Pain Perdu: Classic French Toast vs Frankfurter Kranz (Frankfurt Crown Cake)

Both desserts lean on eggs, milk, butter, sugar and vanilla, but put them to very different work. In Pain Perdu, eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla become a custard soaked into stale brioche, which is pan-fried in butter until golden and lightly crisp, then dusted with powdered sugar and served with optional maple syrup or berries. Frankfurter Kranz bakes the same staples into a ring cake, layered with jam and a silky vanilla buttercream of butter and powdered sugar, then coated in crunchy caramelized almond brittle and glacé cherries.