Keto Brownie Cake

Keto Brownie Cake is a deeply rich with two layers of fudge brownie, adorned with chocolate ganache. This incredibly decadent dessert is sugar-free, grain-free, and absolutely divine!

This one goes out to the one whose love for brownies runs so deeply he/she would choose them over cake every single time.

You know who you are.

If you made my Death By Chocolate Keto Brownies, you already know what we’re about to get into.

I took that brownie recipe and doubled it to create a chocolate layer cake that is engineered for those who love brownies over cake, and simply can’t get enough chocolate.

Backed by a double batch of my Dairy-Free Chocolate Ganache.

Don’t get me wrong, I’d never turn down a slice of The BEST Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake, my sultry Paleo Triple Chocolate Cake, or my Flourless Keto Chocolate Cake.

But sometimes a girl just wants a double dose of brownies. 😉

Let’s discuss the ingredients!

Ingredients for Keto Brownie Cake:

For the Brownies: 

Unsweetened Baker’s Chocolate: The ingredient that makes these brownies so remarkably rich! You’ll need to pick up unsweetened chocolate bars, which you will find in the baking aisle. I buy the Guittard brand, which comes as three 2-ounce bars to a box. Because we need 8 ounces of chocolate, you’d need two boxes if you go with the same brand.

Butter: Adding fat and moisture to get all of the chemical equations correct, and bringing the fudge to the fudge brownie, butter is a key ingredient here. You can also use ghee or melted coconut oil if you’d like.

Almond Flour: Keeping the brownies grain-free and low-carb, we need a small amount of almond flour to help bring volume to the brownies. 

Instant Coffee Granules (or instant espresso): Adding instant coffee or instant espresso to brownies or chocolate cake brings an unparalleled depth of flavor. While I love what it brings to these brownies, this ingredient is optional, so don’t worry if you don’t have it on hand.

Sugar-Free Brown Sugar: Used to sweeten the brownies, I use sugar-free brown sugar. If you don’t have any on hand, use your favorite sugar-free granulated sweetener. Both work great! If you aren’t keto, use coconut sugar for a paleo option or regular cane sugar for regular grain-free brownies.

Sea Salt: A little salt makes a world of difference in turning up the volume on each individual flavor and also bringing all of the flavors together into one cohesive unit. Don’t skip the sea salt!

Eggs: Used to keep the brownies held together, to help them to rise, and to add moisture and fat content to the batter. It is best if you bring them to room temperature before baking the brownies, but no worries if they are still cold before you add them to the batter.

Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips: While the brownies are already insanely rich as is, you can level them up even further by adding chocolate chips to the batter. Optional, but recommended.

For the Ganache: 

Full-Fat Canned Coconut Milk: Used to create the lusciously creamy yet sturdy ganache, which is perfect for pouring or spreading, full-fat canned coconut milk is an amazing tool to make ganache dairy-free. If you aren’t dairy-free, use heavy cream but just be sure you don’t bring the ganache to a boiling point.

Sugar-Free Dark Chocolate Chips: Choose your favorite sugar-free chocolate chips or chunks for melting. If you aren’t keto, use any chocolate chips you like.

Butter – or ghee or coconut oil: Used to obtain that glossy finish that makes a ganache so beautiful! Plus, it adds a bit of depth of flavor. You can also add a sprinkle of sea salt to enhance the flavors here.

The ganache can be used while it is still warm to pour over the brownies for that drippy naked cake look, or you can allow it to cool for 1 hour on the counter (or 15 to 20 minutes in the refrigerator) for a spreadable consistency. 

Depending on how you want to decorate your brownie cake will determine how long you let the ganache set up.

I simply make the ganache before baking the brownies to ensure it reaches a spreadable consistency by the time the brownies are out of the oven and cooled.

Let’s bake this thing!

How to Make Keto Brownie Cake:

Make the Ganache: 

Add all of the ingredients for the ganache to a saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until melted and well-combined. Remove from the heat.

Allow the ganache to cool for at least 1 hour at room temperature, until it is thick and spreadable. You can also transfer it to the refrigerator and stir it every 10 minutes until it has thickened but is not solid.

Note: if you want the ganache runny for that dippy poured look, simply prepare the ganache after making the brownies and pour it while it’s still warm.

Make the Brownies:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line two 6-inch spring form cake pans with parchment paper.

Chop the chocolate bars into small pieces and transfer to a medium-sized saucepan along with the butter. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until completely melted and creamy.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract, almond flour, sugar-free sweetener, espresso powder and sea salt until very well combined.

In a separate bowl or measuring cup, whisk the two eggs very well until completely combined. Pour the beaten eggs into the saucepan with the brownie mixture and mix well until very well combined. Note that the brownie batter will look grainy and greasy. This is normal!

Stir in the chocolate chips (if adding) until combined.

