Snickers Brownie Cake
In a sea of healthy 2022 recipes, I am instead opting to tempt you with a delectable dessert - sorry not sorry! But it’s THAT good. To be honest, I have never been a fan of restricting myself from things I like. Anytime I did, I found myself unhappy and often overindulging. So now I just do what’s best for me - enjoy a balanced diet with daily exercise and indulge in a tasty dessert here and there. Plus I had some cute sparkler candles so here we are.
Now about this gorgeous situation - this cake is composed of three brownie layers, fresh caramel and homemade cinnamon cool whip. The great thing is if you’re trying to be health conscious anyway, you can absolutely use alternative sugars like coconut sugar to dial it back a bit. Another tip is you can make the caramel and cool whip ahead (or use store bought, I am not here to judge!). All and all, this dessert is to be savored. Have a little sliver after a long day is what I say.
Ingredients
Serves 8
Brownie Cake
1 cup of dark chocolate chips (my go to is Guittard 63% Extra Dark Chocolate or Guittard 72% Dark Chocolate made with coconut sugar)
8 tbsp unsalted butter (cubed)
1 tbsp butter or cooking spray to “butter” the wax paper
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup good quality cacao powder (I like Navitas Organics Cacao Powder)
1/4 tsp espresso powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 eggs
1 cup coconut sugar
1/3 cup toasted walnuts or pecans (chopped)
Nougat Cool Whip
1 cup very cold heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp coconut sugar
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
Caramel Sauce
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
6 tbsp unsalted butter (cubed)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of maldon salt
Additional items:
Metal bowl and metal whisks (from stand mixer or hand mixer); Place in freezer for 20-30 minutes
Double boiler (I use a sauce pan with 1 inch of water and a metal bowl on top)
Three 6 inch cake pans with removable bottom (you can use a larger one but your brownie cake will be thinner); If you only have one, you can bake in batches. That is what I did!
Wax paper (cut to fit in the cake pan, making sure to leave enough to go up the sides, this doesn’t need to be perfect)
Plastic wrap
Method
Caramel Sauce
Make your caramel sauce ahead (unless you are using store bought!) by adding the sugar and water on an even layer into a heavy bottomed saucepan.
Over medium heat, heat until the sugar entirely dissolves and starts to bubble. It should turn translucent after 4-5 minutes. DO NOT STIR, only swirl. It should then begin to thicken and begin to change into an amber color. This can be 10-12 minutes so make sure to watch so it does not burn.
Whisk in the butter cubes until they melt then turn off the heat.
Whisk in the heavy whipping cream, vanilla and maldon salt until well incorporated. Set aside to cool entirely.
Nougat Cool Whip
Remove the metal bowl and whisks from the freezer. Working quickly, pour the heavy whipping cream with the coconut sugar, almond extract, vanilla extract and cream of tartar into the bowl. Immediately whisk at high speed until it becomes thick. It should only take 1-2 minutes.
Transfer to fridge until ready to use. Done!
Brownie Cake
Preheat your oven to 350 F. Butter your wax paper while it is flat. It is way easier to do this than while it is in the pan :). Set aside.
In a double boiler, stir chocolate chips and butter cubes until they melt together. Make sure to stir constantly so your chocolate does not over cook and burn. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Set aside to cool.
Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, whisk together the coconut sugar and eggs until the mixture turns pale yellow (2-3 minutes). Slowly pour in the melted chocolate/butter.
Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the dry ingredients and nuts.
Pour 1 cup of the thick brownie batter into your cake pan and spread it around until it covers the bottom.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until set.
Carefully pull the wax paper up and gently slide the brownie layer onto a wire rack to cool entirely. If it is not totally cool when you spread the toppings, it will cause them to melt and make a big mess!
Layer the cake as follows: Brownie cake (remove the wax paper of course), 1-2 tbsp caramel sauce and 1/4 cup nougat cool whip in the center (it will spread as it sets). Repeat until you get to the last layer of brownie.
When putting the last layers of caramel and nougat cool whip, use the pan with the removable bottom upside down. This will help keep everything contained. Top with remaining caramel and cool whip then cover the top with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour until set. The brownie cake will taste best after it has set then allowed to come to room temperature for 10-15 minutes. Happy 2022!
