Nanny's Chocolate Fudge Brownie Cake is a keeper recipe! Easy to make and perfect for chocolate lovers. This is also freezer-friendly if you wanted to make it into portions or make it ahead for a party!

Nanny's Chocolate Fudge Brownie Cake is a keeper recipe! Easy to make and perfect for chocolate lover's.This is also freezer friendly if you wanted to make into portions or make ahead for a party!

Nanny's Chocolate Fudge Brownie Cake! Oh boy!

This is one of Nanny Pat's treasured 'keeper' recipes and here's what Nanny has to say about her recipe;

"This cake will take care of anyone's chocolate craving. The cake is dense but not heavy, and not overly sweet. I have marked it "Keeper".

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These photos are ones I made for a Birthday special cake (my favorite Birthday Cake.....would make it in a tube pan, and frost with homemade white Buttercream Frosting). But birthday or not, it is perfect as is....XOXO Nanny."

Nanny's Chocolate Fudge Brownie Cake is certainly very popular, with over 1 million shares across social media, you can rest assured, this cake will be a hit when you serve it up.

It's perfect for parties, potlucks, Christmas and Thanksgiving time, Easter.. in fact, any time!

NOTES

We have had a few comments from our readers who have said some of the batter spilled over in the oven. Please please make sure you DO NOT NO NO NO use the ingredients listed on the box mixes, just the ingredients listed below.

Then you should be absolutely fine with no chocolate fudge volcanic eruptions happening in your oven!

Some of our readers have made this just on its own, some have added the frosting and others have made up their own frosting recipe. Whichever way you decide to make this, please enjoy!

And if you're baking for just one or two people, why not cut the cake into slices and wrap individually and freeze. At least you'll have a nice little supply of nanny's cake to hand when you get that craving!

In the photo below, Nanny's sliced some of her chocolate fudge brownie cake and put in boxes to take for friends. Of course, they all loved it!

Nanny's chocolate fudge brownie cake prepared for gifts

Last week I made nanny's chocolate fudge brownie cake but added an Easter touch to it. I was going to a school reunion and since it's coming up to Easter I thought what better than to bring a cake along for my old school friends to enjoy!

The photo below just gives you an idea of how you can decorate it for any occasion, Easter included!

Note: you do need to make sure the little chocolate eggs have set into the frosting before transferring to a plate/container otherwise they will roll off if the frosting is still wet!

Nanny's Chocolate Fudge Brownie Cake Easter Version

Here's Nanny's chocolate fudge cake made by one of our readers, made this for her son's 14th birthday, like a UFO Spaceship. It looks great!

Nanny's Chocolate Fudge Brownie Cake, 14th birthday

Ingredients

1 box chocolate cake mix (I used Betty Crocker's Choc. Fudge 15.25 oz.)
1 box fudge brownie mix (I used Duncan Hines Decadent Brownies 17.6 oz.)
4 eggs
1 ¼ cups water
1 cup oil
1 can Pillsbury chocolate fudge cake icing

Nanny Pat's 70th Birthday
Nanny Pat's 70th Birthday

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and lightly flour a 10-inch bundt pan ( I use Baker's Joy spray).

NOTE

Do NOT use the ingredients on the brownie mix and cake mix, just what is listed above.

Nanny's Chocolate Fudge Brownie Cake is a keeper recipe! Easy to make and perfect for chocolate lover's.

2. In a bowl add the cake mix, brownie mix, oil eggs, and water.

Pour into bundt pan and bake 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

***NOTE: Pour enough cake batter to fill the pan ⅔rds the way up. If you have any batter left over, just pop it in some cupcake liners! 

The photo below is when I baked Nanny's chocolate fudge brownie cake, I didn't use a toothpick but a cake skewer. So cute!

How do you know when a pound cake is done?, showing how to test cake
Nanny's Chocolate Fudge Brownie Cake is a keeper recipe! Easy to make and perfect for chocolate lover's.

3. Let cake cool completely after waiting 10 min. out of the oven onto a cooling rack and then transfer to a serving plate.

