How to make Brownie Cake with Caramelized Sugar

Instructions

1. Melt the chocolate and butter

   • Put the bowl in the bain-marie (on top of a pan with simmering water) and add 300 g chocolate and 120 g butter to it.
   • Start stirring the chocolate as soon as it starts melting.

   Turn the oven on now, so it’s at 350°F (175°C) by the time the batter is ready.

   • You need
   • 300 g chocolate
   • 120 g butter

2. Add the egg yolks

   • When it is melted, take the bowl off the pan.
   • You might want to let the mixture cool down for a moment before adding the egg yolks.
   • Then start adding 3 egg yolks one by one.
   • There is a high chance of yolks getting cooked while you add them to the mixture.
   • Stir as fast as you can to prevent this issue.

   • You need
   • 3 egg yolks

   Stir fast, or the yolks cook.

3. Add the dry ingredients

   • Now it’s time to add the other ingredients.
   • Mix all four (60 g flour, ¼ tsp salt, 200 g sugar and 1 tsp baking powder) together, and add them to the chocolate mixture.
   • Stir and make sure the batter is homogeneous.
   • If you are a vanilla fan, you might add 2 tsp vanilla extract.

   • You need
   • 60 g flour
   • ¼ tsp salt
   • 200 g sugar
   • 1 tsp baking powder
   • 2 tsp vanilla extract

4. Bake

   • Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and bake the mixture for 25 minutes in a cheesecake pan.

   The brownie needs about 2 hours to cool down completely. Make the sugar decorations in the meantime, and the frosting toward the end of the cooling.

   Start a 25 min timer

5. Make the chocolate frosting

   • Using the bain-marie again, melt 100 g chocolate and 40 g butter.
   • As soon as it is melted, add 1 tbsp heavy cream and stir it smoothly.

   • You need
   • 100 g chocolate
   • 40 g butter
   • 1 tbsp heavy cream

6. Caramelize the sugar

   • In another pan, just add 100 g sugar and start stirring it until it melts and gets a dark brown color.
   • There is no need to add water to the sugar.
   • When the sugar is caramelized, add a few drops of lemon to prevent crystallization.

   Be careful when the lemon goes in. Hot sugar spits when anything wet touches it, and it sticks to your skin.

   • You need
   • 100 g sugar
   • 1 tsp lemon juice

7. Paint the sugar decorations

   • To make the sugar decoration as in the picture, use a sheet of aluminum foil and a fork.
   • Dip the fork in the sugar and start painting on the aluminum foil.
   • You can make any shape that you want.
   • When the sugar cools down, it will harden and be ready to go on top of the cake.

8. Finish the cake

   • After the brownie base is cooled down, add the frosting on top.
   • Make sure to add the caramelized sculptures that you made above.
   • Serve the cake with your favorite ice cream.