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!
You might also like
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake
- No Bake Reese’s Peanut Butter Cheesecake
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Pizza
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream Pie
- Reeses Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
- Snickers Peanut Butter Brownie Ice Cream Cake
UPDATED 9/7/16: See the cake getting put together in this new video!
Watch How To Make It
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 1x
- 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 cups (360ml) vegetable oil
- 3 cups (621g) sugar
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 6 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups (195g) flour
- 1 cup (114g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Cookie Dough
- 1 1/4 cups (280g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups (278g) packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (104g) sugar
- 3/4 cup (180g) peanut butter
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups (325g) all purpose flour, heat treated
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3–4 tablespoons (45-60ml) milk
- 1 cup (169g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Chocolate Ganache
- 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy whipping cream, divided
Peanut Butter Buttercream
- 1/2 cup (112g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120g) peanut butter
- 2 cups (230g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) water or milk
- Mini chocolate chips, for topping, if desired
Instructions
Make the brownies
- Line the bottoms of three 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper and grease the sides. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add the oil, sugar and vanilla extract to a large bowl and whisk together until well combined. Add the eggs and mix until well combined.
- Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix together until well combined, but don’t over mix.
- Divide the batter evenly between the three pans and spread evenly.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.
- Remove brownies from oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes in the pan, then remove to cool on wire rack.
- While brownies cool, make cookie dough.
Make the cookie dough
- Add the butter and sugars to a large mixer bowl and beat together until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the peanut butter and vanilla extract and beat until well combined.
- Add the flour and salt and mix just until well combined.
- Add milk to achieve the preferred cookie dough thickness.
- Stir in the chocolate chips. The cookie dough will be thick. Set aside.
Assemble the cake
- Once the brownies are cool, it’s time to put the layers together. You can pile the cookie dough onto the brownies, stack the layers and leave messy layers, or use the method I used for having clean edges/sides of the cake.
- Place half of chocolate chips in a medium sized bowl. Microwave half of the heavy cream until it starts to boil. Remove from microwave and pour over chocolate chips.
- Cover bowl with saran wrap and let sit for 5-7 minutes, then whisk together until smooth.
- Using one of the same 8 inch cake pans that you baked the brownies in, put parchment paper or saran wrap in the bottom and up the sides of the pan. You will use it to lift the layers out of the pan.
- Place the first brownie into the bottom of the pan.
- Add about 3 tbsp of chocolate ganache on top of the brownie and spread into a thin layer. This will help the cookie dough stick to the brownie.
- Put half of the cookie into the pan and spread evenly on top of the brownie. Remove the first two layers from the cake pan and place it on a serving dish.
- Repeat steps 5-7 with the second brownie and remaining cookie dough, then remove from pan.
- Put another 3 tbsp of chocolate ganache on top of the cookie dough layer from the first section of cake and spread thinly. Place the second section of cake onto the first.
- Put another 3 tbsp of chocolate ganache on top of the cookie dough layer on top (the fourth layer) and spread thinly. Top with remaining brownie.
Decorate the cake
- Place remaining chocolate chips in a medium size bowl. Microwave remaining heavy cream until it starts to boil. Remove from microwave and pour over chocolate chips.
- Cover bowl with saran wrap and let sit for 5-7 minutes. then whisk together until smooth.
- Allow to sit for a few minutes until it just starts to thicken, then pour over the top of the cake, spreading it over the top and pushing some over the sides to create the drip.
- Place cake in refrigerator and make the peanut butter buttercream.
- Beat the butter until smooth, then add the peanut butter and mix until smooth and well combined.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
- Add water or milk, as needed, to get the right consistency.
- Remove cake from fridge, and pipe buttercream around the top edge of the cake and sprinkle with mini chocolate chips, if desired.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
- Calories: 1007
- Sugar: 81.1 g
- Sodium: 144.9 mg
- Fat: 62.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 110 g
- Protein: 12.8 g
- Cholesterol: 117.7 mg
Enjoy!
Love this recipe. I made this dessert, the non dressed up version, just piled on the cookie dough without smooth edges 🙂 Still tasted delicious. What would you substitute in the cookie dough if you wanted a plain cookie dough, not peanut butter? Would you just leave the peanut butter out? would you add more butter??
