This fudgy, rich dark chocolate brownie cake is loaded with two kinds of chips and decorated with a simple dark chocolate drizzle. An easy dessert to feed a crowd!
Let’s talk about Easter being THIS Sunday. Huhhwhaa? I’m sure just a second ago it was February and I was snacking on Valentine’s Day candy. In a snap those chocolate hearts turned into chocolate eggs…and I’m totally okay with it. Gimme gimme springtime.
At a time when many people are on vacation or looking forward to some time off, my job is turned up to 11 in terms of workload and deadlines so I won’t be taking any time off. It ain’t easy being an accountant in the early spring! I can tell you now that my coffee consumption will go up this week, along with my Foo Fighters listening (motivational tunes!). What else will I be leaning on to get me through this week? Slices of this fudgy dark chocolate brownie cake, covered in a simple dark chocolate drizzle!
This brownie cake is a snazzed up brownie recipe, baked in a 9″-round cake pan, and cut into slices. It doesn’t take much more work than preparing a typical brownie recipe, but is fancied up to feed a crowd. Maybe you’re having a crowd over for Easter Sunday and haven’t decided on a dessert yet? This one is for YOU.
Or maybe you’ll be cooking for a crowd of two and decompressing from a crazy work week. This one’s also for me you. 😉
I adapted this brownie recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks, The Art & Soul of Baking by Cindy Mushet/Sur La Table
Let it be known: this brownie cake is fudgy to the extreme! I recently learned (per the above cookbook ) that fudgy brownies are the result of first melting the butter and chocolate together before adding the rest of the ingredients. Contrast that with cakey brownies, which begin with the butter and sugar being creamed. We’re 100% fudgy brownie fans over here so that’s the way I’ve written this brownie cake below, but feel free to switch up the steps if cakey is more of your thing!
This fudgy, rich dark chocolate brownie cake is loaded with two kinds of chips and decorated with a simple dark chocolate drizzle. It's an easy dessert to feed a crowd.
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips, divided
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp instant espresso powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9" round cake pan with cooking spray and set aside.
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In a medium-sized, microwave-safe bowl, add butter and 1 cup of dark chocolate chips. Melt in 20-30 second intervals on half-power in microwave, scraping the sides and whisking between intervals, until butter and chocolate are completely combined and smooth. Alternatively you may also use a double boiler to melt butter and chocolate.
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Transfer butter/chocolate mixture to a mixing bowl and add sugar. Whisk until sugar is thoroughly mixed in. Add eggs, one at a time, whisking after each addition. Add vanilla extract and whisk again. Add flour, salt, and espresso powder and whisk until dry ingredients are fully mixed and batter is smooth and a bit shiny. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips and semisweet chocolate chips.
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Pour batter into prepared 9" round cake pan and bake for 24-30 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let brownie cake cool in the pan for a few minutes before decorating, and then fully before slicing. To decorate, I melted about 1/4 - 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips, adding melted chocolate to a plastic bag and snipping a corner to pipe the drizzle. Decorate as you like!
If you'd like to remove the brownie cake from the baking pan and serve on something else, I recommend placing a round of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan and spraying parchment with cooking spray. This will make it much easier to flip the brownie cake over and invert back onto a serving plate without losing any of the bottom of the cake.
Brownie recipe adapted from The Art & Soul of Baking by Cindy Mushet/Sur La Table.
Can’t get enough of brownies? I can’t blame you! Check out these fab recipes, too!
World’s Best Brownies by Savory Nothings
Salted Caramel Twix Brownies by Sweet Peas and Saffron
Absolutely the Best Brownies Ever by The Recipe Rebel
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Nisreen says
This looks so good! It’s my friend’s bday in a few days and I am searching for brownie cake recipe as she loves brownies. Will definitely be making this one!
Alyssa says
Thank you Nisreen, hope you enjoy!!
Nisreen says
She loved the cake!! Thanks for such an easy and yummy recipe Alyssa!
Alyssa says
Yay! Thanks for letting me know how it went, Nisreen. 🙂
Hazel says
Good day, Alyssa! I’ve been drooling over this recipe for a very long time and I’ve finally had a taste of these just today! It’s actually my first time to bake and it turned out splendid! Everybody loved it! Even my picky eater loved every bit of it. I just had a few difficulties while baking because maintaining the 350 degrees was difficult with the kind of oven that i have plus the windy area.
I only used a bar of dark chocolate for this omitting the semi sweet chocolate chips, but it still turned out sweet which was a very big plus.
We’re going to bake this one again tomorrow with 50% less sugar and butter.
It’s been such a long time since I’ve eaten such a great tasting brownie. It’s decadent, moist and fudgy, just like what you said! However, due to different factors, the edges of my brownie somehow turned crispy, but still very chewy at the same time. The center was great! Moist, soft, decadent, fudgy and every bite was so chocolatey that all of us couldn’t help but really munch into it!
