Skillet Brownie With Chocolate Ganache Frosting

Skillet Brownie With Chocolate Ganache Frosting
John Kernick for The New York Times. Food stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
About 50 minutes
Rating
5(994)
Comments
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This skillet brownie has it all: It’s chewy at the edges, and gooey in the center. (For maximum gooeyness, err on the side of underbaking slightly.) Topped with more chocolate and a sprinkling of flaky sea salt, this easy recipe is a chocolate lover’s dream.

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Ingredients

Yield:10 to 12 servings

    For the Brownie

    • 6ounces/170 grams finely chopped bittersweet chocolate
    • 4tablespoons/55 grams unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for the pan
    • ½cup/120 milliliters neutral oil, such as vegetable or coconut
    • 1cup/220 grams light brown sugar
    • ½cup/100 grams granulated sugar
    • 1⅓cup/170 grams all-purpose flour
    • ½teaspoon baking powder
    • ½teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 3large eggs
    • teaspoons vanilla extract

    For the Ganache

    • 6ounces/170 grams finely chopped bittersweet chocolate
    • ¾cup/180 milliliters heavy cream
    • Flaky sea salt, as needed
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

396 calories; 19 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 56 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 42 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 246 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 10-inch oven-safe skillet. Fill a medium pot with about 1½ inches of water, and bring to a simmer. Place a medium bowl over the pot and add the chocolate, butter and oil. Heat, stirring frequently, until the chocolate and butter are melted. (Alternatively, place the chocolate, butter and oil in microwave-safe bowl, and microwave for 30 seconds, then stir. Continue to microwave in 15-second bursts, stirring after each, until the butter and chocolate are melted.) Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the light brown sugar and granulated sugar. (The mixture will be grainy.)

  2. Step 2

    In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. To the chocolate mixture, add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Whisk in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared skillet and spread into an even layer using a spatula.

  3. Step 3

    Bake the brownie until the surface appears set: A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with a few moist crumbs attached, 30 to 33 minutes. Let cool completely.

  4. Step 4

    While the brownie cools, make the ganache: Place the chocolate in a medium, heat-safe bowl. Bring the cream to a simmer in a small pot over medium heat. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it stand undisturbed for 15 seconds. Stir the ganache until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Let cool slightly.

  5. Step 5

    Once the brownie is cool, spread the ganache onto the brownie in an even layer. (It will have thickened slightly. If it’s not thick enough, you can refrigerate it for 10 minutes or so; if it thickens too much, you can microwave it in 10-second bursts in a microwave-safe bowl until it’s spreadable again.) Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

Ratings

5 out of 5
994 user ratings
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Comments

just a question: why the skillet instead of a baking pan? does this change the flavor, the ...something?

Line a 10-inch cast iron skillet with an over-sized round of parchment paper. This will really help getting the brownie out of the pan and as a bonus, add a kind of neat fluted edge to the finished product.

Skillet baking is a thing right now on all the cooking sites; the cast iron evidently encourages the most brownie-like texture - crusty edges, gooey centers, etc. I say "evidently" because I too have a cast iron skillet that would be unfortunate in a dessert context (instead of a "wonderful" patina, mine has charred crust of an undetermined nature). Here's Stella Parks on why cast iron: https://www.seriouseats.com/2018/01/how-to-make-chocolate-chip-skillet-c...

I cut the sugar down a bit because I prefer the intensity of chocolate and it turned out great. About 200g of dark brown sugar and 50g of sugar. Can probably do less and increase chocolate intensity with chips or… marshmallow :)

Great recipe that’s flexible. Didn’t need to heat over water though so one less dish.

Excellent and very easy. Cut the sugars significantly (about 185 grams of brown sugar). I also used the parchment paper in a cast-iron pan and the cake came right out of the pan so I could serve it on a cake plate. Baked cake for 25 minutes and let sit a couple of hours before frosting. The ganache is perfect as written. Might add chopped walnuts to cake next time. This cake is rich. Could serve a large crowd (maybe 24)if cut into small wedges.

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