This Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Brownie Layer Cake is one decadent, rich dessert! Brownie and peanut butter cookie dough are layered together and topped with chocolate ganache & a touch of peanut butter icing!
Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Brownie Layer Cake
If you are a regular reader of my blog, then you know by now that while I love super simple treats, I also have a major love of an over the top dessert! In fact, this dichotomy is indicative of my own personality as well.
Most of the time, I’m a pretty laid back kinda gal. Jeans and a top, hopefully cute, but not trying too hard. I mean really, I just don’t have time for that. I used to. But not these days. And ultimately, I want to be comfy. Not comfy = me in a bad mood.
However, when I’m feeling particularly fabulous or I’m going somewhere that maybe I can get dressed up, I really do love to dress up. Sometimes I wish was like Kate Middleton or something (you know, a princess) and always got to be super cute and have places to dress up for.
But of course, I’m not a princess…
So this cake is basically my dressy side. Monday’s recipe – the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Pizza – was my laid back side. It seems fitting that with two posts for cookie dough week, I’d do one for each side. Just so neither side feels left out. 🙂
This cake really isn’t hard to make, despite being dressy. Yes, you have to bake the brownies, but after that it’s smooth sailing.
I used my new favorite brownie recipe, Easy Homemade Brownies From Scratch, rather than using a box mix. Not only do I totally love this brownie, but a single box mix wouldn’t be quite enough for 3 layers. So if you decide you’d rather go the box mix route, you might want to do 2 mixes.
Once the brownies are made, it’s all about the cookie dough. It’s eggless, so totally safe to eat without baking. No worries there.
To hold the layers together, I used a little bit of chocolate ganache. So little, you really can’t tell in the photos that it’s there, but it is. It’s just a little glue to hold all the fun together. 🙂
The method of layering everything together and getting nice, even edges is very similar to the method I use in my Snickers Peanut Butter Brownie Ice Cream Cake. Basically, you layer everything in a cake pan and then lift it out using parchment paper or saran wrap. It might sound confusing, but it’s explained in the directions and is easy peasy and works like a charm.
Of course I thought about just letting this cake go all natural on me. I still think it’d be super cute with rough cookie dough edges. Maybe just use a cookie scoop to add the cookie dough and then stack with the brownies? It’d be beautiful and elegant in it’s own way.
But since this was my “dressy” day, I went with the well kept edges. 😉
I sure hope you have an occasion coming up, because this cake would be perfect!
UPDATED 9/7/16: See the cake getting put together in this new video!
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Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Brownie Layer Cake
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 14-18 Slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Brownie Layer Cake is one decadent, rich dessert! Brownie and peanut butter cookie dough are layered together and topped with chocolate ganache & a touch of peanut butter icing!
Ingredients
BROWNIES
- 1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 3 cups sugar
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- 6 eggs
- 1 1/2 cup flour
- 1 cup cocoa (I use Hershey’s Special Dark)
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
COOKIE DOUGH
- 1 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup peanut butter
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, toasted
- 3–4 tbsp milk
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
CHOCOLATE GANACHE
- 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, divided
PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup shortening
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp water or milk
- Mini chocolate chips, for topping, if desired
Instructions
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
- Calories: 1007
- Sugar: 81.1 g
- Sodium: 144.7 mg
- Fat: 62.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 109.9 g
- Protein: 12.8 g
- Cholesterol: 117.7 mg
Keywords: peanut butter cake, peanut butter cake recipe, brownie cake recipe, cookie dough cake, layer cake, layer cake recipe, peanut butter frosting, peanut butter frosting recipe, peanut butter frosting chocolate cake, peanut butter frosting brownies
Filed Under:
Enjoy!
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Reeses Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
Snickers Peanut Butter Brownie Ice Cream Cake
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Follow up- made this for my birthday! It was so easy and so scrumptiously delicious-but oh so rich. I made mine more rustic fashion (just plopped the layers together) and it was still gorgeous looking. Next time, I’ll make it in the 9×13 pan. But I’ll cut the cookie dough filling recipe in half (it’s really too rich) for just one layer. Everyone marveled at the cake and loved its taste! Thank you!
Any advice for converting to a rectangular pan? I know you get more servings from square/rectangle pans than rounds, and I’ve got 12 adults plus kids coming over. I imagine it would convert just fine, just not as pretty per slice. Also thought to leave it round and just make a vanilla cake for the kids. What are your thoughts?
You should get 12 slices out of this cake, as is, easily. It’s very rich. If you want to make a 9x 13 though, I’d splice the brownie layers into two, instead of 3 and have one layer of the cookie dough in the middle. Same amounts.
Quick question, if I just want to make regular cookie dough, is it okay to omit the peanut butter or do I need to add something in place of that? I’m worried that taking out the peanut butter will give me less cookie dough and if that will make a difference
I think it should be fine. You might need to add some milk or something to replace the lost moisture though. Just add enough so that the dough comes together.
Raw flour should NEVER be consumed as it can harbor e. coli and salmonella. You’re going to make your readers sick.
I have made this cake and the taste of the chocolate and peanut butter was wonderful. I have one question about the cookie dough layer. In my dough you can taste a lot of crispy bits of the brown sugar, is that how it’s supposed to be or can I make the dough smooth without those crispy bits? My dough also wasn’t as thick as yours.
My guess is that the brown sugar you used had little bits in it. That can happen – I try to pick the biggest ones out.
If the dough ended up a little thin, just don’t add as much of the milk next time.
Quick question. What do you do with the other 1/2 cup of heavy cream in the ganache? It says to microwave half of it and pour it over the chocolate chips, but it doesn’t say what to do with the other half cup. Help please!
Half of the chocolate chips and heavy cream are used for the ganache between the layers, the other half are used in the ganache for over the top of the cake.
Hi,
I came across ur website. Loved to try the cookie – dough brownie cake. for my two month baby girl monthly, birthday celebration.
I have a question. The cookie dough ingredients, you have mentioned to put flour. But not to bake or cook it. Can we use as it is, I mean doesn’t it sound to eat raw.
I usually don’t have issue with raw flour, but if it’s a concern for you, you can toast the flour prior to adding to the dough.
Thanks for ur reply.
If I wanted to make this with regular cookie dough (instead of the peanut butter) would I just leave the peanut butter out?
Yes, it should be fine to leave the peanut butter out. If the dough ends up a bit thicker, just add a little more milk.
My Grandson found this recipe for his birthday cake ans asked if I would make it for him well let me tell you the smile on his face was priceless and not to say how good it was. Thank you so very much for makung his day and Grandmom was the bomb in his eyes. Keep up the good work.
Aww that’s wonderful! I’m so glad he enjoyed it! 🙂
Hello, this cake looks soooo nice, but I have a few questions, if you don’t mind.. First, you don’t bake the cookie dough, but one of the ingredients is flour. It’s fine to use flour and eat it without bake? Second, how tall is the cake? I will make a square cake instead of doing it round for about 20 people and I was wondering if the amount of ingredients is enough. Thank you so much!!
I don’t usually have issues with the flour, but use your best judgement. I’ve heard of people toasting flour before, so you could consider doing that. With 5 layers, it’s pretty tall. I don’t remember the exact hight, but probably close to 5 inches.