Cakey Brownies

These Cakey Brownies are a simple, easy dessert with a soft, chewy texture. Made with cocoa powder and melted butter, they have just the right amount of fudginess.

These chewy brownies are my favorite go-to recipe whenever I want a dessert for a last-minute dinner party or something sweet and chocolatey when the chocolate cravings hit. Easy to make with simple ingredients that I tend to have on hand all the time.

A look at the ingredients.

Eggs- Eggs help to prevent loss of moisture and make the brownies tender. I have altered the original recipe that I was handed down from my Mom and added an extra egg, and I loved them even more. Eggs also work as a binding agent to bring everything together.

Flour- The flour for these brownies is all-purpose and acts as another binding agent, holding everything together. The more flour, the more cake-like the brownies will be. I use King Arthur unbleached, all-purpose flour.

Nuts- Walnuts are the most popular nuts I’ve seen used in brownies. You can also opt for hazelnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews.. Nuts are optional, but I have small children, and they disagree, so the nuts were left out so they could also enjoy them. If taking them to a party, leaving the nuts out is probably a good idea, or make sure to let everyone know that there are nuts in them.

Butter – If you want a fudgier, more dense brownie, oil is a better option, but butter is great for an airier, richer brownie with a nice crumb to it. For this recipe, we always melted the butter instead of using room temperature butter. So you can swap out the butter for any baking oil or your choice in a 1:1 ratio. Depending on the oil you use, like I said, it will change the texture and also the flavor of the brownie as well.

Sugar- The obvious reason for sugar, of course, is to make these brownies sweet and help balance the bitterness of cocoa powder. But sugar also plays a big part in the overall texture and structure of your brownies. The more sugar in a brownie, the more fudgier it will be; less sugar will result in a cakey brownie, and low amounts of sugar will be very crumbly and fall apart easily.

Vanilla- Enhances the flavor by deepening the chocolate flavor, balances sweetness, and improves texture. Without vanilla, brownies would be bland and more dense.

Cocoa- The type and brand of cocoa powder you use will have a huge role in the overall taste of your brownie. Use whatever cocoa powder you typically bake with. I personally like to use cacao powder in place of cocoa.

Baking Powder- Baking powder is added to help make the brownies fluffier and more cake-like.

Salt- enhances the flavor and helps balance out the bitterness of the cocoa powder.

To make these Cakey Brownies you will need the following ingredients:

3/4 c butter (1 1/2 sticks) melted

1 2/3 c granulated sugar

3 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1 1/3 c all-purpose flour

3/4 c cocoa powder or cacao powder

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 c nuts (optional)

Instructions:

Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a mixing bowl, cream the melted butter and sugar together first, then mix in the eggs and combine.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.

Grandully add the dry ingredients into the wet ingrediante and mix until incorperated.

Stir in any add-ins like the nuts if you desire.

Pour the batter into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish and bake for 18-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

After they have cooled off, you can top with powdered sugar if you like.

Store in an air-tight container for up to 4 days at room temperature, or in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Freezing Brownies:

You can freeze brownies up to 6 months in the freezer. Make sure to cool them completely before wrapping them in plastic wrap and then placing them in an air-tight container or freezer-safe bag.

To thaw out, place the brownies in the refrigerator overnight or set them out on the counter for 3-4 hours or until they have reached room temperature.