Thank you so much!
Alyssa says
Hi Hazel! Thank you so much for your comment. I’m so glad the recipe turned out for you! I’m a huge fan of dark chocolate so I will have to try out your variation. I bet it is delicious. The very edges of my brownies do tend to be a bit crisper (but still chewy like you said), so it sounds like you did everything just right. Again – thank you so much for letting me know your experience! 🙂
Tina @ Tina's Chic Corner says
I love every word in the title! I’m obsessed with chocolate so needless to say this brownie cake is a no brainer for me… MUST MAKE! 🙂
Anna @ shenannagans says
Amazing…. Although gonna have to bookmark this beauty for a much later date. Totally overdosed on sugar and chocolate and sweet things this weekend. Hope you’ve had an enjoyable weekend lovely lady. Happy Easter. Xx
Alyssa says
I hear ya girl! Sweets on sweets over here too from Easter. It’ll be here waiting for you when it’s time for a chocolate fix! We had a relaxing weekend and holiday which was nice – hope you and yours did too! 🙂
Lily Lau says
What a sweetie! Thanks for this lovely share, I’ll try to prepare it tomorrow 😀
Alyssa says
Thank you Lily!
Natalie @ Tastes Lovely says
I can’t imagine how crazy it must be at your work right now! Sending you virtual hugs friend! This brownie cake is everything I love! So chocolatey and amazing : )
Alyssa says
Oooh girl this week was crazy! Hopefully things will go back to normal soon. Sending you virtual hugs right back! 🙂
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
Wow! I would have no self control around this cake! So dense and chocolatey 🙂
Alyssa says
Thanks Medha! I’ve had to amp up my willpower something serious to resist devouring it! 🙂
Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel says
Homemade brownies are just the best! This one looks soooo dense and fudgey. I love that all the ingredients are things I keep on hand, so this is a good go-to when I have last-minute guests!
Alyssa says
Yessss that’s the good/bad part about this Jess – you can pretty much whip it up whenever! Willpower don’t fail me now! And I agree, there are few things that beat homemade brownies. 🙂
Danielle says
This looks like a great way to relax after a stressful week at work! Why do brownies look so much better in pie form too? Love this!
Alyssa says
Thanks Danielle! I agree – love brownies like this! Even though they’d work just as well in a standard square pan. 🙂
Helen @ Scrummy Lane says
Or maybe for a ‘crowd’ of one? 😉
I’ll be with you in spirit easter week as I’ll be working too.
I think I’d better make myself a cake like this to ‘drown my sorrows’. Love the idea of brownies in cake form!
Alyssa says
Hehe a crowd of one works too, Helen! Hope you at least enjoy some seasonal treats this week to brighten up your work week! 🙂
Rachel @ Bakerita says
Wow, this looks so decadent and incredible!! I’m totally craving chocolate now! Pinned 🙂
Alyssa says
Thanks Rachel! I try and enjoy ultra decadent treats like this in moderation, buuuut sometimes they’re entirely necessary. Such as on crazy work weeks like this! 🙂
Mabel @ Ma Bella Vita says
Ummm this looks absolutely delicious. I would just be scared of eating the entire pan….lol…looking forward to giving this a try but will make sure I make it when guests come over.
Alyssa says
Haha Mabel I’m not going to deny that the thought of eating the whole pan didn’t cross my mind… 🙂 Thankfully I’ve had some help with this batch!
Annie @Maebells says
Give me all the chocolate!! This looks amazing! I love fudgy brownies, they are so much better than cakelike brownies!
Alyssa says
Fudgy all the way Annie! This brownie cake is definitely more decadent than what I typically make but sometimes rich and ultra chocolatey is necessary!
marcie says
This looks so chocolatey, gooey, and decadent! Brownies are my favorite — this cake is right up my alley!
Alyssa says
Thanks Marcie! I have a hard time saying no to chocolate – especially brownies! 🙂
Sues says
This is going to be a rough few weeks of work for me, too, but this brownie cake would most definitely help me through!! It’s beautiful!
Alyssa says
Ooh I feel you, Sues! Looking forward to breathing (a bit) easier at work. In the meantime…there will be chocolate haha. Thanks!
Ashley | The Recipe Rebel says
I can’t imagine being an accountant this time of year! I would need ALL THE CHOCOLATE. This looks amazing!
Alyssa says
Haha Ashley it’s busy, but not as bad as it could be so I’m thankful for that! Nevertheless I packed myself a hefty slice of this brownie cake today as a work snack. 🙂 Thanks!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
Now this is my kind of cake! I love the the mashup of brownies and cake, Alyssa! And I’m really craving this for breakfast! Pinned!
Alyssa says
I’ve had to fend off those breakfast cravings big time! Thanks Gayle! 🙂