This ridiculously fudgy brownie cake is for brownie lovers only!! We’re combining my decadently moist vegan chocolate cake with my extra fudgy vegan brownies for the ultimate chocolate lover’s dream dessert. The chocolate cake batter is made extra rich by using a deeper cocoa powder to distinctly see the fudgy brownie bites baked into the cake and topped with a silky chocolate buttercream frosting and chocolate ganache to top.

Honestly, after one bite, you’ll never believe that this cake is entirely dairy free, vegan and made without eggs! And if you can’t decide between cookie dough and brownie, then you must try my cookie dough brownie stuffed cake next!

sliced vegan chocolate brownie cake on a marble platter.

Quick Look: Fudgy Vegan Brownie Cake

  • Method: 3 components, all made with just a bowl and a whisk.
  • Why Make THIS Version? The fudge brownie bites stand out distinctly from the rich chocolate cake, wrapped in a silky chocolate buttercream frosting that makes this brownie cake ultra decadent but easy to keep going for bite after bite!
  • Secret to Success: Bake the brownie bites and cake layers the day before assembling and serving- hello, stress-free baking!
  • Key Ingredients: All-purpose flour, Dutch process cocoa powder, black cocoa powder, dairy-free milk, cooking oil.
  • Bake time: 65 minutes.
  • Make ahead: You can assemble this cake and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days before serving!
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Table of contents

Why this vegan brownie cake is different:

If you’re a cookie dough lover, we have this amazing cookie dough stuffed cake for you. But if you’re a brownie lover, like myself, then you must try this loaded brownie cake.

It only felt right to treat the brownie lovers equally to the cookie dough lovers. Here’s what you can expect:

  • Extra moist cake layers: This is the coolest part. I tested this cake several times with a variety of different cocoa powders to land on a combination that provides an extra moist, rich and fudge chocolate cake that STILL allows the fudgy brownie bites to be seen! And it’s made with just a bowl and a whisk!
  • Fudge brownies in every bite. I slice up my classic vegan brownies into bite sized pieces to be pressed into our cake batter and baked alongside our cake. It’s the ultimate chocolate lover’s DREAM cake.
  • Easy prep & assembly. While there are 3 main components to this recipe– brownie bites, chocolate cake layers, and frosting — I kept it SUPER straightforward for actually baking and assembling this cake. Sure, we could always pack in a lot of components in between cake layers. But I thought I really wanted this brownie cake to be indulgent, but leave you feeling like you can still go for more (because trust me, you’ll want to!).
  • No eggs, no dairy. And you’d NEVER know! I’m on a mission to show that yes, you can have everything you want vegan, and yeah, it’s even better 😉 In fact, I made this for my 30th birthday cake a few years ago, served to all non-vegan guests. Not a slice left!

Vegan Brownie Cake Ingredients:

brownie cake ingredients layed out on a marble table.
  • Brownie bites: I’m using my classic vegan brownie recipe here, which again, just uses a bowl and a whisk. Normally, I either enjoy these brownies as is, or use for the crust component for recipes like my peanut butter brownie mousse cake or even my small batch brownie Basque cheesecake. But this time we’re technically “double” baking the brownie bites into the cake, and they remain SO fudgy.
  • All purpose flour: The key here is sifting the flour before integrating into your cake batter. For gluten free, I recommend using King Arthur measure for measure gluten free flour. I’ve tested it in all components of this recipe that require flour, and it’s perfect!
  • Dutch process cocoa powder AND black cocoa powder: This is crucial. We’re using strictly Dutch process cocoa powder for the brownies, and a blend of Dutch process cocoa powder AND black cocoa powder for the cake. This helps to keep our cake fudgy as well while offering a distinct color differentiation between the brownies and the cake layers.
  • Light brown sugar & sugar: Both are needed here for extra moisture in the cake from the molasses in the light brown sugar!
  • Dairy free sour cream: Our vegan egg substitute for the cake! It’s absolutely phenomenal, yielding results that are identical to that of eggs. Just ask any non-vegan who’s tried these recipes, and you’d be shocked to hear the results.
  • Dairy free milk: I specifically recommend soy milk or pea milk for the protein content, but both almond milk and oat milk can work too (I’ve tested it).
  • Vegan butter or cooking oil: I make my own vegan butter, but often times will bake my cakes with just avocado oil because the results are SO moist. I used avocado oil here and butter for the cake frosting. Unreal!!
  • Baking powder & baking soda: This is *only* used for the chocolate cake portion- because the brownies are fudgy, we actually don’t use any in the brownie batter.
  • Sea salt & vanilla: For flavor enhancers!

Most of these components can be made with just a bowl and a whisk (though making the brownies will use a bit of arm work to dissolve the sugar haha!). You can also use a hand mixer for the frosting!

