Lea Hogg

‘Grape Seed flour gives an amazing texture and this quick brownie cake can be cut up into brownies or  tiny brownie bites to serve with coffee at the end of a meal but as a cake it can also be served with some  ice cream or frozen yoghurt as a dessert.   It is dense and rich with a nutty texture.  If you are after a healthier option leave out the icing.’

You will need:

2 cups self raising flour
2 cups grape seed flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup stevia
1 cup mascarpone
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup water (plus extra water to achieve a dropping consistency_
4 eggs lightly beaten
125ml yoghurt
1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
a few drops of vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
a pinch of instant coffee powder

Preheat oven to 180 C.

Sift the sugar and flour together in a bowl.
Melt the mascarpone on low heat in a saucepan, and then add the cocoa and water.  Heat until it starts to boil.
Pour the cocoa mix over the sugar and flour and mix well with a soft palette spoon.
Add the eggs, yoghurt, vanilla, cinnamon, baking soda and coffee powder, and mix well with a spoon.
Pour the batter into a greased rectangular dish, and bake for about 25 minutes.  Checking it by piercing it with a toothpick and if it is done take out of the oven.

Pierce the cake all over with a toothpick.  Beat the icing with a spoon so that it is very smooth.
Pour the warm icing (recipe below) over cake when as soon as you  take it out of the oven.

And for the icing you will need:

250g mascarpone
4 tablespoons cocoa
50g grated chocolate
6 tablespoons water
vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
200g icing sugar
150g walnuts

Five minutes before cake is done, place all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil on gentle heat.
Remove from heat, and mix in sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nuts.
Beat well, and then spread over cake while both are still warm.

Scatter with walnuts. Serve warm with ice cream or allow to cool and cut into into brownies or brownie bites.

I use Grape Seed Flour by Peaks Free from, stevia by Tate and Lyle, chocolate powder by Good Earth, walnuts and self raising flour by St Georges Brand, spices by Schwartz, chocolate by Valor