Nanny's Chocolate Fudge Brownie Cake is a keeper recipe! Easy to make and perfect for chocolate lover's.

4. In a small bowl, add ½ tub of ready to use cake icing, and melt in the microwave 30-45 seconds until it is able to be drizzled over cake.

Below is a photo of a slice of Nanny's cake when I baked it. It is very rich so you only need a thin slice! 

Nanny's Chocolate Fudge Brownie Cake is a keeper recipe! Easy to make and perfect for chocolate lover's.

We'd love to hear from you and what you thought of our post. Did you make any changes or add some other goodies? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and happy cooking!

Here are a couple more lovely classic Birthday Cake recipes we can recommend, and so popular too!

Birthday Cake by Liv For Cake

and Best Yellow Birthday Cake Recipe with a Mocha Frosting by Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch. Be sure to check those 2 out!

Have you tried Nanny's Best Chocolate Brownie Muffins yet? They're really good!

Nanny's Best Chocolate Brownie Muffins are simply yummy! It's an easy recipe and perfect for chocolate lovers!

Recipe Card

Nanny's Chocolate Fudge Brownie Cake is a keeper recipe! Easy to make and perfect for chocolate lover's.This is also freezer friendly if you wanted to make into portions or make ahead for a party!

Nanny’s Chocolate Fudge Brownie Cake

Yield: 8
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Nanny's Chocolate Fudge Brownie Cake is a keeper recipe! Easy to make and perfect for chocolate lover's.This is also freezer friendly if you wanted to make into portions or make ahead for a party!

Ingredients

  • 1 box chocolate cake mix, I used Betty Crocker's Choc. Fudge 15.25 .
  • 1 box fudge brownie mix, I used Duncan Hines Decadent Brownies 17.6 .
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 ¼ cups water
  • 1 cup oil
  • 1 can Pillsbury chocolate fudge cake icing

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and lightly flour a 10 inch bundt pan ( I use Baker's Joy spray).
  2. ***NOTE: Do NOT use the ingredients on the brownie mix and cake mix, just what is listed above.
  3. In a bowl add the cake mix, brownie mix, oil eggs, and water. Pour into bundt pan and bake 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. ***NOTE: Pour enough cake batter to fill the pan ⅔rds the way up. If you have any batter left over, just pop it in some cupcake liners! 
  4. Let cake cool completely after waiting 10 min. out of the oven onto a cooling rack and then transfer to serving plate.
  5. In a small bowl, add ½ tub of ready to use cake icing, and melt in the microwave 30-45 seconds until it is able to be drizzled over cake.

Notes

***NOTE: Pour enough cake batter to fill the pan ⅔rds the way up. If you have any batter left over, just pop it in some cupcake liners! 

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 437Total Fat: 38gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 31gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 165mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 0gSugar: 11gProtein: 5g

Did you make this recipe?

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363 thoughts shared

  1. I used coconut oil instead of vegetable oil and I put the cake it on the fridge after I put the icing on it, can’t keep it away from my kids they absolutely love this chocolaty goodness

    1. Hi Jenn! Thanks so much for writing in and letting us know. The use of coconut oil is very helpful as I’m sure there will be others who might just be thinking if they could use that ingredient! So glad your family enjoy the cake!!

  2. My granddaughter wanted a CHOCOLATE chocolate cake for her birthday. I got Betty Crocker chocolate fudge (with the liquid fudge pouch) and a BC chocolate fudge brownie mix with chocolate bits. I used 1/2 cup melted butter, 1/2 cup oil, 11/4 cups of milk with the 4 eggs beaten into the milk. It’s baking now and smells awesome. She wants chocolate mousse on it, so I think I will glaze it with a chocolate gnache then serve with a dollop of chocolate mousse.

    1. Gosh that sounds absolutely wonderful Penelope and together with the chocolate mousse… oh boy! Wishing your granddaughter a very happy birthday and thanks so much for taking the time to write in and let us know what you did with the recipe. It sounds so lovely!!

