Brownie Cake

This rich, dark and melt-in-your-mouth brownie cake is filled with delightfully semi-sweet chocolate, cocoa powder, and even a tiny hint of coffee!

Delectable Brownie Cake, a Chocolate Lover's Dream

It's no secret that I'm a chocolate lover, and pretty much have to have at least a little bit of chocolate every day.

I really don't even need anything fancy when it comes to chocolate—a handful of good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips will do me just fine!

But when I'd like to enjoy something a bit more decadent, freshly baked and warm, something that's a cross between fudgy brownies and a chocolate cake, I love to prepare this delicious recipe for my brownie cake; it's loaded with good quality chocolate, cocoa powder, and even a hint of coffee to bring out that depth of the chocolate flavor.

And let me tell you, this lovely little treat sure hits the spot!

A slice of this brownie cake with a small dollop of homemade whipped cream, a little drizzle of caramel sauce, and a fresh, hot cup of strong coffee? Well, stick a fork in me... I've gone to chocolate heaven!

The Cake Version of Brownies!

When I bake my brownies, I melt the butter and the chocolate together, and then add to that to my eggs, sugar, and vanilla, followed by my dry ingredients.

And I bake that batter at a slightly lower temp, which makes for nice fudgy brownies that are slightly gooey in the center.

But for my brownie cake, I only melt the butter and add that in at the end of the mixing process, and then add in my finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate (not melted), and bake the batter in a cake tin at 350°, a slightly higher temp.

The results are rich and moist, and the consistency is that of a decadently dense cake (a little bit similar to flourless chocolate cake) rather than being gooey like the brownies.

It makes for a wonderfully sliceable chocolatey dessert, one that plays well with a topping of freshly prepared whipped cream or caramel sauce—or even a combination of both, if you're like me!

Tips & Tidbits for Brownie Cake:

• Good quality chocolate: I’m willing to splurge just a little when it comes to making chocolate desserts, so I look for good quality chocolate to use in my recipes. Some of my favorites are Scharffen Berger, Valrhona, and Guittard—very rich and deep!
• Unsalted butter: When baking, be sure to use unsalted butter, as you don't want to add any extra saltiness.
• Cocoa powder: Make sure to use unsweetened cocoa powder for this recipe.
• Make your own coffee extract: Simply combine instant coffee or instant espresso powder with a small amount of hot water and mix until completely dissolved—very aromatic!
• All you need is a whisk and a bowl: No need for the stand mixer for this one. Simply use a couple of bowls and a whisk, even a spatula.
• Cake tin: I like the look of a round cake tin for this brownie cake, but you can certainly use a rectangular cake pan, or even a square baking dish.

Feast your eyes on these, or just jump to the recipe:

Recipe

Brownie Cake

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

If you're a chocolate lover, this decadent brownie cake, loaded with semi-sweet chocolate, rich cocoa powder, and a little hint of coffee is definitely for you!

Yield: Serves 12

Nutrition Info: 398 calories

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
• 4 whole eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 ½ tablespoons instant coffee combined with 1tablespoon hot water (coffee “extract”)
• 1 cup butter (8 ounces), melted
• 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped (plus extra for grating over top, optional)
• Whipped cream (optional)
• Caramel sauce to drizzle (optional)

Preparation:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees; line a 10” cake tin with parchment paper, and mist with cooking spray.

-In a small bowl, combine the flour, the cocoa and the salt with a whisk to combine, and set aside.

-Next, in a medium bowl, whisk the sugar with the eggs until fluffy and pale; add the vanilla extract and the coffee “extract”, and whisk to incorporate; next add the flour/cocoa/salt mixture to the sugar/egg mixture a little at a time, whisking to blend thoroughly, until all is incorporated.

-Next, slowly drizzle the melted butter into the batter, whisking gently until blended in; finally, add the chopped chocolate and fold together to combine.

-Pour the batter into the prepared baking tin, and bake for 35 minutes; once baked, allow brownie cake to cool for about 20 minutes in the pan before carefully turning out.

-Serve slightly warm or room temp, and either naked or garnished with whipped cream, caramel sauce, and chocolate shavings, if desired!

Cook's Note: This post has been updated with even more love! And new photos!

Interested in more chocolatey desserts? Check out these “Sweet Heat” Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownies, or these Snickers Brownie Bars!