Dark, rich, black cocoa brownie is topped with a pastry cream based German Buttercream which is made with Bailey's and Dark Chocolate. This is the perfect St. Patrick's day brownie but is also amazing year-round.

Hi! Writing this from a social isolation in my home - things here have gotten a bit scary with this new virus that seems to be taking over, so we are listening to the rules and keeping our distance from things. I think things like this, while scary, are a great reminder to check in on those around you - your neighbors, friends, anyone who might be particularly vulnerable or feeling a bit alone and could do with you standing in their corner. I already work from home so the changes haven’t affected us too much, but I am super aware that there are some who aren’t as fortunate as us and who will be leaning on support in the next coming weeks. Please also consider them when you are preparing any way that you can - whether it be a donation to a food bank, or checking in on some of your friends.

If you need a wee distraction, baking is a great option. I often turn to the kitchen as a little safe space in my home where I can forget about the outside for a while. I made these brownies last week with St Patrick’s day in mind, but they are super easy to make, incredibly delicious and last well in the fridge, so they would work great for any occasion.

This is just a wee riff on a favourite brownie of mine - I added on a dark chocolate Bailey’s German Buttercream. The great thing with German Buttercream is that you can easily sub the milk within the pastry cream recipe for another liquid - in this case Bailey’s. If you want the alcohol to be stronger tasting, only warm it slightly before adding in to the mixture. Lots of it will boil off but some of the flavour will be retained. If you want to boil it off more, bring the Bailey’s to a boil in the pan first, leave it to boil for a minute or two, then proceed as usual. I love the combination of the dark brownie with the chocolate Bailey’s buttercream, but you can leave the chocolate out of the buttercream if you like too.

A few wee tips:

Make sure your brownie is nice and cool before frosting.
The pastry cream for the buttercream needs time to cool, so make sure you account for that.
I used these sprinkles on the top!
Here is an oreo variation!

Made this recipe and love it?

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A note on salt and oven temperature

It is important to note the type of salt that is called for in a recipe. I use Diamond Crystal salt throughout my recipes - if you use a different sort of kosher salt or regular table salt you will need to adjust accordingly as some salt is 'saltier' than others. Morton's salt is twice as salty, so you will need half the quantity. Same goes for a regular table salt. I am working to get gram measurements throughout my recipes for salt but still getting there.

All oven temperatures are conventional unless otherwise stated. If you are baking on fan / convection, you will need to adjust the temperature. An oven thermometer is a great investment to ensure that your oven is the correct temperature.

Using the double / triple function in the recipe card

You will notice that there is a '1X' '2X' '3X' button in my recipe card. This can be used for doubling or tripling a recipe. However, please note that this only doubles the ingredient quantities in the ingredients list and NOT in the method. If there are quantities or pan sizes in the method of the recipe (for example weigh out 150g brown butter), you will need to scale this number manually. It will also not change the baking time in the recipe so you will need to adjust this yourself too. It is always a good idea to read through a recipe fully before doubling it just to check this. If you would like to scale this recipe or convert for another pan size, use my calculator!

Tools and equipment

For a list of my go-to tools and equipment, I have a post you can refer to here.

Why is this recipe in grams?

I post my recipes in grams as it is the most accurate way to bake. Cups are not only inaccurate but they vary in volume worldwide. There is no way for me to provide one cup measure that works for everyone. However, posting in weight fixes this issue. If you would like the recipe in cups you are welcome to convert it yourself via google, but please do not ask me to do it for you as I am not comfortable providing a recipe using a method that I have not tested. Baking with a scale is easy, accurate, and also makes cleanup super simple. Here is the scale that I use if you would like a recommendation! Here's to accurate baking!

Black Cocoa Brownie with Dark Chocolate Bailey's German Buttercream

Author: Erin Clarkson
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes plus cooling time
Yield: 16 pieces 1x

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Description

Ingredients

Scale

Black Cocoa Brownie

113g cold unsalted butter
225g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
50g Black cocoa, or extra dutched cocoa
140g all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
4 large eggs, at room temperature
120g neutral oil
300g sugar
100g brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla

Bailey's German Buttercream

110g granulated sugar
12g corn starch
1 egg, at room temperature
1 egg yolk, at room temperature
½ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
190g Bailey’s or Irish Cream
340g unsalted butter, at room temperature
180g dark chocolate, melted and then cooled.

Instructions

BLACK COCOA BROWNIE

Preheat the oven to 350˚f / 180˚c. Grease a 9” square baking tin and line with a parchment paper sling.
Melt together the butter and chocolate in a medium pan over low heat, stirring well until smooth. Add the cocoa powder and mix well to combine, then set aside to cool.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, oil, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Mix until well combined. Add the chocolate mixture and mix until combined. Gently fold in the dry ingredients until just combined.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking tin. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top of the brownie is set and a skewer inserted comes out with still a few crumbs attached. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

BAILEY’S GERMAN BUTTERCREAM

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the sugar and corn starch, then add the eggs, egg yolks and salt, and whisk well to combine.
In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the Bailey’s and vanilla bean paste. Heat to just shy of a boil (you should see movement around the edge of the pan). Remove from the heat.
Using one hand to whisk constantly, pour half of the hot Bailey’s mixture into the egg mixture. This helps to temper the eggs. Whisk until well incorporated, then transfer back into the saucepan.
Place the saucepan over medium heat, and, whisking constantly, cook until it begins to bubble. It will thicken quickly.
Heat the milk and egg mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it begins to bubble. It will thicken quickly. Once it has thickened, cook for one minute, then remove from the heat. Pour into a shallow container or bowl of a stand mixer and press plastic wrap over the surface to avoid a skin forming.
Refrigerate until cold - at least four hours, preferably overnight (If you need to speed this process up, you can place the pastry cream in a bowl, then place the bowl in an ice bath. Stir frequently).
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the mixture on medium until creamy and lump-free. Begin adding the butter, a few cubes at a time, until fully incorporated. It may look curdled at some point but just keep whipping - it will come together. Once the butter is incorporated and the mixture is homogenous, add the cooled chocolate and mix to incorporate. Switch to the paddle attachment and mix on low for 2-3 minutes to help remove any air bubbles.
Store in an airtight container until ready to use - if you need to chill it, you can let it rewarm slightly then whip in your mixer to help smooth it out.

ASSEMBLY

Spread the buttercream over the surface of the brownie using an offset spatula. Add sprinkles if desired.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Notes

Brownie recipe slightly adapted from The Vanilla Bean Baking Book

Keywords: Brownie, Black cocoa, black cocoa brownie, German Buttercream, Bailey's Buttercream