Espresso Brownie Cake

Espresso Brownie Cake

SERVES 8 or 9
TIME About 45 minutes, plus about 1 1?2 hours to cool and chill
NOTES If you don’t have a pan with a removable rim, bake the brownies in a regular 8- or 9-in. square or round baking pan and use a spatula to remove servings.


Ingredients

3/4 cup (3/8 lb.) butter, cut into chunks
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup instant espresso powder or instant coffee
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
2 to 3 tbsp. coffee-flavored liqueur, such as Kahlúa
1?3 cup semisweet chocolate chips (about 1 1/4 oz.)


Directions

1. In a 2- to 3-qt. pan, combine 1/2 cup butter and the unsweetened chocolate. Stir often over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and beat in granulated sugar, 3 tbsp. espresso powder, the eggs, and vanilla until well blended. Stir in flour just until incorporated.

2. Pour batter into a lightly buttered 8- or 9-in. cake pan with removable rim (see notes). Bake in a 350° regular or convection oven until center springs back when gently pressed, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a rack, about 1 hour.

3. In a bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup butter and 1 tbsp. espresso powder with the powdered sugar and 2 tbsp. liqueur. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat mixture until smooth and fluffy, adding up to 1 more tbsp. liqueur if necessary to make a smooth, spreadable mixture. Spread evenly over the top of the cool brownie cake.

4. Place chocolate chips in a 1-qt. unpleated zip-lock plastic bag. Heat in a microwave oven at full power (100%) at 15-second intervals, squeezing chocolate between intervals, until melted and smooth, about 1 1/4 minutes total. Squeeze chocolate to one corner of the bag, then cut off about 1/4 in. of that corner. Pipe chocolate decoratively over buttercream. Chill until chocolate is firm, at least 30 minutes.

5. Just before serving, remove pan rim. Cut brownie cake into wedges and set on plates.

PER SERVING 398 cal., 54% (216 cal.) from fat; 3.6 g protein; 24 g fat (14 g sat.); 46 g carbo(1.9 g fiber); 179 mg sodium; 90 mg chol.

Serve With Goose Ridge "g3" Red Blend 2007 (Columbia Valley)