Chocolate Enrobed Heart Brownie Cake
JUMP TO RECIPE
Romantic dessert for TWO!
Melt your loved one’s heart with this decadent, easy-to-make brownie cake!
I don’t know about you, but if there is one thing I expect to have in a romantic dessert…….. it’s CHOCOLATE! Just the smell of chocolate is intoxicating, the smooth texture delights my tongue and the entire experience is stimulating. Add your love for each other and the night gets electrified, if you know what I mean.😍
You will not believe how easy this is to make and how few ingredients you need to impress your sweetheart.
Let’s begin:
First start with a store bought brownie mix….or if you want to whip up your own, that’s fine also. I used Betty Crocker’s Dark Chocolate brownie mix. Bake as directed in a 9x13 pan (you want thinner brownies to be able to stack and fill and easier to cut out with shaped cutter.)
You will need:
Brownie mix (and ingredients needed to prepare according to their instructions)
1/3 cup strawberry jam (plus extra for filling)
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup room temp butter(I use plant based)
1 cup bittersweet choc chips
Heart shaped cookie cutter
Optional add-ons: Gold or Valentine sprinkles and a few fresh strawberries to dip in the leftover melted chocolate!
After your brownies are baked, let them cool completely, then get out your heart shaped cutter and choose the most even spots to cut out at least two large hearts.
Carefully trim out around the cutter with a knife so that you can easily remove the shape without damaging it.
I cut out a few small hearts also, just to cover those in chocolate…because, why not??
You can do this next step while your brownies are cooling, just to save time if you would like:
Add your room temperature butter and 1/3 cup jam to a mixing bowl and cream at medium speed until well incorporated, about 2 minutes.
Add your powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until desired consistency in reached. You can always add a little milk or a dab more jam to thin it out if icing too thick. Also, you can add a drop of red coloring if you want a deeper shade of pink.
(Set aside icing until needed, but keep covered so it will not dry out.)
Next, lay out your brownie halves on wax paper and fill an icing bag (or a plastic sandwich bag that has corner snipped) and pipe two large outlines around outside edge of bottom heart half, then carefully spoon the very middle with some of the strawberry jam as shown:
Pipe the icing outlines first,
Then carefully spoon the strawberry jam inside…don’t worry, it doesn’t have to look too fancy….it’s gonna get covered up the other brownie cutout.
Next, stack the other heart cutout on top of the filled brownie.
Transfer your stacked brownie cake to a wire rack with wax paper underneath (...or else you will have a major mess to clean up afterwards!)
Melt you chocolate in a microwave safe shallow bowl according to package directions, or I like to start on high for 40 seconds, then do 15-20 seconds intervals, stirring briskly after each heat time, until melted to a pouring consistency. (You may also use a double boiler or fondue pot if you have one.)
Carefully pour, or spoon melted chocolate over top of brownie cake until covered. I like a thin coverage of chocolate.
Don’t forget the wax paper underneath for easy clean up!
Now, if desired, dip some fresh strawberries or little brownies into the chocolate and immediately use your sprinkles, so they will stick. I used the leftover brownie scraps to make heart shaped cake pops with a silicone mold I had and cut the crispy edges into brownies fries for my husband to snack on after lunch.
I made some brownie cake pops with the leftover brownie!
Just push the brownie scraps tight into the silicone mold and pop in the fridge for about 10 minutes and insert the stick, then dip in melted chocolate and add sprinkles!
Or if you mess up on the heart or run out of time, just make a brownie parfait in an elegant wine glass with all of the ingredients and maybe add some whipped cream on top too!
Anything served in a wine glass is romantic!!
Anyway…back to the heart brownie cake:
After decorating, let dry and store in an airtight container until the special time your honey comes over. Serve on an elegant, microwave safe plate. Promptly before serving, warm in the microwave for 15-20 seconds, just enough to soften the chocolate and be ooey goey on the inside. It is really similar to eating a lava cake if done correctly.
Enjoy!
💜Julie
Chocolate Heart Brownie Cake for Two
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prepare brownie mix as directed, bake in a 9x13 pan and let cool completely.
- Make the strawberry icing next, by using a mixer to cream together the softened butter and jam in a medium bowl, about 2 minutes.
- Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time till you reach desired consistency. If too dry, add a little milk or a dab more of strawberry jam.
- After brownies are cooled, use the heart shaped cutter to carefully cut out two brownie heart shapes. (see above photo for reference) Transfer to wax paper.
- Use icing in a bag to pipe two wide outlines around outside edges of one brownie and then carefully spoon some strawberry jam in the center, then put the other brownie heart shape on top
- Transfer the stacked brownie cake to a wire rack with wax paper underneath (for easy cleanup.)
- Melt your chocolate as directed on the package, using the microwave, or a double boiler until a pourable, thin consistency. Spoon or carefully pour melted chocolate over the stacked brownie cake until covered (or maybe you want just a "poured over-the-top" look, dripping off the edges slightly)
- While chocolate is still wet, decorate your brownie cake with sprinkles. If desired, melt some white chocolate and drizzle over the top.
- Before serving, microwave the brownie cake for 15-20 seconds to softened chocolate and give the inside a lava-cake experience!
Notes
If you want the icing to be a bolder shade of pink, add a drop or two of red food coloring.
If your chocolate blooms, or lightens before serving, it should darken after heating in the microwave, however, you can also lightly spray with some cooking spray (butter flavored preferred) before heating in microwave and it will give a nice, glossy sheen.
