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–+ servings

Heart Shaped Frosted Brownie Cake

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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: frosted brownies, heart shaped brownie, valentine's brownies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Assembly time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 20 slices

Equipment

Ingredients

For the brownies

  • 1 cup butter (melted)
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ⅔ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (melted)
  • ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (dutch processed recommended)
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

For the chocolate frosting

  • 1½ cups butter (softened)
  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (dutch processed recommended)
  • 3-4 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream (milk is OK too)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

To make the brownies

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use the convection bake setting if you have it.
  • Grease and line one 9-inch round cake pan and one 9x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper (if you don't have parchment paper, just grease well). Set the pans aside.
  • With a hand or stand mixer, mix the melted butter and sugar for 1-2 minutes on medium speed.
  • Add the eggs, vanilla extract, melted chocolate and salt. Mix until combined.
  • Add the cocoa powder and mix (carefully) until well combined and scrape down the bowl.
  • Lastly, add the flour and mix until well-combined.
  • Split the batter evenly among the two prepared cake pans. Use a kitchen scale to measure more accurately, if desired.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the pan comes with just a few crumbs. I prefer to remove the brownies before the toothpick comes out completely clean so that you maintain that fudgy texture!
  • Once fully baked, remove the brownies from the oven and allow them to cool to room temperature before removing them from the pans and assembling the heart brownie. Put them in the freezer to cool more quickly, if desired.

To make the chocolate frosting

  • Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until fluffy.
  • Add the cocoa powder, heavy cream, vanilla and salt. Mix until combined.
  • Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition, until you have reached your desired frosting consistency (usually 3-4 cups total). Scrape down the bowl well with a large silicone spatula.

To assemble the heart brownie cake

  • Remove the cooled brownies from the pans and place the square brownie diagonally on a cutting board or large serving plate.
  • Cut the round brownie in half and place the halves on the top edges of the square brownie (pictured above).
  • Trim the edge of the half-circle so that the brownie edges align with the square brownie, forming a heart shape.
  • Spread the frosting evenly throughout the brownie heart, or put the frosting in a piping bag with a star tip and pipe rosettes throughout the brownie (as pictured above).
  • Add sprinkles, if desired.