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Chocolate Brownie Cake

Galatia Pamboridis
Gooey chocolate brownie base with walnut chunks topped with a rich flourless chocolate cake covered with chocolate ganache. If there is such a thing as death by chocolate then I must have died and gone to heaven. This is so decadent, rich, creamy, delicious, so very chocolatey, it will blow your mind.
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Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Chilling Time 12 hours
Course desserts, Sweets
Servings 10

Ingredients
  

For the brownie layer

  • 1 cup walnut halves
  • 125 grams unsalted butter
  • ¾ cup cocoa
  • 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

For the cake layer

  • 1 cup water
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 125 grams unsalted butter
  • 500 grams bittersweet chocolate, I use Cadbury’s Bournville
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the ganache

  • 200 grams bittersweet chocolate, I use Cadbury’s Bournville
  • 1 cup cream
  • 2 Tbs Cointreau, optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 175° C. Butter the base and sides of a 25cm round spring-form pan. Line base and sides with greaseproof paper.
  • Put walnut halves in a baking tray and roast in the oven for 6-7 minutes until fragrant. Cool slightly and roughly chop in big chunks.
  • Reduce oven temperature to 160° C. Melt butter over low heat. Add cocoa and sugar and mix. Put mixture in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add eggs one at a time and whisk until combined. Stir in vanilla.
  • Sift the flour directly into the mixture and fold in with a spatula. Mix only until combined. Fold in nuts.
  • Pour mixture into prepared pan. Spread allover the base using a small offset spatula or a spoon. Bake for 10 minutes.
  • Prepare the cake layer while brownie base bakes. In a small saucepan put the water and sugar. Bring to boil, lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
  • In another pot melt the butter and chocolate over low heat. Stir until chocolate has melted completely and mixture is smooth.
  • Add syrup into the chocolate mixture. Stir until smooth and glossy. Transfer chocolate mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk in eggs one at a time. Whisk in vanilla.
  • Gently pour chocolate cake mixture over the brownie mixture. Do it slowly so as not to smash the surface of the brownie. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Cake will rise and may crack in places. It may still be a bit wobbly in the middle but will set when completely cool. Cool cake completely in the pan. Cake will sink slightly as it cools and that’s ok.
  • Make the ganache. Chop the chocolate and put in a bowl. Heat the cream and as soon as it comes to almost boiling point, pour over the chocolate in the bowl. Let the chocolate stand for a few minutes. Stir until chocolate has melted completely and mixture is smooth. Stir in the liqueur if using. Let ganache cool about 30 minutes.
  • Pour ganache over cooled cake in the pan. Transfer cake to fridge and refrigerated for 12-48 hours before serving.
  • When ready to serve, remove the sides of the spring-form pan. Peel off the greaseproof paper from the sides of the chilled cake and discard. Use a small spatula to lift the cake and release it from the base of the pan. Remove the greaseproof paper from the bottom of the cake and discard. Transfer cake on a serving platter.
  • Slice thinly as cake is rich. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. To the hard-core chocoholics serve it plain.
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