Go Back
–+ servings
Print
Instagram Cake covered with colourful chocolate candies and fondant logo.

Instagram Cake Recipe

Thick brownie layers, smooth chocolate ganache, and colourful toppings give Instagram Cake a rich chocolate hit made for birthdays and busy party tables.

Course: Cake
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Decorating Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 2 hours
Servings: 2 20 x 20cm - 8-inch square cake
Author: Recipe adapted from My Cupcake Addiction

Ingredients

Brownie Cake

  • 250 g – 1 cup butter
  • 270 g – 9.5 oz dark chocolate
  • 120 g – 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 50 g – ½ cup cocoa powder
  • 4 eggs
  • 360 g – 1½ cups caster sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Ganache

  • 300 g – 10.5 oz dark chocolate
  • 150 ml – ⅔ cup heavy cream

Decoration

  • white fondant
  • coloured Smarties
  • mini coloured Smarties
  • sugar hearts
  • small coloured chocolates

Instructions

Brownie Cakes

  1. Put the butter and chocolate into a bowl and melt them in the microwave using short intervals. Start with 30 seconds, mix well, then microwave again for 20 seconds, or until fully melted. Mix and set aside to cool slightly.
  2. Sift the flour and cocoa powder together, then set aside.
  3. Put the eggs and sugar into a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until almost doubled in size and very light and fluffy, at least 7 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and mix briefly to combine.
  4. Pour the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and gently fold together using large, round figure-of-eight movements.
  5. Re-sift the flour and cocoa mixture evenly over the chocolate mixture and fold together, again using the figure-of-eight action.
  6. Pour the mixture into 2 brownie tins sprayed with cooking spray and lined on the base with baking paper.
  7. Bake in a preheated oven at 160°C – 320°F for 20–25 minutes. The top should look slightly flaky, and the centre should spring back lightly when touched. Leave to cool completely in the tins.
  8. Once cold, wrap each brownie individually in aluminum foil and freeze. Working with frozen brownies makes trimming much easier.

Fondant Decoration

  1. Print your Instagram template, making sure it is scaled to the size of your brownie. Cut out the white outline from the template.
  2. Sprinkle cornflour onto your bench and roll out the fondant until thick. Place the template over the fondant and use an exacto knife to cut around it. Use circle cutters to cut the two circles of the Instagram logo, then set them aside.

Chocolate Ganache

  1. Heat the cream until hot but not boiling.
  2. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chunks and leave to sit, without stirring, for 5 minutes. Then mix until smooth.

Assembling

  1. Remove the brownie cakes from the freezer.

    Note: If the cakes have straight corners, use a sharp knife to round off the edges so they take the shape of the Instagram logo.

  2. Set the top brownie aside. Spread a small amount of ganache onto a cake board and place the base brownie layer on top. Use an offset spatula to spread the ganache evenly over the base layer, then place the top brownie layer on top.
  3. Cover the top and sides of the brownie with ganache. Set aside and work quickly, as the frozen brownies will help the ganache set.
  4. Place the fondant over the brownie.
  5. Arrange the candies over the brownie top, dividing them by colour.
  6. Serve.

Recipe Notes

Prepare the fondant decoration the day before so it has enough time to dry and can be placed on the cake without deforming.