Dark Chocolate Brownie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What makes brownies cakey vs fudgy? ›

Fudgy brownies have a higher fat-to-flour ratio than cakey ones. So add more fat—in this case, butter and chocolate. A cakey batch has more flour and relies on baking powder for leavening. The amount of sugar and eggs does not change whether you're going fudgy or cakey.

First up, texture: Cocoa brownies stay softer than chocolate brownies—they won't feel dry or crumbly, even if you prefer, like me, to eat them straight from the fridge—because they get their fat from butter as opposed to cocoa butter.

Getting the perfect crust for you means choosing a recipe with just the right proportions of granulated and brown sugars. More brown sugar leads to dense brownies with incredible depth of flavor, but the additional moisture can cause their upper crust to be more solid than delicate as a result.

Cocoa brownies also tend to be softer, while chocolate-based brownies are fudgy and chewy. Cocoa brownies are richer in chocolate flavor, while chocolate brownies are lighter and sweeter in flavor.

The aeration agent or leavening agent as it's often called helps trap air in the batter structure and hence results in the cakey brownie style.

In brownies, both butter and oil will offer a moist, tender texture, but only butter will give the dish the aeration needed for rising brownies well. If you use a cake brownie, butter is a better option because it helps rise the batter. For denser, fudge type brownies, oil is permissable.

If you don't get rid of them, they can bake up into dry spots in your brownies. Take the extra few seconds to sift the amount of cocoa powder called for in the recipe with a sifter or a fine mesh strainer.

Because most brands of hot chocolate powder include sugar or sweetener, you may wish to reduce the amount of sugar you add to your baking recipe. To use it as a cocoa powder substitute, you need to use two teaspoons of hot chocolate mix for every teaspoon of cocoa powder in the recipe.

Alternatively, you can use cooking chocolate instead of cocoa powder. Use 30 grams of cooking chocolate for every 24 grams (three tablespoons) of cocoa powder that's required, and 15 grams less butter or oil.

The sea salt on the tops of these brownies is everything.

Salt adds so much to baked goods. It gives you that salty-sweet flavor, and the flakes add crunch and texture. I also think flaky sea salt instantly dresses up brownies.

Which sugar is better for brownies? ›

Using caster sugar in brownies also helps to get a super crinkly top. Caster sugar has a smaller grain size than granulated sugar, so it dissolves better in the egg mixture, to give that nice crinkly top. If you only have granulated sugar on hand it will still work fine particularly if you are in the US.

“Powdered sugar will make the brownies gummy,” says Gossett, arguing that the cornstarch in the sugar used to prevent it from caking imparts an almost sticky texture. Granulated sugar, particularly in cocoa-based brownies, gives them almost a candy-like crust and an extra-soft interior.

"The brownies in How to Bake Everything were re-developed for a fudgy center with a crackling-chewy crust on top," he told me in a (very important) statement. "Cocoa achieves that better than melted chocolate because it's a purer form of chocolate and adds no moisture.

Did you know that Brownies were originally called 'Rosebuds'? Rosebuds was established in 1914 for girls to join before they became Guides. Just one year later, the name was changed to Brownies. Brownies are the second-youngest members of the Girlguiding family, for girls aged between 7 and 10.

Brownie textures fall into three general camps… Cakey, fudgy and chewy. Cakey brownies, like the name implies, are light, moist and airy, with a slightly fluffy, cake-like interior. Fudgy brownies are moist, dense and gooey, with almost the texture of fudge, but not quite as compact.

Fudgy brownies benefit from less cocoa powder and the addition of chopped chocolate, which gets melted with the butter to create a thick, molten base. Pulling them out of the oven before a toothpick comes out clean also ensures the center stays fudge-like and gooey.

Using airtight wrappings (including using plastic wrap right against the brownies) is key to keeping your brownies fresh, whether you're keeping them at room temperature for short-term storage, or planning to freeze them so you can have a fresh brownie ready whenever you need it.

To test for doneness with a toothpick, insert a toothpick into the center of the brownies and pull it back out. For fudgy brownies, you'll want to see some moist crumbs attached to the toothpick when you pull it back out. If it looks like it's covered in brownie batter, the brownies will need to bake a bit longer.

Brownie mix should have a smooth and thick consistency when properly mixed. It should be free of lumps and have a uniform texture throughout.