I had a jar of Turkish grape molasses (one of several varieties of fruit molasses called pekmez) sitting on my kitchen counter, and wanted to bake something chocolatey with it. As I learned from making Martha Stewart’s chewy chocolate gingerbread cookies years ago, molasses and chocolate are a winning combination. Holiday cookie season was already over by the time I got around to baking with the molasses, so I settled on a fudgy brownie cake studded with walnuts. For an extra layer of flavor, I added some maple syrup.
Maple Molasses Brownie Cake
3 to 4 ounces dark chocolate, roughly chopped
1/2 cup oil, plus extra for the pan
1/2 cup maple syrup
¾ cup molasses (such as Turkish grape molasses)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup walnut halves or pieces (optional)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9- or 10-inch round baking pan.
- In a heatproof mixing bowl over a pot of simmering water, or in a medium saucepan directly on the stove, combine oil and chocolate. Stir frequently over low heat until chocolate melts.
- Remove from heat. Whisk in molasses, maple syrup, egg, vanilla, and salt. Fold in flour with a spatula or spoon until just combined. Do not over-mix.
- Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle with walnuts, if using. Tap pan on countertop to reduce air bubbles.
- Bake for around 25-30 minutes until brownies are set; a fork inserted in the middle should come out mostly clean, with a few crumbs. I prefer these slightly under-baked and gooey in the middle.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge, if you prefer cold brownies.
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