The Ultimate Easy but Impressive Dessert for Any Celebration
We celebrated my husband’s grandma’s birthday this weekend, and I volunteered to put my baking-as-therapy energy to good use and make dessert for the family celebration. She’s not one for a big fuss about herself (or anything else), but I know she never says no to a good cake. It’s one of the things I love best about her.
After thinking about which Pinterest-perfect dessert creation I wanted to attempt, I decided to stick with a tried-and-true family recipe instead and make my own favorite dessert: my mom’s Chocolate Chip Brownie Torte. It’s simple but showy with its four layers of brownie cake and chocolate chip whipped cream.
This from-scratch recipe is something my mom has been making for years for my birthday and many other occasions. And not to overstate it, but this recipe was one of the things I baked for my husband early on, back when we were first dating. It *may* be what convinced him to marry me.
It’s that good.
But better yet, it’s not difficult. One pot on the stovetop, one pan in the oven, and then that homemade whipped cream frosting that’s not too sweet, perfectly smooth, and still totally decadent.
This dessert tastes best if you make it the night before and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours before serving. It fits right in to my life, where I’m baking into the wee hours the night before an event.
Don’t be intimidated by the layers. The jelly roll pan makes it fool-proof to get perfectly even layers, and the whipped cream camouflages imperfections (ahem, like a broken layer because I got overzealous in my inverting the pan). Once your guests take their first bite, they won’t be thinking about how the layers look anyway.
Chocolate Chip Brownie Torte
Ingredients
Chocolate Chip Brownie Layers
- 2/3 cup butter
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips (semi-sweet)
- 1-1/2 cups sugar (granulated)
- 1-1/2 cups flour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Chocolate Chip Whipped Cream Frosting
- 3 half pints heavy whipping cream
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1-1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (divided)
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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Line a jelly roll pan (approximately 10 x 15 x 1) with wax paper or parchment paper sprayed with PAM cooking spray.
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Chill medium mixing bowl (preferably metal) in freezer until ready to make whipped cream frosting.
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Heat and stir butter and chocolate chips in a 3-quart saucepan over Medium heat until melted.
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Stir remaining dry ingredients, 4 eggs, and vanilla extract into melted chocolate mixture over Low heat until combined.
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Spread evenly into prepared pan.
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Bake 20 minutes in 350 degree oven.
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Cool on rack in pan for 10 minutes.
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After cooling 10 minutes, carefully invert pan onto large cutting board or two wire racks next to each other. Remove waxed paper/parchment paper.
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Cool cake completely. (Prepare frosting while cooling.)
Chocolate Chip Whipped Cream Frosting
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Beat whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in chilled bowl on High speed until stiff (approximately 7 minutes).
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Stir in 1 cup mini chocolate chips. (Reserve 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips for sprinkling on top.)
Assembling the Torte
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Cut the cake crosswise into 4 equal pieces.
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Place one piece on serving plate and spread about 3/4 cup frosting on top.
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Top with second layer of cake and repeat with 3/4 cup frosting.
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Repeat with 3rd and 4th layers.
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Frost sides of cake.
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Garnish with remaining 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips on top layer.
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Chill at least 1 hour before serving. (Overnight tastes best!)
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Cut into 12 slices to serve. Refrigerate leftovers.
I hope this recipe will become your family’s new favorite too! Let me know what you think in the comments below or on social media with #NeverDoneWithFun!
