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Do you love brownies and cake? If so, this Brownie Cake recipe is one you need to make! Rich and fudgy brownies are topped with a pourable chocolate frosting – and then I leveled them up with candy on top!

cake with m&ms and peanut butter cups baked in on top sitting on a white platter


Chocolate Brownie Cake 

If you’ve never made a brownie cake recipe before, you’re in for a treat. Not only does this recipe make any chocolate lover happy, but the fudgy texture will also have you dreaming about it.

This brownie recipe melds my favorite two recipes together: it uses cocoa and melted chocolate, and while it doesn’t have as many eggs as my other favorite recipe, there is corn syrup in the batter, which keeps them super moist and fudgy.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • This is a chewy and fudgy brownie recipe
  • I baked it as a cake but it works as regular brownies too!
  • Top it with chocolate frosting and candy for a fun dessert!
slice of candy pie with m&ms and Rolos on top

Ingredients in Chocolate Fudge Brownie Cake 

  • Unsalted butter – I prefer to use unsalted butter when baking. 
  • Unsweetened chocolate – This adds a chocolate flavor without adding more sugar. 
  • Vegetable oil – Adding oil to brownies with butter makes them even more fudgy.
  • Light Karo Syrup – The corn syrup keeps these moist!
  • Baking powder – This gives the brownie cake some fluffiness! 
  • All-purpose flour – Be sure to measure it correctly.
  • Semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips – The melted chocolate frosting is so good! 
  • Heavy whipping cream – Used to make the frosting. 

Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!

How to make the Best Chocolate Brownie Cake Recipe

  1. Place butter and unsweetened chocolate in a large mixing bowl. Heat on high power in 30-second increments, stirring between each, until melted and smooth.
  2. Stir in oil, sugar, and corn syrup. Stir in eggs and vanilla until smooth, then mix in baking powder and salt. Slowly stir in the flour until combined, then stir in the chopped candy.
  3. Bake until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs when poked 1-inch from the side of the pan. Cool completely before frosting.
4 images showing how to make pourable frosting for brownie cake

Making Frosting for Brownie Cake

  1. Bring heavy whipping cream and Karo to a boil over medium heat, stirring often.
  2. Place chocolate chips, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl.
  3. Once it’s boiling, pour it over the chocolate chip mixture. Let the mixture sit for about 30-60 seconds, then whisk until smooth. Let sit at room temperature until it thickens slightly, about an hour.
  4. Remove brownie cake to a cake plate. Pour frosting over the top, then decorate with candy. The frosting will set after several hours (chilling helps). You may have some frosting leftover.

Pro Tip

The frosting takes time to settle! Be patient – it’s worth it. It’s like the perfect homemade ganache meets a chocolate explosion – and you’re going to love the outcome. 

I’m never patient enough to let the frosting firm up on its own, so I always add it to the fridge to chill. This speeds up the process immensely, which means that I get to eat cake sooner! 

cake with m&ms and peanut butter cups baked in on top sitting on a white platter

Storage and Freezing Instructions

How to store brownie cake: Cover the cake pan with a lid, and keep it stored at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Can you freeze brownie cake? If you want to freeze this brownie chocolate cake, you can, but I would unthaw it and then add the frosting and candies on top at that point in time. 

slice of candy pie with m&ms and Rolos on top

FAQs

What is the difference between brownie and brownie cake?

The difference between the two is the frosting! You’ll also notice that there is a texture difference as well. Making a box fudge brownie recipe versus a homemade brownie cake will result in your tastebuds immediately knowing the difference. 
A brownie cake is light and fluffy, while a pan of baked brownies is denser. 

Why do brownies get hard?

This fact is true for brownies and cakes! If you bake them for too long, they will dry out and become dry and hard.  

Should you cut brownies hot or cold?

When you cut into brownies or this brownie cake recipe, it needs to be cooled down all the way. That way, the knife will cut through the baked brownie portion without making a big huge mess. 

Gooey Candy Filled Brownie Cake

Gooey Candy Filled Brownie Cake

5 from 2 votes
This Gooey Candy Filled Brownie Cake is an easy brownie baked as cake and filled with candy and topped with a poured chocolate icing. It’s so chocolatey!
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Yield 12 servings
Serving Size 1 serving

Ingredients
 

For the brownies:

  • ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter
  • 2 ounces (57g) unsweetened chocolate
  • ¼ cup (59ml) vegetable oil
  • ¾ cup (350g) granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup (59ml) light Karo Syrup
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • cup (82g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups chopped candy (any mixture such as peanut butter cups, M&Ms, Butterfingers, Snickers, etc.)

For the frosting:

  • cup (113g) semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
  • 1 ½ tablespoons (21g) unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (118ml) heavy whipping cream
  • 3 tablespoons (45ml) light Karo Syrup
  • More chopped candy for garnish
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Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 8” or 9” round baking pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
  • Make the brownies: place butter and unsweetened chocolate in a large mixing bowl. Heat on high power in 30 second increments, stirring between each, until melted and smooth (1-2 minutes total). Stir in oil, sugar, and Karo Syrup. Stir in eggs and vanilla until smooth, then mix in baking powder and salt. Slowly stir in the flour until combined, then stir in the chopped candy.
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs when poked 2” from the side of the pan. Cool completely before frosting.
  • To make the frosting: place chocolate chips, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl. Set aside. Bring heavy whipping cream and Karo to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Once it’s boiling, pour it over the chocolate chip mixture. Let the mixture sit for about 30-60 seconds, then whisk until smooth. Let sit at room temperature until it thickens slightly, about an hour.
  • Remove brownie cake to a cake plate. Pour frosting over the top, then decorate with candy. The frosting will set after several hours (chilling helps). You may have some frosting left over.
  • Store loosely covered for up to 3 days.

Recipe Video

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 501kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 1702mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 39g
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Dessert
Cuisine American

Favorite Brownie Recipes

Easy Brownie Cake! This single layer cake is a fudgy brownie topped with the best pourable frosting! Decorate with lots of candy for a delicious easy cake recipe.

Last Updated on April 29, 2023



Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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18 Comments

    1. Probably not – the nutrition information is not guaranteed to be accurate. It’s done by the recipe card plugin.

  1. YOU GREW UP IN A PLACE WHERE THE AIR SMELLS LIKE CHOCOLATE??? That is ever so magical

    and these brownies are too-SOOO CHOCOLATEY and over the top!!