Sometimes, you don’t want a big cake. Sometimes, you don’t even want cake, you want brownies. But with whipped cream. And some additional dark chocolate on top. This gorgeous miniature chocolate brownie cake is just what any chocolate lover needs. Two very rich fudge brownie layers, smooth whipped cream in the middle, and some extra chocolate on top, for good measure.
Since the cake layers are so small, you need to watch them carefully so they don’t overbake. It can be a tiny bit tricky, but be patient, and check them often for doneness. There should be just a tiny bit of moist crumbs on the toothpick when they are done. If there aren’t any, you’ve overbaked them.
If that should happen, all is not lost – just soak them in your favourite liqueur (such as Kahlua or Grand Marnier), and they should be pretty decent. But just to be sure, don’t overbake them. When they are cool to the touch, whip up some double cream, sandwich the fudge layers, and serve immediately.
Ingredients
For the brownie layers
120 grams unsalted butter
100 grams dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa)
200 grams granulated sugar
2 small eggs
1 teaspoon dark rum
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
120 grams plain flour
For the filling
150 ml double cream
2 tablespoons icing sugar, optional
Preparation
Place the diced butter and chopped chocolate in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, set it over medium heat, and melt them together, stirring until smooth. Remove it from the heat and quickly stir in the sugar. Let it cool for one more minute, then crack the eggs into two small bowls, and add them to the batter, one at a time, whisking vigorously after each. Add in vanilla and rum, and whisk it again. Finally, sift in the flour and gently fold it through with a spatula, being careful not to overmix the batter.
Take two small cake pans (10 cm; 4"), grease the sides and the base, then place a round of baking paper on the base, just to be sure the brownie does not stick to the cake pan. Divide the batter evenly between the pans, and bake them, in a preheated oven, at 180°C (350°F), for about 30 minutes or so, until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Let them cool in the pans 10 minutes, then remove them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once they have cooled, whip the double cream until stiff peaks form, sandwich the brownies together, and serve immediately. Yields 4 servings.