This little break has actually broken off my mojo. When I thought I wouldn’t be able to rustle up much posts during last month because of Ramadan, I ended up posting almost every alternate day. I was really looking forward to continuing it, since I have overflown my drafts and have a lot to post onto the blog. But at the same time, I don’t want to pressurize myself just because there are too many drafts staring into my face… Having said that, somehow the current times and incidents are constantly pointing towards one side…
I always wonder what the current situation has taught us. With Covid wrecking havoc in many ways in many lives – people losing jobs, taking salary cuts, businesses shutting down irrespective of how long they have been in the market, life to a standstill, paranoia setting into our minds in every way – mental health is becoming more and more important by the day. Think about it – our life for the whole year was already spread out, what all plans we had, where all we wanted to travel, many were looking forward to job changes, many were looking at settling their issues – and then all of a sudden, everything just topples. The worst part is that the damage done in some cases are so deep that it would take much more time to get back to what was a minimum level we were looking at. So where do we stand? I am someone who gets very paranoid and upset when things don’t move as per the way I like to, but after the initial problems, I slowly sink into more thoughts of “what if it would have been worse”. With 2020 not looking good at all, it becomes so imperative to keep telling ourselves that things will be well if it is all written by the Almighty for you. I guess there is nothing much more than that… But apart from trying to keep faith high, do what it takes – talk to your friends, go for a drive or a walk, have a cup of coffee and maybe a huge slice of cake or sandwich, bake or cook something special, watch a movie that you have been wanting to for long, go for a long sleep, get a couple of plants or maybe a pet… Such little things are a good start to pep up your feelings….
I guess there is nothing much that a delicious plain tea cake can’t solve sometimes. 😉 This cake is when you don’t want to decide between having a brownie or a butter cake. It is the best of both worlds. When I had started blogging, this cake had become a craze in between. I don’t see anybody baking this anymore, or maybe it was just a fad at that time. But I must say, it isn’t a cake that needs to be a fad. It needs to be something that a family can make it repeatedly and enjoy it over a cup of coffee and conversation during the evenings, or along with a cup of chai on a weekend morning. I first baked it last year as an edible gift while going to see a fellow food blogger for the first time. I clicked these pictures, took off the sides which we enjoyed and carried the whole cake for her. As soon as I reached home, I was welcomed by a Whassap message from her, “It had been ages since I had eaten a homemade cake. Thank you so much. It was amazing and it has already finished”. Nothing warms your heart than such messages, isn’t it?
I then baked it again for the girls and us to eat a little later. Nothing much remained. It was literally a sniff! Hehe… Both the layers nicely marry into each other and makes it a really soul tucking bake. Even though it is a little bit of work of first doing the brownie layer, baking it for sometime while you make the butter cake batter and then waiting for the whole thing to get done, the end result is something that you will always love. If you haven’t given this cake a try at all, then please do. I promise you, you won’t regret it…
Brownie Butter Cake
Ingredients
- FOR BROWNIE LAYER:
- 50 gm butter
- 100 gm chocolate
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup lfour
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- FOR CAKE LAYER:
- 100 gm butter softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs room temprerature
- 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease and line a loaf pan.
- Melt the butter and chocolate for the brownie layer. Allow to cool slightly.
- Whisk in the eggs and sugar till melted and well combined.
- Fold in the rest of the ingredients and pour into the prepared tin. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, beat butter and sugar till fluffy. Add one egg at a time and beat till incorporated.
- Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt into the beaten mixture.
- Add the milk and vanilla, and beat till just combined. Do not overbeat.
- Take out the brownie and spread the butter cake mixture on top.
- Bake for 25 to 40 minutes, till a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in pan for five minutes and then cool completely on a rack. Slice and enjoy!
Wow, love the colour contrast.
Thanks dear Nammi!
The Brownie Butter Cake recipe shared on this website looks absolutely delicious! The combination of two classic desserts, brownies and butter cake, is a brilliant idea. The step-by-step instructions provided in the article are clear and easy to follow, making it accessible even for novice bakers.