Fudgy Brownie Cake with Chocolate Ganache

Lately, I’ve been all about desserts that don’t need a special occasion. Easy cakes and treats that feel decadent, come together without fuss, and warm the soul.

In comes this fudgy chocolate brownie cake recipe – and it’s the best of everything. It’s easy to make, deeply chocolatey, and that soft fudgy texture is unmatched. Best part, it comes together in about an hour – start to finish, making it the perfect treat for when those chocolate cravings hit. 

No electric mixer or fancy equipment needed. Just a few basic ingredients, a bowl, and a whisk.

Serve with a little ice cream and you’ve got the ultimate dessert, this is for you chocolate lover!! 

(full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card)

• Quality Bittersweet Chocolate melts into the batter and adds deep, complex chocolate flavor. Using good chocolate gives you pockets of richness and a more intense brownie experience.
• Melted Butter & Vegetable Oil add rich flavor and keep the cake dense, fudgy, and exceptionally moist, helping it stay soft even after cooling.
• Cake Flour provides a softer, finer crumb than all-purpose flour. Using cake flour keeps the brownie cake tender instead of tough, even with all the rich fats in the batter.
• Sugar and Brown Sugar sweeten the cake and control moisture. Granulated sugar helps create structure and that shiny brownie-style crumb, while brown sugar adds chewiness and deeper caramel flavor.
• Natural Cocoa Powder gives the cake its bold chocolate flavor and reacts with baking soda for proper rise. Natural cocoa also adds a slightly sharper, classic brownie taste.
• Hot Coffee blooms the cocoa and intensifies the chocolate flavor without making the cake taste like coffee. The heat also helps dissolve cocoa and sugars for a smoother batter. I do this with my chocolate snack cake and it’s my favorite trick for getting bakery style texture and flavor!
• Large Eggs and Egg Yolk bind the batter and add structure. The extra yolk increases richness and contributes to a denser, more custardy brownie texture.
• Sour Cream adds moisture and tenderness while balancing sweetness with a subtle tang. It also helps create a plush, soft crumb.

How To Make Brownie Cake

(full recipe instructions can be found at the bottom of this post in the recipe card)

Step 1: Prep the cake pan. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Use a pastry brush to coat a 10-cup bundt pan with melted butter, then dust with cocoa powder. This prevents the cake from sticking to pan. 

Step 2: Whisk together wet ingredients. Combine melted butter, vegetable oil, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Whisk together for about 1 minute, until combined. Then add eggs, egg yolk, and sour cream. Continue to whisk until smooth.

Step 3: Sift in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients – all purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Fold together with a rubber spatula until just combined, then pour in hot coffee. Let it sit for 20-30 seconds, then whisk together until combine. Fold in chopped chocolate.

Step 4: Pour cake batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn over onto a wire rack to cool completely. 

Top it off! Make the chocolate ganache – add a cup of heavy cream to a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave for about 1 minute, until hot. Add the semi-sweet chocolate chips and let it sit for 2 minutes, then whisk together until combined. Pour on top of the cooled brownie cake and enjoy!