Brownie preferences vary just like cookies. Sometimes a chewy and fudgy warm brownie topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream is needed to round off a meal. Other times a cakey brownie with a light and fluffy texture is just what the doctor ordered. Turns out adjusting a few key ingredients can transform a chewy brownie into a cakey one (and vice versa)! Whether you are a chewy brownie or cakey brownie enthusiast, Jocelyn Delk Adams of Grandbaby Cakes is back to share with us versatile recipes for both to add to your Classic Eats library.
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Chewy and Fudgy Brownies
Ingredients
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
3/4 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tbps. oil
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium sized bowl, add melted butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar and mix with your hand mixer on medium speed.
3. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition to incorporate.
4. Mix in oil and vanilla extract.
5. Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Reduce speed of mixer.
6. In intervals, add flour mixture to wet mixture until all ingredients are incorporated.
7. Add brownie batter to baking non-stick sprayed 8×8 sized baking pan.
8. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out just barely clean. Don’t overbake.
9. Remove brownies and cool on cooling rack. Cut and serve.
Notes for Making Brownies Chewier
- More brown sugar increases moistness due to the addition of molasses.
- The addition of oil helps keep the brownies super moist.
- This recipe has fewer eggs than the cakey version which helps create fudge-like texture.
- The baking time is slightly less than the cakey brownie. Underbaking keeps the brownies soft and chewy.
Cakey Brownies
Ingredients
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium sized bowl, add melted butter and granulated sugar and mix with your hand mixer on medium speed.
3. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition to incorporate.
4. Mix in oil and vanilla extract.
5. Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Reduce speed of mixer.
6. In intervals, add flour mixture to wet mixture until all ingredients are incorporated.
7. Add brownie batter to baking non-stick sprayed 8×8 sized baking pan.
8. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
9. Remove brownies and cool on cooling rack. Cut and serve.
Notes for Making Brownies Cakey
- By cutting out all brown sugar and just using granulated sugar, we also decrease the moist factor.
- The addition of both baking soda and baking powder helps to lift the brownies, creating that cakey texture.
- By adding one more egg, the entire structure of the brownie is changed from chewy to cakey.
- Adding a bit more flour also helped get rid of some of the moistness in the recipe.