  3. I went to two different grocery stores today to get the box mixes. Neither one had a plain Duncan Hines Decadent brownie mix. I purchased the Amaretto. Do you think that would be good?

    1. Hi Diane, it’s always the case when you are looking for something and they’re out of stock! If you like Amaretto flavor then it will be perfect. I think the combination will be quite delicious!

      1. I found the Fudge Brownie mix at a small grocery store. Yea! Made it last night and brought it to work this morning, my guys can’t stop eating it! Thanks for the recipe!

      2. Oh gosh! So glad you managed to get hold of the mix! I guess next time you will need to buy a few boxes… I am imagining the guys at work will be asking you to make the cake again!
        Thanks so much for taking the time to write in and let us know how you got on Diane. Much appreciated.
        Have a wonderful day ahead!

  4. I made this cake for my husbands birthday! Anyone that knows me knows I HATE chocolate cake but LOVES brownies. As my husband and I have always had the couples battle of which he thinks.. Chocolate cake and brownies taste the same. To me, it doesn’t. I ran across this recipe and made it. I used a different homemade chocolate icing instead of using the store brought kind in the plastic can. I had a very SMALL piece and I was hooked. I ate this cake several times a day! Even though chocolate cake was part of the recipe, it still tasted like brownies. After sharing this recipe with her, she even made it fir her family and co-workers after I warned her she was going to get hooked on this cake. This will be my forever chocolate brownie cake dessert. Thank you Nanny for sharing this easy, delicious, and beautiful brownie cake!!

    1. Thanks very much for the smile Tracy and so happy the cake was a success and you were even converted to enjoying the cake! Happy belated birthday to your husband too.
      Thank you for taking the time to write in and give us feedback. It is much appreciated!

  5. Hi thanks for the recipe. I’m wondering if you would adjust or add some flour for baking this cake at high altitude? I always have issues when baking b/c I am at 4,700 feet. ;) Thanks in advance.

    1. Hi Tiffany, Unfortunately we haven’t had any feedback from anyone so far about if it makes a difference when baking at high altitude. I would adjust, if that is what you normally do with cakes, or perhaps someone here might be able to help and add a comment too. Sorry I can’t be much help on this, but I’d rather not guess in case I give the wrong advice!

  6. I’m hoping to make this cake for my sons birthday. i don’t want the cake to stick to the pan, would just spraying cooking spray be ok? Will this also hold up after cutting in half? My plan is to make 2 cakes and form like a snake:), thanks!

    1. Hi Amanda, yes and yes to both your questions! How fun you’re going to make a snake. We’d love for you to send in a photo if you have time so we can see. Lovely!
      The cake is firm enough to hold so you don’t need to worry. As far as sticking to the pan, yes, cooking spray will work, but if you are really worried, use some butter and grease it inside, inbetween the grooves if it is a patterned bundt, and be sure to allow the cake to cool for at least 10 minutes in the an before turning it out. As the cake starts to cool, it will begin to firm up.
      Hope that helps and happy birthday to your son!

    1. Hi Tammy, I really don’t know. We’ve only ever made the recipe with the ingredients listed. If you try it please do let us know!

  7. Hi and thank you for sharing your recipe! I’m making this cake for my best friends birthday party because she LOVES chocolate. But I’m worried I already messed it up. I added the fudge pack that was in the brownie mix and I’m worried that was wrong and it will be to much moisture. Also I used my tube pan because I can’t find my bundt pan right off hand. Please tell me it will still be good and I didn’t mess it up. Thanks again!! Crazy mom of two babies

    1. Hi Jamye! Don’t panic!! The tube pan is absolutely fine! As for the fudge pack, is that some kind of liquid you refer to, and if so, all you need to do is check the cook time at the end, (stick a skewer in to see if it comes out clean). It may change the time a little and also the consistency might be a little gooey, but then for me that is all good! I think because it is a chocolate fudgy brownie cake, you can get away with ooey gooey. I am pretty sure you will be fine. Please let us know how it turns out, and I’d love a friend like you to bake cakes for my birthday too!

