Chocolate Brownie Sheet Cake with Chocolate Hazelnut German Buttercream

Rich Chocolate Brownie sheet cake is accomplished with a chocolate hazelnut German buttercream. German buttercream is pastry cream based totally, and is the right accompaniment to the rich, fudgy brownie cake.

Whats up whats up! Once more with one different Valentines-ish recipe – a chocolate brownie sheet cake with chocolate hazelnut buttercream. I latterly made this for a superb buddy’s social gathering – I usually take truffles to occasions, and sheet truffles are literally my go-to attributable to how simple they’re to maneuver and serve. There’s no worrying just a few stacked cake falling over or getting damaged, and squares of cake with frosting on prime are lots less complicated to serve than a full layer cake. Every have their place, nonetheless for ease of transport and so forth, sheet truffles are the the proper!

I riffed on an older recipe of mine and turned this brownie layer cake proper right into a sheet cake. The brownie is barely further cakey than an ordinary fudgy brownie, on account of I wished it to have considerably building, nonetheless nonetheless retained that rich chocolate type that every one of us love from a brownie, with a moist texture due to the butter and oil throughout the recipe.

The brownie bakes up good and flat, which makes it glorious sheet cake supplies. I accomplished it off with actually considered one of my all time favourite points – German buttercream, to which I added a healthful dose of chocolate hazelnut unfold to to reap the benefits of silky luscious buttercream that paired so successfully with the dense brownie cake. The chocolate hazelnut unfold added basically probably the most great depth of flavour – Deb from Smitten Kitchen as quickly as described German buttercream as “room temperature ice cream” and I can’t agree further. Make it. It’s merely the proper ever.

My good buddy who had the birthday is a giant Buddies fan, so I added some lobster themed sprinkles, which have been the right resolution to finish off a cake. The sprinkles are actually Valentine’s themed, nonetheless seeing as her birthday is late Jan, we killed two birds with one stone. This cake was eaten off napkins in a Lower East aspect oyster bar, and it went down an absolute cope with.

Numerous wee strategies:

• This makes a BIG cake. Chances are you’ll make a half batch and bake it in a 9” sq. pan.
• I don’t have any decrease pictures of this sorry as a result of it was a birthday cake for a superb buddy – so I examined all of the items a variety of days sooner than after which re made and shot the cake on the day of the get collectively!
• The brownie cake should be utterly cool whilst you frost it, so simply keep in mind to present it enough time to relax sooner than you add the icing.
• The pastry cream for the German buttercream moreover desires time to relax sooner than you incorporate the butter – I want to make it ahead if I can and easily pop it proper right into a container, nonetheless if you happen to’re really in a pinch you then probably can unfold it onto 1 / 4 sheet pan and place plastic wrap immediately on the ground of the pastry cream (don’t skip this step otherwise you’ll get a pores and pores and skin in your custard and it’s not cute), after which cool it throughout the fridge throughout the sheet pan – the larger ground area will indicate that it cools shortly. Alternatively you probably can place it proper right into a metal bowl and make your self an ice tub situation, stirring usually to help distribute the pastry cream to help it cool evenly.

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Chocolate Brownie Sheet Cake with Chocolate Hazelnut German Buttercream

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• Author: Erin Clarkson

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  Prep Time: 45 minutes

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  Prepare dinner dinner Time: 45 minutes

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  Full Time: 1 hour half-hour plus chilling time

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  Yield: Serves 18–24 1x

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Description

Rich Chocolate Brownie sheet cake is accomplished with a chocolate hazelnut German buttercream. German buttercream is pastry cream based totally, and is the right accompaniment to the rich, fudgy brownie cake.

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Chocolate Brownie Sheet Cake

• 190g unsalted butter, chilly from the fridge, decrease into chunks
• 375g darkish chocolate (I used 72%), chopped
• 300g granulated sugar
• 200g darkish brown sugar
• 7 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• 210g neutral oil
• 150g all-purpose flour
• 150g dutch course of cocoa
• 1 ⅛ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt

Chocolate Hazelnut German Buttercream

• 110g granulated sugar
• 12g corn starch
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 190g full milk
• 340g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 320g chocolate hazelnut unfold (I used Pan di Stelle)
• Sprinkles to finish (elective)

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Instructions

CHOCOLATE BROWNIE SHEET CAKE

1. Preheat the oven to 350° / 180°. Grease and line a 9”x13” baking pan with parchment paper.
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the butter and chocolate, stirring frequently, until melted and blended. Put apart to relax.
3. In a small bowl, whisk collectively the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
4. In a giant bowl, whisk collectively the sugar, darkish brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, and oil. Add the cooled chocolate mixture, and mix to combine. Add the dry parts, and gently fold to combine.
5. Swap the batter to the prepared baking pan and bang on the counter just a few instances to help it settle.
6. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, checking for doneness after 45 minutes, until a the best of the cake is prepared, and skewer inserted within the midst of the cake comes out with a variety of crumbs related.
7. Allow to relax totally throughout the baking pan.

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT GERMAN BUTTERCREAM

1. In a bowl, whisk collectively the sugar and corn starch, then add the egg, egg yolk and salt, and whisk collectively successfully. In a medium non-stick saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla bean paste to easily shy of a simmer. Take away from the heat.
2. Using one hand to whisk frequently, pour half of the brand new milk mixture into the egg mixture. This helps to temper the eggs and stop them from scrambling. Whisk until built-in, after which pour the entire thing once more into the saucepan.
3. Heat the milk and egg mixture over medium heat, whisking frequently, until it begins to bubble. It will thicken shortly. As quickly because it has thickened, put together dinner for one minute, then take away from the heat. Pour proper right into a shallow dish or bowl of a stand mixer and press some plastic wrap over the ground to avoid a pores and pores and skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilly.
4. In case you might be in a rush, you probably can velocity up this course of by inserting the custard mixture proper right into a bowl, and inserting the bowl into an ice tub, stirring typically.
5. Fit your mixer with the whisk attachment. Whip the custard mixture on medium until creamy and lump-free. Begin together with the butter, a variety of cubes at a time, until completely built-in.
6. Add throughout the chocolate hazelnut unfold, and whip until straightforward, then whip for an additional 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Swap to the paddle attachment and beat on low for 3-4 minutes to help take away any enormous air bubbles.

ASSEMBLY

1. Fastidiously take away the cooled cake from the pan – I do this by turning it onto a wire rack, then using one different wire rack with parchment paper on prime to flip it up the becoming method – alternatively you may additionally put the buttercream on whereas it is nonetheless throughout the pan, which makes it super simple to maneuver.
2. Scrape the buttercream onto the cake, and unfold using an offset spatula – swoop it on as desired. Finish with sprinkles if using.
3. Retailer leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature or the fridge.

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