You know when you make an awesome dessert, take it to your Mom’s house for Sunday dinner, and only eat a tiny piece because you’re too full from dinner to eat more? And then you find yourself sitting on the couch at 9pm wishing you brought a piece home with you?
I’m there.
I ALWAYS do that. I’m all like, “Nah, I don’t need a big piece of cake, I’m good with one little bite.” And then at 9pm I’m trying to figure out what my parents would do if I barged into their kitchen like it was 1989 again. Especially since I’d have to wake my kids up to make the trip. I think the biggest problem is that this doesn’t sound terribly irrational to me…
Speaking of which, can you believe that 1989 was 25 years ago? Because I was curious, I looked up the top 100 Billboard songs of 1989. It included “My Prerogative,” “Wind Beneath my Wings,” “Every Rose Has It’s Thorn,” and “Straight Up.”
I now feel old.
So, now I feel old and I wish I had cake. Cookie Dough Brownie Cake, to be precise.
As far as layer cakes go, this one is pretty easy. A simple brownie recipe is baked into three 8-inch layers, and it’s filled with my favorite cookie dough frosting then doused in a layer of chocolate ganache. It’s messy, rich, dense and hits the spot with a big dollop of whipped cream on top.
If you want to be extra fancy, double your ganache recipe and drizzle it over the slices after you serve it. Or, serve this with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream, it it will taste exactly like a brownie sundae made with cookie dough frosting.
If that’s your thing, that is.
Which is should be. Your thing. This cake should be your thing, ’cause it’s just darn good.
Oh – and one more thing. You may have notice a bit of a new look around here. I’m doing a bit of updating, so I hope you like the changes so far! I have plenty more to do, but should have everything completed in the next few weeks.
Hope you love this recipe. Enjoy!
- 1 and ½ cups vegetable oil
- 3 cups sugar
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 6 eggs
- 1 and ½ cups flour
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 3 and ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 3 Tablespoons milk
- 2 and ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped (or use chocolate chips)
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Extra chocolate chips, for garnish
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees (F).
- Prepare three 8-inch round baking pans with cooking spray and parchment.
- In a large bowl, combine sugar and oil. Stir with a large wooden spoon until completely combined.
- Add eggs one at a time, stirring and incorporating each completely before adding another.
- Add vanilla, stir to combine.
- In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder.) Whisk to combine.
- Add dry ingredients a little bit at a time, stirring until just absorbed each time. I added mine in 3 batches. Do not over-mix, just stir until dry ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Pour batter evenly into three prepared pans.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with wet crumbs.
- Cool completely, then remove from pans and set aside.
- Prepare filling.
- In a large bowl (I used my stand mixer) beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add confectioners' sugar, and beat to combine.
- Add flour and sugar, beat until combined.
- Add milk and vanilla, beat until light and fully.
- In a medium glass bowl, heat heavy cream in the microwave until steaming hot but not boiling, about 45 seconds. (Microwaves vary, so just watch yours carefully.)
- Remove hot cream from microwave, and pour chocolate chips into the cream.
- Allow to sit for 30 seconds, then slowly stir with a rubber spatula until cream and chocolate fully combine, and chocolate melts completely.
- Stir in corn syrup and vanilla, and again stir until completely combined. Set aside while you assemble the cake.
- Place one layer of brownie cake on your serving platter. Spoon about 1 cup of frosting over the top of the cooled cake, and spread just to the edge of the cake.
- Place another layer on top of the first. Press down slightly to secure.
- Spoon another 1 cup of frosting over the top of the layer, and spread just to the edges of the cake.
- Spoon remaining frosting into a piping bag with a star tip for decorating.
- Place top layer of cake over the frosting. Press down slightly to secure.
- Place cake in refrigerator for 10 minutes.
- Remove chilled cake from refrigerator. Slowly pour about ½ cup of ganache over the top of the cake, and using an offset spatula, slowly spread it to the sides of the cake, just barely pushing it over the edge. Add more ganache until you reach your desired coverage.
- Place cake back in refrigerator for 20 minutes to allow ganache to firm up.
- Pipe decorations around cake, sprinkle with chocolate chips and drizzle with leftover ganache.
- Enjoy!
Yum!!! This looks like heaven.
In the directions you say to spoon a cup of frosting over the cake to edges… I’m assuming you mean the cookie dough filling?? Then pour ganache over assembled cake?? Looks divine!
I tried to get the recipe for Biscuit and Grvy Casserole. It pulled up that page, but there is no recipe. Where can I get it?
I agree with you: this cake looks so good, one little piece isn’t enough!
Can you check your email subscription box. I tried to sign up but says doesn’t have feed for it. But there is a box that says sing up. Thanks. Just sign me up for email from you please.
wanda j
I shared this over on my Facebook page today – looks SO amazing!!
Can you use a box mix for the brownie layers if you are in a rush?
Possibly a stupid question, but when you say “frosting” for the layers you do mean the cookie dough filling correct, not the Ganache frosting?
I made this for my daughter’s 10 birthday party with our family. IT WAS A HUGE HIT! My brother-in-law ate three pieces! That has never happened!
I did make the brownie layers the day before. The day of, it was pretty easy to put together! The best part – It’s a snap to decorate! And crumbs in your frosting is just fine – the ganache covers it!
Thank you soooo much for a fantastic recipe!
It was requested again for Father’s Day!
Do you think I could use the brownie recipe in a 9×12 cake pan?
Can the cookie dough layer be made 5 days in advance and kept in the fridge? Is it better to assemble and freeze?
Yes, you can freeze it – just make sure it’s tightly wrapped. Good luck!
I would love to look at the recipes on your site, but there are so many ads that the webpage autoscrolls to, I can’t read it for more than 10 secs. I can’t even type this efficiently. Tone down the ads.
I am having an issue with my ad network. The only ad that should ever disrupt the site is one inviting you to follow me on social media – but that should only pop up when you are leaving the site. I know that there is one right now that is popping up and not closing – and I am working hard behind the scenes to fix the issue. I appreciate your patience.
Hi, this sounds amazing, can’t wait to try it, but I have a couple of question:
1- How much is 3 sticks of butter in grams please?
2- can I substitute flour in the cookie dough with something else, I don’t know why but I’m not comfortable eating “raw” flour, I might be wrong but growing up I’ve always heard it was unhealthy to eat flour-based dough without cooking it.
Great pictures by the way
The bad part about eating the cookie dough raw was the egg not the
I just made this cake yesterday for my oldest daughter’s 17th birthday. I had searched brownie cake because she always wants brownies for her birthday. When I saw cookie dough in the title I knew it was the one I needed to make! My 3 year old “helped’. I had never made ganache before but it was so delicious! Mine was no where as pretty as yours but it was really good. I told my daughter I should make the cookie dough filling and freeze it for my husband so he can have mini helpings of cookie dough without buying packs of raw cookie dough 😉 Thanks for an awesome recipe!
i’m making this for school and it looks delicious