Kitchen Sink Brownie Cake

Brownies.  Squares of chocolately squidgy heaven.  I haven't made them in ages seeing as I was a tad preoccupied with the day job and only got my baking mojo back last week.  There's a birthday in work tomorrow and I decided that the birthday girl was going to get a giant brownie.  But why stop at a brownie, why not make a cake out of it, and throw everything into it as well...

I started off with some really nice 74% dark chocolate in my standard brownie recipe, added a grownup touch by channelling my inner Ina Garten and adding a shot of really strong espresso.  And a bag of chocolate chips.  And half a bag of marshmallows.  Oh, and I liberally adorned the top of it with salted caramel. Chocolate, sugar, more chocolate and salted caramel... Happy Birthday Adrienne!

Kitchen Sink Brownie Cake

300g Butter
300g Dark Chocolate, in small pieces
1 shot Espresso
5 large Eggs
450g Caster Sugar
1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
200g Plain Flour
1tsp Salt
100g Milk Chocolate Chips
75g Mini Marshmallows
3 tbsp Salted Caramel

Preheat your oven to 180c/Gas Mark 4.  Line the base and sides of a 10-inch springform tin with baking parchment.

Melt the chocolate & butter together - either using a bain marie or in a microwave (I find about 5 minutes on 30% power melts it perfectly). Stir well, add the espresso & allow to cool.

Beat the eggs, sugar & vanilla together until thick & the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Now beat in the cooled chocolate, butter & espresso mixture.  Finally, fold in the flour, salt, chocolate chips & marshmallows and pour the brownie mixture into a lined tin. 

Drizzle the salted caramel over the top and bake for an hour until a skewer comes out almost clean. Cool in the tin for 15 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Cut into slices and eat.  Quickly, before somebody steals your slice!