Mini Barrel Cake

I've always wanted to make a barrel cake.  They just look so fun.  You can usually pretty much any cake, cookie, glaze, frosting, ice cream combination to put it together too...nice flexibility there.  The candy on the sides and top do take this cake over the top for richness though.  A little piece goes a very long way.

I dubbed this a mini cake since I could only find snack sized Kit Kats at the store.  ;)

Sadly no sliced pictures of this cake....I couldn't preslice this one before it left the house.

My vanilla filling layer was very, very thick.  Instead of a chocolate glaze on the outside of the cake I could have done a thin middle layer and used the remaining filling to frost the top and sides of the cake.


Dark Chocolate Stout Brownies

1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup butter
4 eggs, beaten lightly
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1/2 cup warm stout
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 tsp salt

In a small bowl, whisk together the warm stout and the cocoa powder.  Set aside.  Combine butter and dark chocolate chips in a bowl and melt in the microwave, stirring often.  Stir stout mixture into butter mixture.  Stir in sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla.  Mix in eggs.  Fold in salt and flour.  Pour into two greased 8in rounds.  Bake at 350 for 18 to 20 mins.  Remove from pans and cool.

Vanilla Cream Frosting/Filling:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups marshmallow cream
1 tbls vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar

Cream together butter and shortening.  Add in marshmallow cream and vanilla.  Slowly mix in powdered sugar.  Place one brownie round down on a serving plate.  Spread filling on top of round.  Top with remaining brownie round.

Chocolate Glaze:
1 14oz can non fat sweetened condensed milk
12oz dark chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbls to 1/4 cup milk

Mix together sweetened condensed milk, dark chocolate chips, and vanilla.  Microwave, stirring frequently, until mixture is smooth.  Add in milk to thin chocolate.  Pour over top and sides of brownie cake.  Place a ring of snack sized kit kats around the sides of the cake with the kit kat name facing inwards.  Top cake with M&M's, spreading any extras around the base if you like.  Chill.