  8. My cake came out kind of dry as well. I used a Ghiradeli brownie mix because that is what I had on hand so maybe that is why. I also used powder sugar in place of the frosting to cut down on the richness. Most of my household prefers cakes without icing. I will make this again but use a different brownie mix next time.

    1. Hi Amber, thanks for your feedback. I don;t think you will need to change the brownie mix for next time, but perhaps just take it out of the oven 5-10 minutes earlier (as you know, all ovens can be so different!) than the recipe. OR, try adding a couple of tablespoons of milk in the batter. That is always a good trick too! I hope this helps! Glad you wrote in and hopefully you won;t get a dry cake the next time :)

  9. Hi Mary, in Australia those sized packet mixes aren’t available. Should I just round it up to the nearest packet size available here, or would you recommend measuring the mix to your packet sizes?

    1. Hi Helen! Perhaps I should say a very good morning to you! Yes, I would just round up the sizes. You can’t really go wrong with this recipe, if you find after rounding them up, the batter is a bit dry, just add 1 or 2 tablespoons of milk to loosen, but I think it should be fine.
      Hope that helps and wishing you a great weekend!

      1. I stuck to your advice, Mary and the cake was perfect! It is now a family favourite in our home. Thanks for sharing the recipe! Helen

  10. Just wanted to let you know that I used the springform pan and it came out perfect. Time to fully cook to perfection about 50 min in my oven. Let me tell you that it is just delicious! Hope it helps!

    1. Oh boy! Thanks so much Natasha for letting us know. It will certainly help others who want to use a different pan. So happy you enjoyed it. Thank you!

      1. Oh thank you! I don’t have a Bundt or tube pan so I have mine in the oven in a springform and was hoping it would work out. So glad to see this comment as mine is actually baking right now.

  11. I’ve made this cake twice and have been told it’s the best cake I’ve ever made so thank you for the recipe! Both times I’ve it, it’s overflowed in a normal bundt pan. Any suggestions? I put a cookie sheet under it but the last time, it even overflowed from the cookie sheet to the bottom of the oven.

    1. Hi Kate, That sounds like a potential messy mess! So glad you were able to pop a cookie sheet under. I wonder why that could be. We haven’t had any other reports of this happening, and there have been so many people who have made the recipe. The only thing I can think of right now is it could be something to do with the type of box mixes you used. I say this because often, they contain baking powder/soda which gives the cake the needed air and rise, but as you can imagine, all brands will have different amounts of those ingredients. But evenso, I still can’t imagine it would be such a fluctuation to cause your cake to volcano! If we do hear of any reports or feedback on this I will pop a reply right here under your comment so you should be able to pick it up to read.
      I am thinking, in view of it happening twice, it might be a good idea to pop some of the batter in a few cupcake holders so at least the bundt is not as full, or perhaps even use a larger bundt pan if you have? I hate the thought of wasting the lovely cake on a cookie sheet!
      Thanks for writing in and wishing you a lovely and Happy New Year!

      1. I am writing in response to the ‘messy cake’. Check the size of the cake mix package, because there are different size cake mixes. I had this problem with a cake overflowing and this was the reason why.

  12. Hi,

    I don’t have a bundt pan but I was wondering if I could you a 9×9 pan or a nonstick springform pan, or even muffin pan. Please help, I’ve been wanting to try this and now that I have the time I don’t have the pan, which is just a bummer. Anything helps… Thanks!

    1. Hi Natasha, yes! You can use any pan which suits. The only thing will be the cook times. For cupcake pan, around 12 minutes, a regular spring form, around 25 minutes and a sheet pan around 40 minutes. However, these times are only estimates, so please do keep an eye on the bake and check for done-ness. As you know, every oven is different and it is hard to give precise cook times unless we have already had someone let us know. Whatever you try, please come back and tell us what pan and cook time so we can have the information for others too!
      Thanks very much for writing in and hope you finally get to try the cake. It is wonderful so please do enjoy!
      Happy New Year!