This cake did not turn out how I had hoped, but it still looks cool, doesn’t it? Sorry for the bad photos. I use my iPhone 4s for everything. Plus, I took these shots at different times of the day so the lighting was off. Oh well. I don’t get paid to do this (yet).

I find a lot of recipes and inspiration from Pinterest, and this one caught my eye from a mile away. We are spending July 3rd at my parents to see a parade, and then July 4th, early in the morning, we are seeing hot air balloons at Eyes to the Skies in Lisle. My son is obsessed with balloons right now. And, of course, I’m bringing something sweet to eat. This delicious cake is very easy to make, just read the directions carefully (you always should anyways). Let’s get to making this beauty…

What you will need:

4.5 x 8.5 inch loaf pan that is lined with aluminum foil and greased

For the brownie layer:

4 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

For the butter cake layer:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3 1/2 tablespoons milk

To make the brownie layer: Note: This cake bakes twice at different temperatures

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.

Place chocolate and butter in heat proof bowl over simmering water. Stir constantly until melted. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Stir in brown sugar until blended. Add egg and mix well. Stir in flour until combined. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes.

To make the butter cake layer:

While the brownie is in the oven, start making the butter cake. In a small bowl, sift together flour and baking powder, and set aside.

In a large bowl (or bowl of your electric mixer), beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add in the flour mixture and milk until incorporated.

As soon as the brownie is out of the oven, spread butter cake batter evenly on top. Change oven temperature to 325 degrees fahrenheit. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Keep checking for doneness by inserting a wooden skewer in the center. Let cool on wire rack completely before cutting and serving. Enjoy!

Here is how I cut mine. I also found putting it in the fridge for a couple hours made cutting easier (and it tasted good, too).