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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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Read transcript
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, heat treated
- 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
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
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Enjoy!
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I Love your recipe, thanks 🌹
★★★★★
So glad to hear that! 🙂
Could I please confirm that the cookie dough doesn’t have to be cooked even though it’s got flour in it?
The flour should be toasted/heat treated. Otherwise there’s nothing else in the cookie dough that needs to be cooked. There are no eggs.
Hey, was wondering if you could freeze the brownie layers once they have been baked, to make them in advance? Thank you, I am in love with all of your recipes.
Yes, that should be fine. Just wrap them well and thaw them in the fridge before using. So glad you enjoy all the recipes!
How many days in advance can you make the peanut butter cookie dough brownie cake? Does it hold up well in the refrigerator or should/could it be frozen?
It does hold up well in the fridge. It should be good for about 3-4 days.
Thank you! I’ve made this for a gluten-free friend just substituting bobs red mill 1to1 and it came out great. Everyone loved it
Glad to hear that!
Not only the best tasting cake I’ve ever made, but the best tasting cake I’ve ever tried!!!! I frosted it with a pink buttercream frosting for a baby shower instead of the ganache and it was gorgeous and delicious.
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed it!
I recently made this, and it is delicious! I skipped the frosting because it was rich and tasty enough without it.
★★★★★