tart berries or whipped cream

Bland: Increase the cinnamon or add orange zest to the custard

Loaf of brioche, bowl of eggs, cream cheese, honey jar, and butter on a marble counter

Choosing the Right Bread

The bread is the most important component of this recipe. You want a high-fat, tight-crumb bread like Brioche, Challah, or Japanese Milk Bread (Shokupan). These breads have enough structure to hold the shape when cut into cubes but remain tender when cooked.

Avoid sourdough or rustic country loaves for this specific preparation. Their large air pockets will cause the custard to leak through, and their chewy crusts make it difficult to eat as a stacked tower.

Essential Ingredient Notes

  • Brioche Loaf: Buy a whole, unsliced loaf from the bakery section so you can control the thickness. Slices should be at least 1.5 inches thick.
  • Honey Type: Use a standard clover or wildflower honey. Expensive raw honeys will lose their nuance when cooked at high heat.
  • Cream Cheese: Full-fat block cream cheese is best. Whipped tub varieties contain too much air and water, which can make the filling runny.
Cube of french toast sizzling in foaming butter and honey in a pan

Assembly Architecture

Think of this recipe as edible construction. When spreading your filling, apply it evenly but keep it slightly away from the absolute edge. This prevents it from scorching in the pan.

The soak is a dip, not a bath. Because we are using such thick slices and filling them, we don't want the custard to penetrate all the way to the center—that's where the cream cheese lives. We just want a custodial layer on the bread itself.

The Pan-Flip

Don't just flip top-to-bottom. You need to sear the sides of the cube too. Use tongs to hold the cube vertically for 30 seconds on each side to cook the egg wash on the edges.

Caramelized Honey & Cream French Toast Tower

Prep 15 min
Cook 20 min
Serves 4 servings
Level Intermediate

📋 Ingredients

The Tower Build

  • 4 large eggs
    Base of the custard
  • 120ml whole milk
    For richness
  • 60ml heavy cream
    Makes the custard silky
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    Flavor essential
  • 80g butter
    For frying
  • 80ml honey
    For the caramelized glaze
  • Fresh thyme
    Garnish

Custard & Pan

  • 1 loaf Brioche bread (unsliced)
    Stale/day-old works best
  • 225g cream cheese, softened
    For the filling
  • 60ml powdered sugar
    Sweetens the cream cheese
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
    Warm spice flavor
  • 1/4 tsp salt
    Balances the sweetness

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Bread

    Trim the crusts off the brioche loaf to create a perfect rectangle. Slice the bread into 3-inch thick cubes or thick slabs, depending on your desired tower height.

  2. Make the Cream Filling

    In a medium bowl, whip the softened cream cheese and powdered sugar together until light and fluffy. Set aside.

  3. Prepare Custard

    In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, heavy cream, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt until completely combined.

  4. Assemble and Soak

    Spread a thick layer of cream filling between slices of bread and stack them to form a tower/cube. Press gently to seal. Quickly dip each side of the stack into the custard mixture—do not soak too long or it will fall apart.

  5. Caramelize

    Melt butter and honey together in a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Once bubbling, carefully add the bread tower. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side until deeply golden and caramelized.

  6. Garnish and Serve

    Transfer to a plate immediately. Drizzle with extra honey or syrup and top with fresh thyme sprigs for a savory contrast. Serve hot.

Recipe Notes & Tips

Bread Choice

If you can't find unsliced Brioche, Texas Toast is a good alternative, though you may need to stack more slices to get the cube effect.

Make Ahead

You can prepare the cream cheese filling up to 2 days in advance. Do not assemble the French toast until you are ready to cook.

Serving

This is very rich! One cube tower is often enough to split between two people, or serve with a side of acidic fruit like grapefruit or berries to cut the richness.