Caramel Crunch Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Sift flour, 3/4 cup sugar and salt together; set aside. Beat egg yolks with 1/4 cup sugar until thick and pale yellow. Add water; beat until thickened, about 4 minutes.

Whisk egg whites until frothy; add cream of tartar and whisk until soft peaks form. Add 1/2 cup sugar; whisk until thickened and glossy stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in vanilla, lemon juice and zest.

Pour yolk mixture over whites; fold together. Fold in flour mixture, a third at a time; gently incorporate. Spoon into ungreased tube pan; level top.

Bake 50 minutes, until cake springs back when top is pushed. Invert pan to cool for 45 minutes. (If pan has "feet," turn upside down on counter; otherwise place it over a bottle.)

Remove cake from pan and slice horizontally into 3 layers. Place 1 layer on cake plate; cover with whipped cream and scatter pieces of crunch mixture on top. Repeat with second layer. Top with third layer, cover top and sides with whipped cream and sprinkle with crunch.

For Crunch Mixture: Over medium heat, combine sugar, brewed coffee and corn syrup, stirring until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high; cook without stirring until mixture reaches 290 degrees F.

Remove from heat; carefully add baking soda; mixture will bubble a lot. Pour quickly onto baking sheet coated with vegetable oil. Let cool 1 hour; crush into small pieces.

For Whipped Cream: Combine cream, sugar and vanilla; whip until sturdy peaks form.