Yesterday came the frosting. Today it’s that brownie lying underneath.
Classic brownies are often made with unsweetened chocolate, which typically is melted with the butter. The resulting brownies tend to have moistness and stickiness. This recipe title says both “classic” and “cake.” Here cocoa powder substitutes for the chocolate. The butter is beaten, not melted. With those two factors, and a large number of eggs, the resulting brownie texture shifts from sticky to cakey.
The batter here will be stiff and seems to barely fill the pan. But the egg and baking powder do give you a modestly high brownie. If you want a thicker version, then move to a smaller pan [10” X 10”] would be best, but you will have to monitor the baking time carefully.
Using the Fudgy Frosting from yesterday’s post gives you a clever texture contrast. The brownie is soft and cakey, offering no resistance to your bite. The frosting is, as the name says, fudgy and you’ll find it clinging to the edge of your teeth. It will linger there, gradually dissolving, and generating a sugar high that only a true brownie lover can appreciate.
But you knew that from the picture, didn’t you?
Classic Cake Brownies
Yield: 24 brownies
Ingredients:
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 13X9 inch baking pan with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to the butter mixture, beating until just combined.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth edges and top to a uniform thickness over the entire pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the brownies cool in the pan to room temperature before frosting.
Source: Cookies Brownies Bars & More from HoffmanMedia
Photo Information: Canon T2i, EFS 60 mm Macro Lens, F/4.5 for 1/25th second at ISO‑3200