This brownie cake has chocolate cake layers with brownie batter baked into the cake. It is topped with a chocolate cream cheese frosting. It turns out brownie and cake are an amazing combination! This brownie cake will blow your mind.
This brownie cake combines the best qualities of chocolate cake and fudgy brownies into one ultimate dessert. I love chocolate and I have never seen a recipe that combined brownie into a cake this way before and just HAD to experiment to see if it was good.
The results are better than I could have hoped! For your next special occasion try this ultimate brownie cake for the best of all your favorite desserts!
For more chocolate recipes try, Nutella Muffins, Chocolate Pancakes, and Hot Cocoa Cookie Blossoms.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Rich chocolate flavor- This cake has the most amazing chocolate flavor that takes the best from both brownies and chocolate cake for the perfect cake.
- Moist cake- No tough or dry cake here, it is moist and tender cake all the way through!
- Chocolate lover's dream- This cake is a mix of all of your favorite chocolate flavors with the chocolate cake, brownie, and frosting all coming together for chocolate heaven!
- Easy Recipe Layer Cake- Layer cakes can take a lot of work, but this recipe breaks it down into easy to follow steps to get you through it! There are no difficult steps involved.
Ingredient Notes
Here are some notes on the ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder- I strongly recommend dutch process cocoa powder for a more rich chocolate flavor. This is the one I used.
- Oil- Use canola oil, vegetable oil, or olive oil.
- Eggs- Pull the large eggs out 2 hours before baking.
- Buttermilk- Use full fat or reduced fat buttermilk. Pull this out 2 hours before baking.
- Hot water- The water needs to be steaming. The hot water helps to bloom the chocolate. You can also use hot coffee instead.
- Unsalted butter- Pull this out 2 hours before using to reach room temperature.
- Powdered sugar- Make sure to sift the powdered sugar to avoid a gritty frosting.
- Cream Cheese- Be sure to use the baking bars, not the cream cheese spread for the correct texture.
- Chocolate Chips- Use semi-sweet chocolate for the best flavor as milk chocolate will be too sweet.
Step By Step Instructions- Cake Batter
Here is how to make this brownie cake batter. You will not need an electric mixer for this part.
STEP 1: Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray 3 8-inch round cake pans with baking spray. Then, line the pans with parchment paper circles and spray them again.
STEP 2: Dry ingredients. Sift your flour into a large bowl and mix in the cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
STEP 3: Wet ingredients. Heat water in a small saucepan on high heat on the stove until it is steaming. In a separate bowl mix the eggs, vanilla extract, and buttermilk. Slowly mix in the hot water.
If you add the hot water too fast it will cook the eggs.
STEP 4: Combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix only until just combined. Pour batter into the 3 pans, spreading it evenly.
Step by Step Instructions- Brownie Batter
Here is how to make and bake the brownie batter. You will need a hand mixer or a stand mixer with paddle attachment for this part.
STEP 1: Dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, sift the flour and mix in the cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt.
STEP 2: Wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, beat the sugar and eggs on high speed for 5 minutes.
Add the vanilla extract, oil, and melted butter and mix until just combined.
STEP 3: Combine. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
STEP 4: Chocolate chips. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the chocolate chips.
STEP 5: Scoop. Use a cookie scoop to evenly distribute the brownie batter to your 3 cake pans in spaced dollops. Use a kitchen knife to gently swirl it into the cake batter.
Only swirl it in, do not fully mix it in.
STEP 6: Bake Cakes. Bake them for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with moist crumbs.
STEP 7: Cool. Cool the cakes for 10 minutes in the cake pans before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Step by Step Instructions- Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Here is how to make the chocolate cream cheese frosting. You will need a stand mixer for this.
STEP 1: Dry ingredients. Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl.
STEP 2: Beat. In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter on high speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
STEP 3: Combine. Add half of the powdered sugar mixture and mix it on low until combined. Then, add the rest and mix on low until combined.
STEP 4: Beat. Add in the vanilla extract and salt. Finally, beat it on high speed until creamy. The frosting will get a lighter color.
Assembling the Cake Tips
- Items that will be helpful in cake decoration: turntable, icing offset spatula, straight icing spatula, cake scraper, cake leveler (or a bread knife), and a cake carrier.
- Use a serrated knife to cut the domes off of your cakes to leave a flat top.
- Place the first cake layer and spread one cup of frosting over it.
- Place the second layer on top and frost with another 1 cup of frosting.
- Place the last layer on top with the bottom facing up to give the flattest top.