Pro Tip: Weigh your ingredients!!

If you do anything, make sure that you buy a kitchen scale. You can get a super cheap yet accurate one for only $10 on Amazon (and it’s lasted me years before! I now have OXO, which I believe is about $50, but my $10 one lasted me for 10 years).

Weighing your ingredients will give you the most accurate bakes. You won’t have too much or too little flour, and your results are more guaranteed. Of course, you can use cup measurements (which I provide below), but be sure to spoon and level the flour rather than scooping.

How to make the BEST fudgy brownie cake:

baked brownie bites in a pan.

1. We’ll first bake the brownies: This is based off of my unbelievably fudgy crinkle top vegan brownies. You can, of course, make my small batch brown butter brownies. But for ease, I thought just a small batch of my regular brownies works perfectly!

full batch of brownies with half of it sliced into bite sized pieces and the other half remaining whole on a parchment paper piece on a marble table.

2. Once the brownies have cooled, then we’ll slice half of the batch to be used for our cake batter. The remaining half will be used to decorate the cake.

Bowl with a whisk whisking the chocolate cake batter before the cocoa powder is added in on a marble table.

3. To make the batter, whisk together the oil, sugar, light brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, and vanilla extract.

Bowl with a whisk whisking the chocolate cake batter with the cocoa powder added in on a marble table.

4. Then sift in both cocoa powders, along with pouring the vegan buttermilk in. Whisk to combined.

Bowl with a whisk whisking the chocolate cake batter on a marble table.

5. Whisk in the SIFTED flour and hot coffee until completely combined.

brownie cake batter sprinkled with brownie bites in the cake pans on a marble table before baking.

6. Bake the brownie cake: Pour the batter into your prepared 8″ cake pans, and slice the brownies into 36 bite size brownie bites. You’ll put 6-8 brownie pieces into each pan, and save the remaining for topping later!

baked brownie cake layers with brownie bites puffing out of the cake batter.

7. Once baked, allow the cakes to cool before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

8. When you’re ready to assemble, you’ll make the chocolate frosting and the chocolate ganache.

9. Then assemble the cake by smearing frosting between each layer, and topping with chocolate ganache and brownie bites to finish!

10. When finished, you can store in the fridge until you’re ready to serve, up to 4 days. Then slice and serve!

Final Brownie Cake Baking Tips:

Sift the flour & cocoa powders. This ensures that no clumps of cocoa powder nor flour baking into the cake- it’s all just smooth batter!

Keep the coffee HOT. Hot coffee will help amplify the cocoa powders in the cake, giving an extra rich chocolatey flavor.

Preventing over-baking the cake layers. Check the cake after 35 minutes with a toothpick and the bounce back test. If the cake bounces baking and the toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs, that’s totally fine!

Make ahead tip: You can bake and assemble this cake 4 days ahead of serving, so long as the cake is frosted entirely. There should be no revealed cake layers, as the buttercream frosting will act as an insulation for the moisture in the brownie cake. Once it’s sliced, wrap any extra cake layers tightly to prevent drying out!

Brownie Cake FAQ’s

What cake pans should I use for this brownie cake recipe?

I recommend using three 8″ cake pans, but you can also use two 9″ cake pans! Just adjust the baking time to be about 40-44 minutes.

Do I have to use two different cocoa powders?

For the full effect of being able to distinctly see the brownies from the cake layers, yes.

Can I make this vegan brownie cake gluten-free as well?

Absolutely! I’ve tested this recipe to be entirely gluten-free for those who need it- it works wonderfully. I recommend using King Arthur measure-for-measure gluten-free baking flour for both the cake and brownie components when making this recipe gluten-free.

slice of vegan brownie cake on a plate with a fork taking a bite out of it.

More vegan brownie recipes you’ll LOVE:

Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Brownie Cheesecake

Fudgy Vegan Brownie Pie

Eggless Brownie Cookies

Easy Vegan Brownie Skillet

🌟MADE THIS RECIPE & LOVED IT?🌟I’d love it if you’d like a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below! This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!

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sliced vegan chocolate brownie cake on a marble platter.

Extra Fudgy Vegan Brownie Cake

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Britt Berlin
  • Prep Time: 30
  • Cook Time: 65
  • Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
  • Yield: 16 1x
  • Category: Cake
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Description

This ridiculously fudgy brownie cake is for brownie lovers only!! We’re combining my decadently moist vegan chocolate cake with my extra fudgy vegan brownies for the ultimate chocolate lover’s dream dessert. The chocolate cake batter is made extra rich by using a deeper cocoa powder to distinctly see the fudgy brownie bites baked into the cake and topped with a silky chocolate buttercream frosting and chocolate ganache to top.

