This is a rich cake, but brownies and chocolate chip cookies are my favorite, so this combination is yummy. It takes a little time but the outcome is so good!!!

Supplies:

*3 (8 inch) round cake pans or 1 and bake 1 at a time

*Parchment Paper cut into 3 (8 inch) circles

*Cooking Spray

*2 (8 inch) round Cake Cardboard, one to set cake on and one to help with frosting

*1 (10 inch) round Cake Cardboard, set 8 inch card board on to help with frosting, catch drips and remove after decorating to cake stand using cake lifter if desired

*Cake lifter, optional

*Frosting Spatulas

*Cake Turn Table, optional but makes decorating so much easier.

*Wilton Dripping/Piping Bottle with tip, Silicone bottle for easy squeezing.

Steps

1. Make the brownie batter and cake batter. Bake as described below.

2. Make the Chocolate Chip Dough Balls. Follow directions below.

3. Make Cream Cheese Frosting or if using purchased skip this recipe step.

4. Make Ganache Filling

5. Make Cookie Dough Frosting

6. Make Chocolate Ganache Dripping

Note:  I like to make the cake the day before decorating the cake and then freeze in freezer.  (I take the cooled baked cake layers and wrap  in foil and then place each foil covered cake layer into a gallon size Ziplock bag, (you will need 3) and freeze.  Then when ready to decorate remove from the freezer, layer the cakes adding ganache/cookie dough filling between each layer.  Frost the whole cake with crumb layer of cream cheese frosting. Then return the cake to the freezer for about 20 minutes.

Then remove cake from the freezer and decorate as follows:

Assemble and Decorate the Cake:

Place the 10 inch cake cardboard and place brown side down and put a small amount of cream cheese frosting on top of the white side of the cardboard spread in a circle in the middle of the board.

Make sure each cake layer is flat;  you may need to cut off with a knife the tops to make them level.  (A cake leveler probably won’t work with this cake, because of the firm texture of the brownie but mine didn’t need leveling.)

Then place the first layer of cake and spread on 1/3 of the ganache filling, and then 1 cup of the cookie dough filling, add the second cake layer and repeat fillings. Then add the third layer and then add to the top of the cake a 8 inch round cardboard and frost the side of the cake with the cookie dough filling/frosting.  Remove cardboard.

Now on top of the cake frost with about 1 cup of the cookie dough frosting/filling and spread evenly on top of the cake.

Using a plastic Wilton dripping/piping bottle and add the “Dripping Ganache” inside the bottle.  Begin dripping around the cake by going to the edge of the cake with the tip pressing evenly, turning the cake and stopping a few seconds in each drip spot, dripping as desired.

Note:  Drip by holding the bottle, squeeze for a few seconds until desired amount for each drip. Practice before hand if desired on a rim of a drinking glass.

When you have finished pipe dripping, add the remaining ganache to the top center of the cake and carefully spread to the drip line of the rim of the cake.

Add 8 cookie dough balls around the top rim of the cake.  Then sprinkle top of the cake with crushed graham crackers.

Allow the cake to set in the fridge for about 15 minutes. Slice and enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Brownies

*3 cups Sugar
*1 cup Special Dark Hershey’s Cocoa Powder
*1 cup Butter or Butter Flavored Shortening, melted
*6 Eggs, room temperature
*2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
*1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
*2 cups Flour
*1 and 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder

In a mixing bowl mix together the cocoa powder and sugar.  Then add the melted butter or shortening and vanilla, cream together with wooden spoon, add eggs one at a time stirring, incorporating each egg. Mix until combined well and do not beat or whip.

Whisk together in a mixing bowl the dry ingredients; flour, baking powder and salt.

Combine the creamed mixture with the dry ingredients and mix with wooden spoon just until smooth.

Divide the brownie batter into 3 round 8 inch cake pans lined with a round circle of parchment, sprayed with cooking spray.  Note: You can weigh each cake pan with batter to get exact amounts of batter in each cake pan, I used 3 8 inch cake pans.

Now see and make the  Vanilla Bean Cake Batter and add equal amounts of that batter on top of the brownie batter.

Bake brownies in a pre-heated 350* F. oven for 25 minutes or until done.

Remove brownies from oven and allow cooling, cut off the edges of brownies and then cut brownies into small squares.

Vanilla Bean Cake

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Preheat oven 325*F.

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*2 and 1/4 cup Cake Flour, sift and then measure

*1\2 cup White Wheat Pastry Flour, sift and then measure

*2 and 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder

*1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt

*1 cup Butter, room temperature

*1 and 3/4 cup Sugar

*4 Eggs, room temperature

*1 cup canned Evaporated Milk

*1 tablespoon Vanilla Bean Paste or 1 Vanilla Bean Seeds, seeds removed from bean (add vanilla bean paste/seeds to the milk)

*Cooking Spray

*Parchment Paper, cupcake liner if using that option

**Aluminum round cake pans

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In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream together on medium speed the butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Then add one egg at a time beating between each one until all are incorporated.

