Colombian Food and International Flavors

Chocolate Fudge Brownies with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

by Erica Dinho on February 13, 2012

Unfortunately, I don’t have the time to join too many cooking events happening around the blogging community, mostly because I’m too busy creating recipes for my blog and taking care of my kids. However, when I saw an event hosted by Heather at Girlichef, the “Joy the Baker Cookbook Spotlight and Cook-Off”, I immediately wanted to be a part of it. Joy the Baker has always been one of my favorite food blogs, inspiring even me to bake.

Joy Wilson is a self taught baker, the woman behind the Joy the Baker blog and now she is the author of a cookbook as well. Her photos, stories and recipes are amazing!

The first recipe that we prepared from her cookbook was “Chocolate Fudge Brownies with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting”. Everyone needs a good brownie recipe and these brownies are rich, deeply delicious and they melt in your mouth. Are you drooling yet?

Here’s Joy Wilson’s recipe for “Chocolate Fudge Brownies with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting”.

Buen provecho!
Makes one 8-inch pan

¾ c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
½ c. packed brown sugar
½ c. granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
½ c. semisweet chocolate chips

Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8-inch square baking dish and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Bring about 2 inches of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. In a medium, heatproof bowl, add butter and unsweetened chocolate. Place the bowl over, but not touching, the simmering water and allow to melt. Stir to incorporate. Once melted, remove the bowl from the simmering pot. Whisk in brown sugar and granulated sugar. Whisk in eggs, yolk, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture all at once to the chocolate mixture. Fold together with a spatula until well incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Bake until a skewer inserted in the center of the brownie comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool completely before frosting.

Frost with a half recipe of The Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (see below) when cooled.
Brownies last, well wrapped, at room temperature for up to five days.

The best chocolate buttercream frosting *(this is the full recipe…note the brownies only call for a ½ recipe)

makes enough to frost one 2-layer 8-inch or 9-inch cake or 24 cupcakes

¾ c. (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ c. unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp. salt
2½-3 c. powdered sugar, sifted
2 Tbs. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
scant ½c. heavy cream
⅓ c. Ovaltine

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter, cocoa powder, and salt. Mixture will be very thick, but cream for about 3 minutes at medium speed.

Turn off the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the powdered sugar. Turn the mixer on low to incorporate 2½ cups powdered sugar while adding the milk and vanilla. As the sugar incorporates, gradually increase the mixer speed to medium-high. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat until smooth.

In a 1-cup measure, stir together cream and Ovaltine. Turn the mixer to medium, and pour the cream in a slow and steady stream until the frosting reaches your desires consistency: smooth, creamy, and spreadable. Add more powdered sugar to adjust consistency. Spread or pip frosting onto cooled cakes or cupcakes (or brownies!).

note: Putting the frosting in the fridge for about 30 minutes makes it harden just a little and makes it easier to spread as a frosting.

Frosting will last well wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.