Ingredients

Scale

Brownie bites:

Chocolate Cake:

  • 1 1/4 cup (300 mL) vegan buttermilk, room temperature
  • 3 cups (375 g) all purpose flour or gluten free 1:1 baking flour, sifted
  • 3/4 cup (75 g) Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted
  • 1/4 cup (25 g) Black cocoa powder, sifted
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (110 g) light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup (113 g) neutral cooking oil OR salted vegan butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
  • 1 cup (220 g) dairy free sour cream, room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (240 mL) hot water + 1 tsp dissolvable espresso powder (or 1 cup (240 mL) brewed coffee, decaf if desired)

Toppings:

Instructions

  1. Prep: We’ll first be making the brownie portion, followed by the cake, then assembling. If it’s easiest, I would divide this process into day 1 being the brownie and cake portion, then the second day being the assembly. Please read through the instructions before beginning. Preheat the oven to 350F, and line a 9×9″ square pan with parchment paper. Then we’ll use three 8″ cake pans for the cake layers, which you can line with parchment paper as well.

Make the brownies first:

  1. Make the fudge sauce: Melt the vegan butter until hot (either microwave or stovetop), then pour the hot vegan butter over the 3 ounces of vegan chocolate in a heat-safe bowl. Let sit for 2 minutes to melt the chocolate, then stir until the chocolate is completely melted into the butter. Then add in the cocoa powder, and stir until dissolved. Set aside.
  2. Dissolve the sugar: In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer to cream together the dairy free milk, granulated sugar, brown sugar, dairy free yogurt, vanilla extract and sea salt. Mix on medium speed until the sugar is nearly dissolved. If you pinch the batter between your fingers, you should feel very small granules if at all.
  3. Finish the brownie batter: Pour in the chocolate fudge sauce, and mix with a hand mixer again until the chocolate mixture is combined. Then add in the flour, and mix on low speed JUST until the flour is integrated into the chocolate brownie batter.
  4. Fold in the remaining chocolate: Add in the additional chocolate chips, and fold with a silicone spatula to evenly distribute throughout the batter.
  5. Bake: Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan, and bake for 33-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out nearly clean. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes, then pop the brownies into the freezer to cool faster while you prepare for the cake portion.
  6. Prep for the cake portion: Keep the oven preheated to 350F, and line three 8″ cake pans with parchment paper and oil. Set aside. Make the vegan buttermilk according to instructions, and prepare the hot coffee.

Make the chocolate cake: 

  1. Mix the wet ingredients: In a large bowl and a whisk, whisk the vegan butter, sugar, and brown sugar until integrated.  Then add in the dairy free sour cream, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, and vanilla extract, and whisk again until combined. 
  2. Whisk in the cocoa powders: Sift in both cocoa powders, along with the vegan buttermilk, and whisk to combine.
  3. Finish the batter: To the mixture, sift in the all-purpose flour. Pour in the hot coffee, and whisk JUST until there are no more dry streaks. Set the batter aside for slicing the brownies quickly.
  4. Slice the brownies: Remove the brownies from the freezer and from their pan. Now, slice the brownies into 16 equal squares. Then divide each brownie again into quarters (you’ll have 64 brownie bites in total).
  5. Assemble the brownie cake batter: Pour the chocolate cake batter into the three cake pans evenly. Then add in about 6-8 brownie bites per cake pan randomly, and press them into the batter. You’ll have leftover brownie bites to decorate the cake after with.
  6. Bake the brownie cake: Bake the cake for 35-37 minutes, or until a toothpick comes clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and let cool for 30 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  7. When ready to assemble: Make the chocolate buttercream and ganache according to instructions.
  8. Assemble the cake: Place one brownie cake layer onto a plate, and spread about 1/3 – 1/2 cup of frosting on top. Place a second cake layer on top, and repeat, then place the third cake layer on top. Finish frosting the cake, then chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to set the frosting. You can smooth the frosting again after the refrigeration process. Then pour the chocolate ganache on top, and finish with brownie bites for decoration.
  9. Slice and serve! Slice the cake and serve! Enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container and in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Notes

Brownies cocoa powder: I recommend King Arthur Dutch Process cocoa powder for the brownies and either a blend of DP and black cocoa powder OR KA’s extra dark cocoa powder blend for the cake. This will make sure you’re able to see both the brownies and the cake layers distinctly. All natural cocoa powder won’t work here, as you want the brownies to be fudgy. All natural cocoa powder will cause cakier rather than fudgier brownies.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 large slice
  • Calories: 375
  • Sugar: 37.1 g
  • Sodium: 224.7 mg
  • Fat: 12.6 g
  • Saturated Fat: 7.6 g
  • Carbohydrates: 64.7 g
  • Fiber: 3.5 g
  • Protein: 5.9 g
  • Cholesterol: 19.7 mg