Brownie Cake

Brownie layers:
2 cup chopped pecans (see Note)
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
4 (1-oz.) squares unsweetened chocolate
2 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1 tsp. salt

White Mountain Frosting:
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup white corn syrup
1/4 cup water
3 egg whites at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla

First, take the 3 eggs for the frosting out of the refrigerator and separate them, putting the whites in the small bowl of the electric mixer. Set these whites aside to come to room temperature while you bake the cake. Discard the yolks or reserve them for another purpose.

Prepare the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toast the chopped pecans in a frying pan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until they begin to color and become fragrant, about 7 minutes. Pour them out of the pan immediately and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, grease two 8-inch cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, grease that, then flour the pans. Set aside.

In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the butter and chocolate, stirring constantly, until both are fully melted. Pour the chocolate mixture into the large bowl of the electric mixer and add the 2 cups of sugar, beating well. Add the 4 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each, then beat in the teaspoon of vanilla.

Sift the flour and salt together and add to the chocolate mixture, mixing on low speed and scraping the bowl occasionally, until thoroughly combined. Stir in the pecan pieces.

Divide the batter between the pans and bake about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the pans on racks for 15 minutes, then cover the pans with racks, invert and lift away the pans. Gently peel off the parchment paper, reinvert and cool the layers completely.

Prepare the frosting: When the cake is cool, combine the 3/4 cup of sugar, the corn syrup and water in a small pan. Gently stir (don't splash) to dissolve as much sugar as possible, then partially cover the pan, insert a candy thermometer and cook over medium-high heat until the mixture boils. (Meanwhile wash the mixer beaters so they are clean for beating the whites.) Remove the cover from the boiling syrup and continue to boil -- no stirring.

As the syrup boils, beat the egg whites just until they are frothy. Watch the syrup until the thermometer reads 240 to 242 degrees, or until a bit of the syrup dropped into a cup of cold water forms a firm ball that flattens only if you squeeze it.

When the syrup reaches that temperature, beat the egg whites at medium speed while pouring the syrup into the bowl in a somewhat thin stream that you keep away from the beaters. When all the syrup is in, beat at high speed until the frosting is glossy and stands in peaks. Beat in the vanilla, beating until the frosting is fully thick, not oozy. Fill and frost the cooled cake.

MAIN MENU