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In a mixing bowl sift together the cake flour, wheat pastry flour and baking powder. Then gradually add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, on medium low-speed and alternating with the milk and vanilla mixture in thirds just until combined.

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Use 2 round 8 or 9 inch (9 inch will make thinner cake layers) cake pans or 3 round 6 inch cake pans, sprayed with cooking spray and lined with parchment. Then sprinkle a small amount of flour in each pan to coat cooking spray. This helps cakes to release from the pan after baking, tap out any unused flour.

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Pour cake batter evenly between baking pans.

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Bake in a 325*F. oven for 30-40 minutes or using a toothpick inserted to the middle of the cake comes out clean also depending on your pan size.

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Remove cakes from the oven and allow them to cool slightly, about 10 minutes and then run a plastic knife a round the edge of the cake, if needed and allow cakes to cool on cooling racks until completely cool, frost as desired.

Note:  If you have a large oven you can bake 2 cake pans in the oven at a time, just make sure there is good space for circulation between cake pans and the cakes don’t let them touch the sides of the oven.  (If after cakes are baked and cooled if needed you can to level off with a knife to make flat,  mine didn’t need leveling, they were flat enough.)

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Recipe vanilla cake adapted from Rock Recipes

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

Makes 12 Cookie Dough Balls

*1/2 cup Butter, room temperature
*2 tablespoons Granulated Sugar
*1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
*1 tablespoon Molasses
*2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
*Pinch of Sea Salt
*1/2-3/4 cup Mini Chocolate Chips
*1/2 cup Graham Cracker crumbs, save about 3 tablespoons for topping cake
*1/4 cup ground Old Fashion Oatmeal, chopped in a small food processor

In a medium bowl cream together using a wooden spoon:  Butter, sugar and brown sugar, molasses, vanilla and salt. Then stir in graham crackers, oats and mini chocolate chips.

Using a cookie scoop (1 tablespoon size)  scoop cookie dough onto a foil covered baking sheet or Silpat.  Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Remove from the fridge and roll scooped cookie dough in your hands making round balls.  Refrigerate until ready to decorate cake.  Makes 22-23 cookie dough balls.

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White Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting OR use 1 (16 ounce) Container Cream Cheese Frosting, like Betty Crocker for Crumb Layer

*1 (16 ounce) container of your favorite Cream Cheese Frosting, for crumb layer

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*1 cup Butter, room temperature

*3 cups Powder Sugar, more if needed for desired consistency for spreading and piping

*1/4 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

*2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

*1/4  cup White Chocolate Melting Wafers, like Ghirardelli or good quality White Chocolate Chips, melted (Make sure to slowly mix in with creamed butter and sugar)

*Pinch of Sea Salt

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In a stand mixture with paddle attachment on medium speed, cream together the butter and powdered sugar, gradually adding the powdered sugar alternating with the heavy whipping  cream.  Then add the vanilla, salt and the melted white chocolate/vanilla wafers/chips.  Add more powdered sugar, only if needed.

Ganache Filling

1 and 1/2 cups Dark Chocolate Chips or Semi-Sweet, like Ghirardelli

1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

In a double boiler on medium-low heat, add the cream until heated about 3-4 minutes. Then turn off the heat and add the chocolate chips and let sit about 4 to 5 minutes. stir until cream and chocolate are incorporate and mixture becomes a glossy mixture

Cream Cheese Frosting for Crumb Layer

*1 (16 ounce) container of your favorite Cream Cheese Frosting, for crumb layer

Cookie Dough Frosting

*1 and 1/4 cups Brown Sugar

*1 cup Sugar

*1 and 1/4 cups Coconut Oil, room temperature

*1/2 cup Almond Milk

*1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract

*1 and 1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt

*2 and 1/2 cups Old Fashion Oats, finely chopped in food processor making oat flour

*1 and 1/4 cups Mini Chocolate Chips

Cream together in a bowl using a stand mixer the brown sugar, sugar and coconut oil. Then mix in almond milk, vanilla and salt and alternate adding oat flour and almond milk. Stir in the Mini chocolate chips.

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Dark Chocolate Dripping Ganache

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*1/2 cup Dark Chocolate Chips

*1/3 cup Heavy Cream

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In a double boiler on medium-low heat, add the cream until heated about 3-4 minutes. Then turn off the heat and add the chocolate chips and let sit about 4 to 5 minutes. Stir until cream and chocolate are incorporate and mixture becomes a glossy mixture.

Allow the ganache to cool slightly before dripping onto the cake.

Cookie Dough Filling and Frosting

Crumb Coat/Cream Cheese Frosting

Enjoy!

Lindy