Divide the brownie batter between the two baking pans and smooth into an even layer. Bake both at the same time for 18 to 22 minutes, or until the brownies are very bubbly around the edges. Note: they will not look cooked, but they are!

Allow the brownies to sit and cool completely. The butter will reabsorb and after a couple of minutes, they will look like normal brownies.

Compile the Brownie Cake:

Once the brownies are cool, release them from the springform pans.

Place one of the brownie cakes on a cake stand (or serving plate of choice) then spread a generous amount of ganache over the top.

Place the other brownie cake on top then proceed to either frost the whole cake with ganache, until the whole surface is well-covered or simply pour the ganache on top for a drippy look.

Allow the cake to sit and set up until the ganache is fully dried. 

Slice, serve, and enjoy!

I recommend heating the slices of brownie cake in the microwave until the ganache melts for the best flavor and texture.

Because the brownies are grain-free, they will crumble when you slice them. I’ve found heating them up not only optimizes their fudginess but also yields that gooey texture we all love in brownies. Just microwave a slice for 15 to 20 seconds!

And that’s it, my friends!

Our ticket to a fudge brownie cake that happens to be grain-free and sugar-free. I hope you love this one as much as we do!

If you’re looking for more keto dessert recipes, check out my Keto Cheesecake, Keto Pots de Crème, or Keto Double Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Keto Brownie Cake

Two layers of fudge brownie bliss married by rich chocolate ganache is what makes this Keto Brownie Cake otherworldly delicious!

Pin Print Rate SaveSaved!

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes minutes

Total Time: 48 minutes minutes

1 (6-inch) Layer Cake

Ingredients

Keto Fudge Brownie Cakes:

• ▢ 8 ounces baker’s chocolate *
• ▢ 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter or ghee
• ▢ 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 1/3 cups almond flour
• ▢ 1 cup sugar-free granulated sweetener
• ▢ 1 Tbsp instant coffee, or instant espresso
• ▢ 1/2 tsp sea salt
• ▢ 4 large eggs
• ▢ 1 cup sugar-free chocolate chips

Ganache:

• ▢ 2/3 cup full-fat canned coconut milk**
• ▢ 1 1/3 cup sugar-free chocolate chips
• ▢ 2 Tbsp butter***
• ▢ Pinch sea salt, optional

Instructions

Make the Ganache: 

• Add all of the ingredients for the ganache to a saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until melted and well-combined. Remove from the heat.
  
• Allow the ganache to cool for at least 1 hour at room temperature, until it is thick and spreadable (versus melted and runny). You can also transfer it to the refrigerator and stir it every 10 minutes until it has thickened but is not solid. Note: if you prefer using warm ganache to create the drippy look, you can prepare the ganache after the brownies have finished baking.

Make the Brownies:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line two 6-inch spring form cake pans with parchment paper.
  
• Chop the chocolate bars into small pieces and transfer to a medium-sized saucepan along with the butter. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until completely melted and creamy.
  
• Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract, almond flour, sugar-free sweetener, espresso powder and sea salt until very well combined.
  
• In a separate bowl or measuring cup, whisk the two eggs very well until completely combined. Pour the beaten eggs into the saucepan with the brownie mixture and mix well until very well combined. Note that the brownie batter will look grainy and greasy. This is normal! Stir in the chocolate chips until combined.
  
• Divide the brownie batter between the two baking pans and smooth into an even layer. Bake both at the same time for 18 to 22 minutes, or until the brownies are very bubbly around the edges. Note: they will not look cooked, but they are!
  
• Allow the brownies to sit and cool completely. The butter will reabsorb and after a couple of minutes, they will look like normal brownies.

Compile the Brownie Cake:

• Once the brownies are cool, release them from the springform pans. Place one of the brownie cakes on a cake stand (or serving plate of choice) then spread a generous amount of ganache over the top.
  
• Place the other brownie cake on top of the first brownie cake. At this point, you can pour the still warm ganache over the top to create a drippy look OR use cooled ganache to spread over the full surface and sides of the cake.
  
• Allow the cake to sit and set up until the ganache is fully dried. Slice, serve, and enjoy!

Notes

*I use 4 (2-oz) bars of unsweetened chocolate

**If you prefer cream, replace the coconut milk with heavy cream but be careful to heat the ganache very slowly so that the cream doesn’t burn.

***You can also use coconut oil or ghee. This ingredient gives the ganache that shiny look.

For the optimal effect, I recommend heating up slices of the brownie cake in the microwave for 10 to 20 seconds until they're nice and gooey and warm.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Slice - Calories: 423kcal - Carbohydrates: 10g - Protein: 8g - Fat: 42g - Fiber: 9g - Sugar: 1g

Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: American

Keyword: almond flour chocolate cake, cake made out of brownies, fudge brownies, healthy desserts, Keto Brownie Cake, sugar-free dessert recipes

Servings: 1 (6-inch) Layer Cake

Calories: 423kcal

Author: Julia