TWD - Caramel Peanut Topped Brownie Cake

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe was chosen by Tammy of Wee Treats by Tammy. This is the kind of cake that begs to be made and shared. This was my first week as a TWD baker and I was so excited to make this recipe!

The cake itself is easy to put together. The recipe suggests using a whisk to mix it, which was a refreshing change from using the KitchenAid. It came together quickly and easily, though mine was less glossy than the recipe indicated. I didn't have an 8" springform pan, so I used a 9", mentally urging myself not to forget to check it early for doneness (I forgot). When I did check it (after 40 minutes), it was already done/over done. I wasn't too worried because I was planning on pouring an obscene amount of caramel with peanuts over the top (over the top, indeed!)

























I have made caramel many times, usually by melting sugar in a pan, then adding an equal amount of cream once the melted sugar has achieved the right color (recipe courtesy of Jim Dodge from his American Baker cookbook). This was a fussier caramel and I wasn't as wild about the flavor and consistency. It had a lot more sugar than cream, so it was very chewy (and challenging to clean up spills), but it was still DELICIOUS!

The finished cake was beautiful. Even though it was dry, it was still tasty. I will definitely make this one again, but I may experiment with the caramel and the nuts (I'm thinking about a version with macadamias). If you're interested in the recipe, I would encourage you to buy the book--it's outstanding. Or you can check it out at Tammy's blog here.