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.

Dark chocolate, including pure cacao powder contain flavonoids, which are the same antioxidant compounds found in fruits, vegetables and whole grains. These compounds reduce inflammation and improve blood flow to your brain and heart. They also help lower blood pressure, LDL (bad) cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

They have a rich and deep flavor paired with a fudgy and tender texture. Made with extra dark chocolate, flaky sea salt, and whole wheat flour, these brownies are not overly sweet and each bite melts in your mouth.

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.

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.

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.

Chocolate can absolutely be vegan. Most dark chocolate is vegan, but you'll want to inspect the label to be sure. However, chocolate containing dairy products is not vegan-friendly, and the processing of some chocolate products can also make it not vegan.

100% dark chocolate does not contain any added sugar. Every ingredient comes from the cacao beans. The percentage is divided between cacao solids (the “brown” part that contains health properties and the recognizable chocolatey flavour) and cacao butter (the “white” part which is the fatty component of the chocolate).

Dark chocolate's composition is regulated by law. To be described as a dark chocolate, a product needs to be at least 43% cocoa solids (including cocoa nibs and cocoa butter) sourced from the finest origins. At least 26% of these solids should be cocoa butter.

The molasses content in dark brown sugar will make your baked goods moister than if you use light brown sugar. That means that not only is the flavor affected, but the texture will be, too. Light brown sugar will result in a subtler flavor, while dark brown sugar will give your baked goods a richer flavor.

Why do you put salt on top of brownies? ›

The only thing that saves them from being chocolate overkill is the generous portion of salt in the batter, which cuts through the richness of the chocolate. But the real star is the flaked sea salt on top, a completely necessary component that adds the occasional crunch and pop of pure salty bliss.

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.

Achieving a fudgy brownie is all to do with the ratio of fat to flour. A fudgy brownie recipe will use more fat than flour. Generally this is achieved by adding more butter or real chocolate to your brownie recipe. A cakey brownie recipe on the other hand will call for more flour in the ratio of fat to flour.

Cake-like brownies? Add an extra egg to your brownie batter to make more cake-like brownies.

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.

The ideal consistency of brownie mix is thick and gooey, similar to a thick cake batter. When you mix the ingredients together, the batter should be smooth and free of lumps, with a slightly sticky texture. This consistency is important for achieving moist and fudgy brownies that are rich in flavor.