I am wondering who else has home movie VHS tapes collecting dust somewhere in your house? The other day I sent off a collection of VHS tapes and a handful of old pictures to get digitalized. The process of sorting through and deciding what photos to send was a hard task and I enjoyed reminiscing my childhood. My sister sent me a box of tapes she had as well. I haven’t seen the footage for years so I cannot wait until they are returned in a few weeks so I can laugh at what an awkward child I was.

Many of the pictures I sorted through featured birthday cakes swirled with classic chocolate frosting and loaded with candles. Growing up we didn’t have many Little Debbie type snacks in the house but on rare occasion my grandmother would buy a box when we visited and we would get to indulge in their chocolate fudgy goodness. The brightly colored chocolate candy coated sprinkles were the best part and there never seemed to be enough of them!

As I have gotten older and discovered my love of deep, dark chocolate I decided it was high time to revisit these brownie treats I remembered. I recently received an order of lovely candy coated chocolate sprinkles from Sweetapolita’s shop and recreating this classic treat was my top priority. I was in the mood to create a layer cake though and so this Cosmic Brownie Cake was born. Taking a little inspiration from Little Spice Jar, adding cornstarch really makes a difference in the final texture. The result was wonderfully dense fudge-like brownie cake layered with ganache and sprinkles. I went with a triple dose of sprinkles because I firmly believe you can never have enough of them! Simple, rich, sweet and fun. It’s the perfect cake to take you back to your childhood while enjoying a more sophisticated version of the classic.

Disclosure statement: This is not a paid or sponsored post. I am not affiliated with Sweetapolita in any way, I am just obsessed with the gorgeous sprinkles that I cannot find locally :) 

Cosmic Brownie Cake
12-16 servings

1.5 c butter (3 sticks)
2 c sugar
½ c light brown sugar
1.5 c Dutch-processed cocoa powder
4 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1.5 c flour
½ tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
2.5 c semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
1 c heavy cream
Candy sprinkles (I used these)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper. Lightly spray the inside with cooking spray and place the prepared pans on a sheet pan.
2. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter for 45-60 seconds until it no longer has chunks.
3. Whisk in the sugar, brown sugar and cocoa powder.
4. Once the mixture cools for a bit mix in the eggs, egg yolks and vanilla extract.
5. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt and cornstarch. Gently fold into the butter mixture until everything is combined.
6. Pour ¼ of the mixture into each cake pan, reserving half of the batter for the next batch.
7. Bake for 20-24 minutes. Do not overbake!
8. Remove from oven and allow to cool 30 minutes before removing from pans. Carefully slide a knife around the edge to loosen before flipping onto a cooling rack.
9. Line and spray pans and repeat with the other half of the batter. You will end up with 4 layers.
10. Once the brownie cakes have cooled completely it is time to make the ganache frosting and assemble. Place one layer on an inverted bowl slightly smaller than the cake or on a wire rack. Place a sheet tray under to catch stray ganache.
11. To make ganache, place chocolate chips in a heat-safe bowl. Heat cream in a small pot over medium-high heat until bubbles just begin to form.
12. Pour cream over chocolate and cover for 4 minutes.
13. After 4 minutes, remove cover and whisk until you have a glossy, smooth ganache.
14. Spread a thin layer of ganache on the bottom layer. Top with sprinkles and layer another cake on top. Repeat this until you get to the top layer.
15. This is where it gets messy and fun! Carefully pour ganache over the entire cake, using a small spatula to smooth it over the sides. Once completely covered, place in the fridge for 20 minutes.
16. Remove from fridge and smooth the ganache using a hot metal spatula. Top with candy sprinkles and decorate as desired.
17. Store at room temperature in an airtight container up to 4 days.