The secret to turning out a cake-like, chewy or fudge brownie depends on the amounts of each of the basic ingredients --- sugar, flour, chocolate, eggs and butter --- that you use, as well as the way the brownies are put together. Cake-like brownies include baking powder for leavening, and the brownies are put together like a cake: the butter and sugar are creamed together and the eggs beaten into the butter and cream until the whole mixture is light and airy. Chewy brownies call for more sugar and flour than a cake-like brownie. The sugar makes a crisp crust and edges with a stick-to-your-teeth center. Fudge brownies contain more chocolate than cake or chewy brownies, and sometimes contain an extra egg or egg yolk. Adding cocoa powder makes the chocolate flavor more intense.
Cake-Like Brownies
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Melt the chocolate over simmering water in a double boiler. When it is melted, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool slightly.
Step 2
Beat the butter with a mixer and beaters until it is light and pale. Gradually beat in the sugar. Add the eggs one at a time and beat to combine the ingredients well after each addition. Once all the eggs are in the butter and sugar, beat until the mixture is light and airy, about five minutes. Stir in the chocolate with spatula, using a folding motion.
Step 3
Add the vanilla to the milk. Add the baking powder and salt to the flour and stir to combine them. Add the milk and flour mixtures alternately to the butter, sugar, eggs and chocolate. Don't over mix, just stir to combine the ingredients with a folding motion until the flour disappears.
Step 4
Pour the batter into the cake pan and smooth the top. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick, inserted near the center of the brownies, comes out clean or with a few crumbs, not batter, clinging to it.
Step 5
Cool the brownies completely before cutting them.
Chewy Brownies
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Melt the butter and chocolate together over simmering water in a double boiler. When they have melted, remove them from the heat and allow them to cool to lukewarm.
Step 2
Beat the sugar, eggs and vanilla together in a mixing bowl with a spoon until they are completely combined. Stir in the lukewarm butter and chocolate.
Step 3
Combine the flour, cocoa and salt and stir them into the chocolate and egg mixture until well combined. Use a folding motion, so that you don't over-mix the brownies.
Step 4
Pour the batter into the buttered pan and smooth the top. Bake for 28 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out clean or with a few crumbs clinging to it.
Fudge Brownies
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Melt the butter and the two kinds of chocolate together over simmering water in a double boiler. When they have melted, remove them from the heat and allow them to cool to lukewarm.
Step 2
Beat the sugar, vanilla, salt, eggs and egg yolk together with a spoon in a mixing bowl. Stir in the butter and chocolate until the mixture is well-combined.
Step 3
Stir in the flour with a folding motion, until the flour completely disappears. Pour the batter into the buttered pan.
Step 4
Bake the brownies for 25 to 30 minutes. The toothpick test will not work well for fudgy brownies. To test for doneness, pull the baking pan out of the oven and tilt it at a 45-degree angle. If the batter doesn't start to slide, then the brownies are set and you can remove them from the oven. Because of the fudgy nature of these brownies, chill them in the refrigerator for an hour before cutting them.
Tips and Warnings
- Flavor the brownies with coffee or mint extract instead of vanilla. Stir in 1/2 cup of chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, walnuts or macadamia nuts just before pouring the batter into the baking pan. Top the batter with chopped walnuts. Scatter chocolate chips or mint creams over the top of the hot brownies when they are done, so they can melt and become the frosting.
Things You'll Need
- For cake brownies:
- 3 oz. unsweetened chocolate
- Double boiler or a bowl that sits on a saucepan
- 4 oz. unsalted butter, softened
- Mixer
- Mixing bowl
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- Spatula
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- Buttered 8-inch square pan
- Toothpick
- For chewy brownies:
- 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
- 4 oz. unsalted butter, softened
- Double boiler or a bowl that sits on a saucepan
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- Mixing bowl
- Mixing spoon
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp. cocoa
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- Buttered 8-inch square pan
- Toothpick
- For fudge brownies:
- 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
- 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate
- 4 oz. unsalted butter, softened
- Double boiler or a bowl that sits on a saucepan
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- Mixing bowl
- Mixing spoon
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- Buttered 8-inch square pan
- Toothpick
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