Invite your girlfriends over because it’s time to indulge in the ultimate breakup cake and move on! You can easily bake the brownies and make the cookie dough, Italian meringue buttercream and caramel a day ahead. Then simply assemble the cake before your guests arrive.
The ultimate breakup cake
BROWNIES
Ingredients:
11 oz 72-per-cent dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup butter
1 1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
5 tbsp pure unsweetened cocoa powder
Method:
1) Place the chocolate and butter into a stainless steel bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water, stir occasionally until melted.
2) Turn off the heat, and add the sugars and salt to the chocolate mixture. Whisk until incorporated.
3) Remove the bowl from the heat and add the eggs, egg yolks and vanilla. Whisk until incorporated.
4) Fold in the flour and cocoa powder. Stir just until the dry ingredients disappear.
5) Pour the batter into two parchment lined 8-inch round pans. Bake the brownies at 350 F for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway at the 15 minute mark.
6) Cool completely, then chill for at least 30 minutes before removing from pan.
ITALIAN MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM
Makes approximately 6 cups
Tools: candy thermometer
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
8 large egg whites
1 lb unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Method:
1) In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil.
2) While your sugar mixture is heating, place egg whites in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. When your sugar reaches about 230 C on the candy thermometer, begin to whip egg whites at medium-high speed until stiff but not dry. Do not over-beat!
3) Once your sugar reaches 240 C, remove it from heat immediately. With the mixer running, add it to your egg whites in a stream and beat on high speed. Be careful — it’s very hot!
4) Continue to whip your meringue until no heat remains in the bowl. You can place your hands along the sides of the bowl to check. It should feel as if it’s at room temperature.
5) Now, with the mixer still running, add your butter bit by bit, beating until spreadable, 3 to 5 minutes. Then, beat in vanilla. If your buttercream appears curdled, keep beating until smooth.
Your buttercream will keep for up to a week in the fridge and about a month in the freezer. I pre-make 3-4 batches of this recipe and freeze them all the time! Before using your buttercream to fill or ice a cake, make sure it is at room temperature.
EGGLESS COOKIE DOUGH
Ingredients:
1 cup salted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp whipping cream
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Method:
1) In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, both sugars and vanilla at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes.
2) Scrape down sides of bowl, using a rubber spatula. Add the whipping cream and beat until combined.
3) With your mixer on the lowest speed, add the flour and mix until incorporated.
4) Pour in the chocolate chips.
5) Chill your dough for 1 hour and portion into 1-ounce balls, about the size of a large gumball.
CARAMEL
Ingredients:
1 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp water
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold
Method:
1) Place the sugar into a heavy pot and pour the water on top. Place your pot on medium high heat and cover with a lid.
2) In the meantime, place the cold butter into a heatproof bowl and rest a sieve on top. Heat your whipping cream in the microwave for about one minute, or until bubbling. You don’t want it to boil over. Keep your butter and cream close by.
3) Once you hear your sugar mixture beginning to boil, remove your pot lid. If your sugar is crystallizing along the sides of the pot, wash it down with water and a pastry brush.
4) Continue to watch your sugar until it begins to amber. This usually happens in one area. Stir the amber sugar around gently, to ensure that all your sugar caramelizes evenly. This is where your senses come in! When all of your sugar becomes a lovely amber colour and you can smell caramel and see tiny bubbles on top, it’s show time!
5) Put on your oven mitts and remove your pot from the heat. Working quickly, and safely, pour the hot whipping cream into your caramel slowly. Stir the cream in with your wooden spoon. It will bubble wildly. Then pour your caramel through the sieve onto the cold butter. This will cool the caramel down and stop the cooking process while melting the butter.
6) Let the butter melt into your caramel on its own for about 5 minutes. Then gently stir the mixture until it comes together. I know how heavenly your caramel smells right now, but don’t dip your finger in yet. Be careful not to burn yourself! Set your caramel aside to cool completely and thicken.
ASSEMBLING YOUR ULTIMATE BREAKUP CAKE
Tools: small offset spatula, wooden spoon piping bag and #805 round piping tip
1) Lay one brownie layer onto your plate or cake stand.
2) Spread a nice layer of buttercream on top of your brownie, about 1/4-inch thick.
3) Place a ring of cookie dough balls around the outside top edge of the brownie. It helps to lay them in a clock formation using 12 balls. Then fill in the middle of that circle with some more cookie dough.
4) Drizzle on some caramel, and top with your second brownie.
5) Fill your piping bag, fitted with your piping tip with some buttercream. Pipe 8 mounds of buttercream in a clock formation on top of the brownie layer. Place a ball of cookie dough onto each mound.
6) Pour some caramel on top of your brownie in the middle of your ring of cookie dough. Let the caramel drip down the sides between each buttercream mound.
Enjoy with your friends!
Courtesy Yolanda Gampp
How To Cake It