Thanks!
I’m so glad you love it! 🙂 If you want it without peanut butter, you can just leave the peanut butter out. If you find you need more moisture, just add a little more milk.
Thank you, this was my question exactly!
This looks so yummy! My husband’s birthday is coming up, but we live farther away and plan to wait to do the “birthday” things with our family. I wanted to make this for him on his birthday, but it’s just so big that we would either throw away half of it or gain ten pounds trying not to. Would there be a way to miniaturize this? Like making the layers in ramekins instead? Thanks!
A fun way to make it mini and transportable would be to do it in jars, like mason jars. Kind of like little truffles. The same flavor, just different packaging. You could bake the brownies and make the cookie dough, but then cut the brownies into smaller squares, kind of like crumbles and do layers of that and crumbled cookie dough. Then pour a little chocolate ganache over top of each one. The ramekins is a good idea too, it’s just harder for me to tell you how to go about it since I haven’t done it.
Oh WOW!! This cake looks heavenly!!!
Thank you Maria! It’s definitely an indulgence 🙂
OMG!!! This looks amazing! I’m so glad I saw this on Two Cup Tuesday. Pinned it, and drooling over it.
Thanks Lauren! Thanks for the pin! 🙂
This is insane!! SO beautiful and decadent looking.
Thanks Rachel!
Lindsay, this looks so delicious I want it now! ha It’s like you’ve combined some of my favorite things into one beautiful tower cake. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thanks Kenton!
Oooohh! This looks so decadent! My problem will be not eating all the cookie dough before I make the cake!
Thanks my problems with most things – cookie dough, cake batter, icing. 🙂 Thanks Susan!
This looks amazing, and I am planning on making it this weekend for a birthday party. If I am making this cake the day before the party do I need to refrigerate overnight or can it be left at room temp?
Thanks!
It’s up to you really. The cookie dough has butter in it, so I’d probably recommend refrigeration. However, I would take it out of the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Holy cow! Now that is a cake! It looks so yummy and it’s so beautifully stacked, put together and photographed. Found you over at Two Cup Tuesday. Pinning so I can share on my Facebook fan page 🙂
This looks terribly sinful and YUMMY!!!!
Yes to both – sinful and yummy! 🙂
OMG Lindsay, I am totally in love with this cake! It looks so darn goo! Pinned and sharing on G+. Hope you have a lovely week! 🙂
Thanks Julie! Thanks for sharing too! 🙂
The cake looks delicious. But I’m still concerned about the cookie dough, because it’s uncooked. Are you sure that amount of flour (2 1/2cups) could be eaten raw?
I really think that’s a call you’ll have to make. I personally haven’t had any issues and I know this cake has been made many times without issue, but that’s a personal decision. You could try toasting the flour before adding it so that it’s “cooked”
Going to make this cake for my boyfriend’s birthday next week! It’s the prefect cake for him! However, I was wondering about using chocolate cake instead of brownie layers… Do you think that could work?
Yes, I do think that would work – I considered it myself. Just keep in mind that the cookie dough is pretty thick, so when you layer it, depending on how you decide to do it, it might condense the cake a bit. You can always add a little more milk to loosen up the cookie dough if you need to, as well. Enjoy it! 🙂
Holy cow that looks good. A lot like my cookie dough Oreo cake but extra extreme with extra layers and that oozing over topping.
Thanks Erin! I haven’t seen that cake, I’ll have to go look for it – sounds yummy! 🙂
I’m floored! This looks absolutely amazing. Really. I love how tall it is from the layered deliciousness. Brownies?! and cookie dough too!!! I LOVE this! Pinning. Sharing. Drooling.
Thank you Jelli! Thanks for sharing!
WOW!!!!! This cake looks like the BEST.CAKE.EVER….all my favorite things in one delicious cake!! YUM 🙂
Thanks Jenn!
What scrumptious PB cookie dough recipe, Lindsay! They are enough to make one day-dream…
Thank you Denise!
I really want to make this! But the cookie dough calls for all purpose flour, should this be heat treated first since the cookie dough isn’t baked???
Yes, it says “toasted”, which is how I’d heat treat it.