For Halloween we decided to make a cake out of pure junk. While the cake layers are actual brownies, the middle is Halloween candy bars. We used Reese’s Peanutbutter Cups and Mounds Bars. The icing is mostly Marshmallow Fluff. We also used some chocolate frosting in the bottom filling, which you could make or buy. We made our brownies from scratch, since the recipe is as fast as making boxed brownies but you can make them either way or bust buy them. The recipes are at the bottom of the article. TO spread Marshmallow Fluff, it needs to be a bit warm, so warm it in a pan of hot water, or under a warming lamp, or briefly in a microwave.

You  will need 3 layers of brownies to make this cake. Two of ours were normal chocolate brownies and one was a butterscotch brownie recipe, both with added chocolate chips.

• 3 brownie recipes baked in round pans
• 10 Reese’s peanut butter cups
• 1 cup chocolate frosting
• ½ cup peanuts
• Marshmallow fluff
• 13-14 small Mounds bars
• 10 candy kisses
• ½ cup chocolate ganache (optional)

1. Spread the bottom brownie layer with chocolate frosting.
2. Arrange about 10 Reese’s cups on the top, cutting a few in half so they will nest more closely.

3. Add about ½ cup of peanuts between the Reese’s cups.
4. Spread the bottom of a second brownie layer with Marshmallow Fluff and set it on top of the Reese’s cup layer.

5. Spread the top of that brownie layer with more fluff.
6. Arrange 13 or 14 Mounds bars on top.

7. Spread the bottom of a third layer with more fluff and place on top of the Mounds.
8. Spread more fluff on top and arrange about 10 Hershey’s kisses around the edge.

9. Pour a little warmed chocolate ganache on top (shown at top of article).
10. Chill the cake until ready to serve. Do no freeze as it will toughen the brownies.

Serve very small slices as this is ridiculously rich. It was, however, well received at a rehearsal break by a tribe of hungry actors.

 

Chocolate brownies

• ¼ cup butter
• 2 oz unsweetened chocolate
• 2 eggs
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup chocolate chips
• ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 325° F. Melt the butter in microwave for 1 minute at 50% power, and the chocolate for 1.25 minutes at high power, or in a double boiler. Mix together in a bowl and stir in the sugar and eggs, and mix. Add the flour and salt and mix. Stir in the chocolate chips and optional nuts. Pour into a greased, round cake pan, lined with baking parchment. Bake 30-35 minutes until the top is dry to the touch. Remove from the pan when cooled and cover until you a ready to use it.

Butterscotch brownies

• ¼ cup melted butter (in the microwave at 50% power)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• ¾ cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp vanilla
• ½ cup chocolate chips
• ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 ° F. Mix the butter, sugar and egg with a wire whisk in a bowl until fluffy. Add the salt, baking powder and vanilla and mix until smooth. Fold in the chocolate chips and nuts. Pour the batter into a greased round cake pan, lined with baking parchment. Bake for about 25 minutes. Unmold when cool.

Chocolate frosting

• ½ stick butter (2 oz)
• ½ lb confectioner’s sugar
• 2 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
• 3-5 Tb milk

Add the butter and sugar to a food processor and process until mixed. Add the milk a Tb at a time until you have a smooth, spreadable icing. Pour in the melted chocolate and process until smooth.

Chocolate ganache

• 1 cup heavy cream
• ¼ lb semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 Tb honey

Bring the cream snf honry to a boil and pour over the chocolate chips in a bowl. Let stand 5 minutes. Whisk until uniform. Let stand until ganache stiffens. If you are not using it soon, refrigerate. You can rewarm it under a warming lamp or very briefly in the microwave.

 

 

 

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