- Frost the cake, including the sides of the cake, in a light layer of frosting and freeze for 15 minutes. This will set the frosting a provide a crumb coat to give a cleaner finish.
- Frost the cake the rest of the way!
- To finish I got some store-bought brownies and cut them into squares to place on top. This is completely optional and you can decorate with whatever you prefer!
FAQ
Yes it can! Half the recipe to make 12 cupcakes. Bake in a muffin tin for 18-20 minutes.
You can also use two 9-inch cake pans, four 6-inch cake pans, or a 9X13-inch cake pan (half the frosting recipe for that one). Half the recipe to make three 6-inch cake pans, 8X8-inch square pan or 9X9-inch square pan.
Yes it can! Once the cake layers are done cooling, wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Then, freeze up to 30 days. Pull it out 1 hour before decorating.
Storing and Freezing
Store this brownie cake in an airtight container like a cake carrier. Store in the fridge up to 5 days.
Freezing
You can freeze the brownie cake in individual cake slices. Place in an airtight container and freeze up to 30 days.
Other Layered Cake Recipes To Try
Make sure to leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @stephaniesweettreats. To get more ideas follow me on Pinterest.
📖 Recipe
Brownie Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 2 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- 2 teaspoon Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 ¾ cup White granulated sugar
- 4 Large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup Oil canola or vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup Buttermilk room temperature
- 1 cup Hot water steaming
Brownie Batter
- 1 cup White granulated sugar
- 2 Large eggs
- ¼ cup Unsalted butter melted
- ¼ cup Oil
- 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup All-purpose flour
- ½ cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ½ cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz Cream cheese room temperature
- 1 ½ cups Unsalted butter room temperature
- 3 cups Powdered sugar
- ½ cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven 350°F. Spray three 8-inch cake pans with baking nonstick spray. Line the pans with 8-inch parchment paper circles and spray again.
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Set aside.2 cups All-purpose flour, 1 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon Baking soda, 2 teaspoon Baking powder, 1 teaspoon Salt, 1 ¾ cup White granulated sugar
- In a small pan on the stove over high heat, heat the water until steaming. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, oil, vanilla, and buttermilk. Then, slowly mix in the hot water. Tip: Go slow so you don't over heat the eggs.4 Large eggs, 1 cup Oil, 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract, 1 cup Buttermilk, 1 cup Hot water
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until just combined. Pour evenly between the 3 cake pans. Set aside while you make the brownie batter.
Brownie Batter
- In a medium mixing bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside. In a mixing bowl using a mixer, beat the sugar and eggs on high speed for 5 minutes.1 cup White granulated sugar, ⅓ cup All-purpose flour, ½ cup Unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon Cornstarch, ¼ teaspoon Salt, 2 Large eggs
- Add the vanilla, oil, and melted butter and mix on low speed until just combined. Add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.¼ cup Unsalted butter, ¼ cup Oil, 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
- Take off the mixer and use a rubber spatula and mix in the chocolate chips.½ cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop the brownie batter evenly between the three cake pans. There should be evenly spaced brownie dollops. Use a kitchen knife to lightly swirl it in.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out with moist crumbs.
- Let it sit for 10 minutes in the hot pans before transferring to a cooling rack. Cool completely before decorating.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a large bowl, sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder together. Set aside.3 cups Powdered sugar, ½ cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Using a mixing bowl with a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter on high speed for 3 minutes. It will light and fluffy.8 oz Cream cheese, 1 ½ cups Unsalted butter
- Add half of the powdered sugar and mix on low until combined. Add the rest of the powdered sugar and mix on low.
- Add in the vanilla and salt and beat on high speed until creamy. The frosting will get slightly lighter in color.1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon Salt
Assembling the Cake
- Use a serrated knife to cut the domes off the cakes.
- Place the 1st cake layer down and spread 1 cup of frosting over the cake. Repeat with the second cake layer. Place the last layer of cake with the bottom of the cake facing up.
- Frost the cake in a very light layer of frosting. Freeze for 15 minutes to set the frosting.
- Frost the rest of the cake.
Yuliya says
Hello, I got a little bit confused, do I add the hot water to the egg mixture or do I put the bowl with egg mixture into the pot where hot water is and keep mixing it, thank you
Stephanie Rutherford says
You add the hot water to the egg mixture.
Lulu says
Can’t wait to try this! Can we use any brownie recipe that we like or would you suggest the one in the recipe?
Stephanie Rutherford says
I recommend this one. However, if you want a different one, you want to do 1/3 batch of regular brownie batter.
abbey says
this was wonderful!! very moist and also easy to make! we loved it 🙂