Sweet Melissa Sundays: Brooklyn Brownout Cake

Allow me to preface this post by warning you that my intention is to ply you with pictures until you sit and think to yourself, “Gee, I have a real craving for Brooklyn Brownout Cake.  I guess I should get myself into the kitchen so I can make it.”  If you feel the need to scurry away from your computer in the midst of reading, I understand.  In fact, I encourage it.  Go, go make this cake right now.

I had the honor of selecting this week’s Sweet Melissa Sundays recipe.  For those of you who haven’t caught on to this group yet, we SMS’ers are baking our way through Melissa Murphy’s the Sweet Melissa Baking Book.  What did I choose?  Well, obviously the most chocolatey sounding recipe in the book!  The Brooklyn Brownout Cake.  Be sure to check out all of the SMS’ers’ treats!!

Melissa describes this cake as “a chocolate lover’s fantasy.”  Essentially, you make some super fudgy brownies, which get combined with chocolate ganache to form a thick and fudgy filling.  This filling gets sandwiched between two layers of dense, mocha-flavored chocolate cake.  Then, the entire cake is doused with the remaining ganache.  Chocolate overload!!

The cake calls for Dutch processed cocoa powder, which none of my local grocery stores seem to carry.  I had to sub-in regular cocoa.  I’m pretty sure the acidity of the cocoa, combined with the acidity of the coffee (an entire 3/4 cup), messed up the pH of my cake.  Don’t think the miniscule amount of baking soda could effectively neutralize the acid.  Oh well, so my cakes ended up denser and fudgier.  It’s a tough life.

Melissa’s recipe calls for combining brownie chunks with the ganache, but I actually mushed my brownies into the ganache to make a filling with a smoother, thicker consistency.  Also, rather than coating the cake in the remaining filling, I topped each layer with the filling, and then iced my cake with the remaining ganache.  Just to break up the brown monotony, I added a drizzle of white chocolate ganache over the top.

This cake is delicious.  Moist, chocolatey, heavenly, fabulous.  The coffee flavor is strong—if you’re not a coffee person, this cake isn’t for you.  The filling definitely makes the cake—I mean, a brownie-and-ganache filling?  What’s not to love?

This recipe has a lot of steps, but all of them are easy.  Plus, the end product is totally worth it!  I’m providing the brownie recipe below (with the alterations I made), but you could use your favorite brownie recipe for sure.

Brooklyn Brownout Cake

 

For the cake:

4 oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil

2 cups sugar

1 cup plus 2 TBS AP flour

3 TBS plus 1 tsp unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder (I used regular cocoa powder) 

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup sour cream

2 large eggs

3/4 cup hot strong brewed coffee

 

For the chocolate ganache frosting:

12 oz semisweet chocolate

1 cup heavy cream

2 TBS light corn syrup

 

For the brownie crumble:

4 chocolate brownies, see recipe below

1/4 cup walnut pieces, optional (I left these out)

 

Before you start:

Position a rack in the center of your oven.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter and flour two 7 x 2-inch round cake pans. (I used 9-inch).  Line each pan with parchment paper.

To make the cake:

(1) In the top of a double boiler set over simmering, not boiling, water, melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally.  When the chocolate is completely melted, whisk in the vegetable oil until smooth.  Remove from the heat but keep warm over the hot water.

(2) In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, and mix well.

(3) In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream and eggs until smooth.

(4) Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, and mix until combined.  Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add the melted chocolate mixture and mix until combined.  Add the hot coffee in a stream, and mix until combined.  (Again, scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl.)  The batter will be loose.

(5) Divide batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.  Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean (mine took 30 minutes in 9-inch pans).  Remove to a wire rack to cool in the pans for 25 minutes before turning out the layers onto the rack.  Cool completely before finishing.

To make the ganache:

(1) Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place in medium bowl.

(2) In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream to scalding, or until the cream is steaming and tiny bubbles have formed along the edges.

(3) Immediately pour the hot cream over the chocolate to cover completely.  Do not stir.  Wait 5 minutes, then whisk together until smooth.  Stir in corn syrup.

(4) Lay a sheet of plastic wrap flush against the surface of the frosting.  Let cool to slightly warm before using.

 

To make the crumble and complete the cake:

(1) Trim the tops of the cake layers so that they are even and no longer domed. (I didn’t have to do this because the acidity of my cake prevented any domes from forming.)  Break the cake trimmings up into 3/4- to 1-inch chunks and place in a medium bowl.  Place one of the cake layers cut side up on a wire rack set over a cookie sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper for glazing.

(2) Break up the brownies into 3/4- to 1-inch chunks.  Combine the broken-up cake scraps with the brownie pieces.  Pour half of the ganache over the brownies and cake scraps and stir gently with your fingers to coat.  This is your brownie crumble. (I mushed my brownies into the ganache to create more of a smooth-consistency filling; it was much easier when it come to spreading.)

(3) Place one of the cake layers (cut side up) on a wire rack and set over a cookie sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper for glazing.  Layer about 1/3 of the brownie crumble evenly over the top of the cake layer.

(4) Place the remaining cake layer upside down on the other cake and press down gently.

(5) (At this point, I put the remaining brownie crumble/filling on top of the cake and spread it evenly.) Pour the remaining chocolate ganache over the assembled cake.  Let it drip down over the sides of the cake. (Melissa does not say what to do with the rest of the brownie crumble, if you haven’t already put it on top of your cake.  The SMS’ers assumed that Melissa meant us to push the mixture up on the sides of the cake.)

Chocolate Walnut Brownies

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter

4 oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup AP flour

1/2 tsp kosher salt

2/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped (optional) (I didn’t use them.)

Before you start:

Position a rack in the center of your oven.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter and flour a 9x9x2-inch square cake pan.  (I used an 8x8 pan.)

(1) In the top of a double boiler set over simmering, not boiling, water, melt the butter and chocolate.  Remove from the heat but keep warm.

(2) In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until pale yellow in color, about 2 minutes.  (If you do not want a “crust” on your brownies, only mix eggs to combine with other ingredients.)  Add the melted chocolate and mix to combine.

(3) In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.

(4) Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture in 3 batches, mixing on low speed until just combined.  Do not overmix.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Stir in the nuts by hand.

(5) Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until sides begin to pull away from the pan and center is moist but not running, and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.  (In an 8x8 pan, my brownies took 40 minutes—they were fudgy but not underdone.  The SMS’ers came to a consensus that these brownies need no more than 40 minutes.)  Remove to a  wire rack to cool.

(6) When cool, loosen the edges of the pan with a knife and invert the brownies onto a cutting board.  Cut into 12 brownies.

*Brownies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.  For longer storage, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze well-wrapped in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil for up to 3 weeks.  Do not unwrap before defrosting.