Triple Chocolate Brownie Cake

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This triple chocolate brownie cake is dense and chewy like a brownie, but it’s baked in a round pan and sliced like a cake! It’s the perfect cake recipe for brownie lovers.

Slice of brownie cake on plate with whipped cream and sprinkles

While the name of this recipe has the word “cake” in it, don’t be fooled—this dessert is essentially a brownie. And I consider that a good thing. It’s rich and dense, perfectly chewy, and it has that delightful thin, crinkly-crisp layer on top that all the best brownies seem to have. Somehow putting it all in cake form makes this brownie recipe extra special.

Why You’ll Love This Triple Chocolate Brownie Cake Recipe

Easy but worthy of a special occasion. As-is, this is a simple brownie cake perfect for just-because baking. But add some fresh berries and garnishes, and it’s worthy of a party.
Plenty of chocolate. Chocolate gets melted and stirred into the batter, but I also stirred in some semisweet chocolate chunks for good measure. And, then let’s just go all out and dust the top with cocoa powder.
Something different. If you’re tired of ending every special occasion or birthday with a basic chocolate or vanilla cake, this brownie cake recipe is a nice change of pace!

Overhead view of triple chocolate brownie cake ingredients

What You’ll Need

Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.

Bittersweet chocolate – Use a high-quality bar of chocolate with around 70% cacao.
Unsalted butter – Learn more: Unsalted or Salted Butter: Which is Better for Baking?
Granulated sugar
Light brown sugar – Learn more: Light Brown Sugar vs Dark Brown Sugar: What’s the Difference?
Eggs
Vanilla extract – Use store-bought or homemade vanilla extract.
All-purpose flour – Learn more: How to Measure Flour
Salt
Semisweet chocolate chunks or chocolate chips
Unsweetened cocoa powder – For dusting the top of the brownie cake.

What Kind of Chocolate Is Best for Baking?

This brownie cake will only be as good as the chocolate you put into it. Some of my favorites for this recipe are Guittard 72% bittersweet chocolate in the batter, Callebaut 44% semisweet chocolate chunks, and Scharffen Berger cocoa powder. You can’t go wrong with any of these three brands.

How to Make Triple Chocolate Brownie Cake

Overhead view of melted chocolate in glass bowl — Melt the chocolate.

Overhead view of eggs cracked into bowl with creamed butter and sugar — Melt the chocolate.

Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line the bottom of an 8- or 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper. Grease the paper and any exposed parts of the pan.
Melt the chocolate. Place the bittersweet chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at half power in 30-second increments until the chocolate melts when stirred. Cool slightly.
Mix the wet ingredients. Use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl until they’re light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla, followed by the melted chocolate.

Overhead view of dry ingredients added to brownie batter — Add the dry ingredients.

Spreading brownie batter into round pan — Add the dry ingredients.

Finish the batter. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Mix in about 1/3 of the flour and all of the salt. Add the remaining flour in two portions, mixing just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks.
Bake. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
Cool. Set the pan on a wire cooling rack and allow the cake to cool completely. (Learn more: Why Every Baker Needs Wire Cooling Racks)
Serve. Carefully remove the brownie cake from the pan and dust the top with cocoa powder before serving.

Tips for Success

No parchment paper? No problem. Line the pan with aluminum foil, allowing the edge to overhang the rim of the pan, then lightly grease the foil.
Let the melted chocolate cool. If it’s piping hot, you may end up cooking the eggs in the batter.
Be patient. Typically, you let a cake cool for about 10 minutes and then remove it from the pan. With its fudgy texture, this brownie cake should cool completely before you invert the pan, otherwise it may fall apart.

Serving Suggestions

Although you could certainly pour chocolate ganache or spread raspberry jam over the top of this brownie cake, it would take away from that delicate, crisp layer on top. If you’d like to add a topping to dress it up, I suggested a drizzle of melted white chocolate or salted caramel with some toasted pecans or a dollop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream with fresh berries on each slice.

Variations

You can fold walnuts or pecans into the batter if you like your brownies nutty. Milk chocolate chips are a delicious addition as well, adding even more chocolate decadence to this brownie cake.

Overhead view of brownie cake slice on plate

How to Store

Room temperature: Store brownie cake tightly wrapped in plastic or in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: You can freeze this brownie cake. Wrap it tightly in plastic and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let it thaw at room temperature before serving.