Brownie Cake

This rich brownie cake is a chocolate lover’s dream, brimming with deeply chocolatey flavor and a moist, dense texture. Prepared with lots of semi-sweet chocolate, cocoa powder, and even a tiny hint of coffee, this recipe is the perfect dessert that easily comes together when that chocolate craving hits!

The ultimate cake for chocolate lovers

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, as a handful of good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips or a square or two of extra dark chocolate 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 my rich brownie cake recipe.

Brimming with good quality chocolate, cocoa powder, and even a teeny hint of coffee to bring out that deep chocolate flavor, this lovely little treat sure hits the spot!

Topped with a small dollop of homemade whipped cream and perhaps a little drizzle of caramel sauce, a slice of this brownie cake is sheer bliss when that chocolate craving comes around. Add to that a hot cup of coffee, and you've got yourself an utterly delightful treat!

My recipe for brownie cake

When I bake my homemade brownies, I melt the butter and the chocolate together. I then add my eggs, sugar, and vanilla, followed by my dry ingredients. I bake the batter at a slightly lower temp, which makes for nice fudgy brownies that are slightly gooey in the center.

But for my brownie cake recipe, I only melt the butter and add that in at the end of the mixing process. I then add in my finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate (not melted), folding it into the batter before baking.

The results are wonderfully moist, with the consistency of a dense cake (a bit similar to flourless chocolate cake) rather than being overly fudgy and gooey like the brownies.

This brownie cake is a wonderfully sliceable chocolatey dessert, one that plays well with a topping of freshly prepared whipped cream or caramel sauce—a combination of both, if you're like me, or even ice cream!

Here's a sneak peek at my recipe fore brownie cake:

(or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I whisk together my dry ingredients, and set those aside.
2. Then, I whisk together my eggs and sugar until thick and pale, add in my vanilla and a touch of coffee, and slowly whisk in my dry ingredients, just until combined.
3. I drizzle in my melted butter and whisk to blend, then fold in my chopped, semi-sweet chocolate.
4. Next, I pour my batter into my cake pan and bake at 350°F for around 35 minutes.
5. To serve, I slice the cooled brownie cake and top with whipped cream, caramel sauce, and chocolate shavings to decorate.

Recipe

Brownie Cake

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

This rich, decadent brownie cake is loaded with semi-sweet chocolate and cocoa powder, making it a chocolate lover's dream!

Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Yield: Serves 12

Nutrition info: 398 calories (per slice)

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Dutch process cocoa)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 ½ tablespoons instant coffee combined with 1 tablespoon hot water
• 1 cup unsalted 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:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F, and line a 10-inch cake pan with parchment paper, and mist lightly with cooking spray.
3. In a small bowl, add the flour, the cocoa powder, and the salt, and whisk to combine. Set these dry ingredients aside for a moment.
4. Next, in a large bowl, whisk the sugar with the eggs until fluffy and pale, then add the vanilla extract and the instant coffee/water combo, and whisk to incorporate those.
5. Then, add the flour/cocoa/salt mixture to the sugar/egg mixture a little at a time, whisking to blend thoroughly, until all is incorporated.
6. Slowly drizzle the melted butter into the batter, whisking gently until blended in. Then, fold the chopped, semi-sweet chocolate into the batter.
7. Next, pour the brownie cake batter into the prepared baking pan, and bake for 35 minutes. Once baked, allow brownie cake to cool for about 20 minutes in the pan before carefully turning out.
8. Slice the brownie cake and serve slightly warm or room temp, either naked or garnished with whipped cream, caramel sauce, and chocolate shavings, if desired.

Tips & Tidbits for my brownie cake recipe:

• Opt for good quality chocolate: I'm willing to splurge 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—they're nice and rich!
• Unsalted butter for sweet creaminess: When preparing this brownie cake, be sure to use unsalted butter, as you don't want to add any extra saltiness. Salt is already added as an ingredient in the list.
• Rich cocoa powder for intense flavor: Make sure to use unsweetened cocoa powder for this recipe, and if possible, opt for Dutch process cocoa for deep, dark flavor.
• Make your own coffee “extract” for the coffee flavor: Simply combine instant coffee or instant espresso powder with a small amount of hot water and mix until completely dissolved. It's very aromatic, and adds that touch of coffee flavor without adding much more liquid to the recipe.
• Your preferred cake pan: I like the look of a round cake for this brownie cake, so I use a 10-inch round cake pan. But you can certainly use a rectangular cake pan, or even a square baking dish, about 9 inches. If you do go with the 9-inch pan, you may need to add a couple more minutes to the baking time, since the cake will be slightly thicker.

Craving more chocolatey desserts like this one? Check out my recipe for Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownies, Double Chocolate Chip Muffins, Chocolate Truffles, Chocolate Bark, Chocolate Glazed Donuts, Easy Chocolate Croissants, or even my recipe for Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups!

Cook's Note: This recipe was originally updated in 2018, and has now been updated with even more love!