A couple of weeks ago, one of my oldest friends looked at my post on Dark Chocolate Cake Pops and sent me a message asking me to do a post on something super chocolatey that is easy to make with ingredients that don’t require one to go on a drawn out treasure hunt to find them. On a whim, I promised her that I would soon do a post on a Skillet Chocolate Cake. Though I didn’t get around to doing it immediately, I sure didn’t forget.
So over the past weekend, on the occasion of The Foodscape’s 1st Anniversary, I baked this chocolicious Brownie Cake in a skillet. Baking this cake was very special – it felt like I was connecting with my roots again. Many of you may not know this, but when I first started baking back when I was only 13, I didn’t own an oven and so I would bake on the gas stove on an open flame. And for this cake, I did just that! 🙂
Wondering how it’s even remotely possible? Well, here’s the deal – all you need is a diffuser to place directly in contact with the flame; a deep, flat bottomed pan with a lid that fits perfectly; and a couple of heavy wooden blocks or slabs. When you’re all stocked up and your cake batter is ready, grease your pan, pour in the batter, switch on the gas on a low flame, place the diffuser over it and then place the pan on the diffuser. Cover it with the lid, and place the wooden slabs on top to make sure that air does not escape from the pan during the baking process. Sweet and simple, isn’t it?
So here’s my recipe for this anniversary special Skillet Brownie cake…
Here’s what you need:
- Semi-sweet Chocolate – 75 g + extra for garnish
- Unsalted Butter – 60 g
- Cocoa Powder – 1 tbsp
- Granulated Sugar – 80 g
- Eggs – 2, small
- All Purpose Flour – 50 g
- Vanilla Extract – 1 tsp
- Salt – a pinch
- Walnuts – 50 g, chopped
- Maraschino Cherries – 20 g, chopped
- Your choice of sprinkles – for garnish
- Strawberries – for granish
Here’s how you make it:
- Mix together 75 grams of semi-sweet chocolate and butter in a heat proof bowl. Place the bowl over a vessel of simmering water – making sure that the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water – and allow the chocolate and butter to melt.
- Once melted, take off the heat. Add cocoa powder and sugar and stir vigorously until well incorporated. Add in the eggs and whip well.
- Mix the flour into the chocolate mixture until just completely incorporated; then pour in the vanilla essence and the salt.
- Add in the chopped walnuts and maraschino cherries and give the batter a final mix.
- Pour the batter into the greased skillet and place on top of a heated diffuser in contact with an open flame. Cover with the lid and press down with wooden blocks. Allow to bake for about 40-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs attached to it.
- Once done, take off the heat, frost with melted chocolate, sprinkles and berries.
- EAT, NOW!
This cake is truly the ultimate chocolate indulgence. Exceptionally gooey, this brownie cake is rich, luscious, velvety and crumbly all at once. Decadent good quality chocolate combined with the sweetness of maraschino cherries and the walnuts lending it some crunch and bite, this cake is pure heaven to the senses! If you’re a chocolate lover, this will be your favourite go-to recipe for a homemade cake; and for those of you who don’t love chocolate, this will take you to the dark sinful side! I should know, it has me sold!
So what are you waiting for? Get caking and indulge in The Foodscape’s version of Chocolate Paradise 😀
The Foodscape 