Big Time Game Recipe

Preheat and prepare pan

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper leaving a 1-inch overhang to lift the finished cake out cleanly.

Combine dry ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt until well combined and aerated.

Mix wet ingredients

In a separate medium bowl, whisk the eggs until blended. Add the milk, yogurt (or sour cream), melted butter, and vanilla extract; whisk until smooth.

Add the wet to the dry and fold gently with a rubber spatula until just combined. Scrape the bottom and sides; do not overmix. The batter should be medium-thick and pourable. If it seems very thick, add up to 2 tablespoons more milk.

Prepare chocolate ganache

Place the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl. Warm the heavy cream in a small saucepan or microwave until just steaming (do not boil). Pour the hot cream over the chips and let sit 1 minute, then stir until smooth and glossy. Allow to cool 3–5 minutes until slightly thickened but still pourable.

Layer batter and sauces

Pour half of the prepared batter into the lined pan and spread to an even layer. Gently spoon half of the chocolate ganache in several dollops across the batter, then drizzle about half of the caramel sauce in several dollops. Pour the remaining batter over, smoothing lightly. Top with remaining dollops of chocolate ganache and caramel in alternating spots.

Create the swirl

Using a small offset spatula or the tip of a butter knife, drag through the dollops in a figure-8 or back-and-forth pattern to create an even swirl pattern without completely mixing the sauces into the batter.

Combine the chopped toasted pecans, crushed pretzels, and demerara sugar in a small bowl. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the swirled batter, focusing on creating an attractive 'slot-like' pattern in rows or clusters to echo the menu section name.

Bake the cake in the preheated oven until the top is golden, the edges are set, and a toothpick inserted into a chocolate-free portion comes out with a few moist crumbs, about 30–36 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through baking for even browning.

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Using the parchment overhang, lift the cake from the pan and transfer to the wire rack. While still slightly warm, drizzle the reserved warm caramel sauce over the top, then sprinkle the flaky sea salt evenly. If desired, dust lightly with powdered sugar for contrast.

Allow the cake to cool completely (about 1 hour) before slicing into squares. This helps the swirl set and the textures to meld so you get clean slices with a pronounced chocolate-caramel ribbon and crunchy 'slots' on top.