Chocolate Fudge Brownie Cake

I'm pretty certain I've found my go-to brownie recipe.  I know only a while ago I was saying how I had yet to find that elusive perfect brownie recipe, and all the while the recipe was sat on my desk waiting for me to use it.  I had printed it out months ago and put it in my recipe book amongst all the other print outs that are waiting for me to stick in or throw out.  A friend had mentioned how great this recipe was and I made a mental note to hurry up and bake them, but I guess that mental note got lost, along with the things that I needed for the shop... 

Anywho a couple of weeks ago I realised I still had not made them so I went ahead and did it, and oh my, they are amazing.  A lovely crusty top, perfectly gooey in the middle and a deliciously chewy bottom.  Everything I ever wanted in a brownie.

The recipe itself comes straight from the BBC, only I added some left over clotted cream fudge that I had lying around.

Chocolate Fudge Brownie Cake - from the BBC

100g margarine

175g caster sugar
75g brown or muscovado sugar
125g chocolate (plain or milk)
1 tbsp golden syrup
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
2 tbsp cocoa powder
100g fudge - optional


1. Heat oven to 180c, grease and line a 20cm cake tin.
2. Gently melt the butter, sugars, chocolate and golden syrup in a pan until smooth.  Remove from the heat.
3. Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk until light and frothy.
4. Add the eggs and the remaining ingredients into the chocolate mix and stir well.
5. Pour the mixture into the tin and cook for about 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Cheesecake Brownies

Sorry for not posting this sooner, I had planned to share this recipe at the start of the week but I’ve been quite unwell this past week.

I’ve only ever made cheesecake about 3 times in my life, despite having eaten a hell of a lot of it! The first time I made it, it tasted amazing but collapsed the second it came out of the tin. The second seemed to have great potential but just didn’t live up to it. And the third was incredible. Quite honestly one of the tastiest cheesecakes I’ve ever eaten, and I’m not just saying that because I made it! My family loved it, my Mum and I were quite disappointed when it came to an end! And the best bit about it? It’s so very simple. I’ve read recipes for cheesecakes that have had hundreds of steps, you have to do this followed by that and then a bit more of this, they can be never-ending.

I’m definitely going to be making these again, when they are so quick and easy it would be a shame not to. Though I might have to make double the recipe as an attempt to make it last longer!

Cheesecake Brownies - from The Complete Book of Cupcakes, Cheesecake and Cookies

For the brownie base:
125g butter, chopped
150g dark eating chocolate, roughly chopped
1 egg
150g caster sugar
110g plain flour
35g self raising flour

For the cheesecake topping:
250g cream cheese, softened
1tsp vanilla extract
75g caster sugar
1 egg
125ml cream

1. Preheat the oven to 180c.
2. Grease a deep 19cm square cake tin and line with baking paper.
3. Combine the butter and chocolate in a small pan, stir over a low heat until smooth. Allow to cool.
4. Beat the egg and sugar in a small bowl with electric mixer until thick and creamy.
5. Stir in chocolate mixture and sifted flours.
6. Spread mixture into pan and bake for 10 minutes.
Whilst that is cooking you can the cheesecake topping:
7. Beat the cheese, vanilla extract, sugar and egg in a small bowl until smooth. Then beat in the cream.
8. Pour the topping mix over the brownie base and return to the oven for about 15 minutes.
9. Leave in the oven to cool, with door ajar.

10. Once cool refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

They suggest serving with fresh raspberries but I didn't have any, so I served with fresh strawberries and grated dark chocolate.