Caramel Peanut Topped Brownie Cake

I don't remember where I first got the recommendation for Dorie Greenspan's cookbook "Baking, From My Home to Yours" , but I am indebted to whomever it was.   I picked it up from the library to see if it was any good and I have been enjoying it ever since.  I normally try to avoid cookbooks where the basis is desserts.  Because really, I don't need any more sweets.  But I just couldn't resist with this one.  Her recipes are so delicious that when my brother found out I started this blog he immediately requested that I post "the chocolate cake with caramel frosting with peanuts."  I had made it for him about a year ago, but it is a cake worth remembering.

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One thing I love about Dorie is her introduction which says "Until I was a junior in college, my sole cooking experience consisted of burning down my parents' kitchen when I was thirteen... I didn't bake so much as a chocolate chip cookie."  I love that she made it to adulthood without knowing anything about cooking but then ended up an amazing cook.  It helps me to remember that even though I'm an adult I can still learn something new and even become fabulous at it.

Caramel Peanut Topped Brownie Cake
Adapted from a recipe by Dori Greenspan

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Ingredients:

Cake:
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter cut into 8 pieces
5 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (or chocolate chips)
3 large eggs
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup salted peanuts

Start by buttering and flouring a 8 inch round spring form pan.  Line the pan with a piece of parchment paper (trace the pan on a piece of parchment for sizing).  Preheat oven to 350.

In a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Set a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water (or use a double broiler).  Melt the butter and chocolate in the bowl stirring occasionally.

In a large bowl whisk together the sugar and the eggs then whisk in the corn syrup and vanilla.  Mix in the melted butter chocolate mixture.  Whisk in the flour mixture only until it is just incorporated.  Pour the batter in the pan and bake for 40 minutes until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let cool for 15 minutes before removing the sides of the pan.  Cool the cake to room temperature, invert it and remove the parchment paper.  Place cake on serving platter.

To make the topping place the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium high heat.  Heat without stirring until the caramel turns a deep amber color about 8 minutes.  Lower the heat and add the butter and cream.  Stand back, it will bubble up and spatter.  Wait a moment for the spattering to lessen then stir.  Add the peanuts.  Spoon the caramel covered peanuts over the cake and then spoon enough caramel to cover the peanuts over the cake.  You will probably have caramel left over but as Dorie says it's too hard to work with smaller ingredient amounts.