Cakey Brownies are the perfect chocolate treats with a delicate crumb. Made with cocoa powder, coffee, and real chocolate chunks.
Homemade Brownies are such a simple perfect Dessert Recipe. They are easy to make, you don’t need many ingredients and they bake pretty quickly. Plus there are endless brownie textures and flavors to choose from! From Fudgy Brownies to Chewy Brownies to these Cakey Brownies, there is a favorite brownie recipe for everyone.
Table of contents
Sabrina’s Cakey Brownies Recipe
When you think of chocolate brownies, the first thing that comes to mind is likely ultra-chocolaty, thick, fudgy brownies. While intense fudgy and chewy brownies are delicious and definitely have their time and place, sometimes you’re in the mood for something a little less dense. Cakey Brownies still have chocolaty, moist crumbs, but they’re more airy and delicate.
Think of Cakey Brownies as a cross between chewy brownies and Chocolate Cake. They take what you love from both recipes and turn it into a new delicious dessert that is chocolaty, chewy, and fluffy all at once. It is sure to be a new favorite homemade brownie recipe!
Ingredients
- Butter: Ahead of starting the recipe, you’ll need to melt 2 cups unsalted butter. Butter is the perfect oil for brownies because it provides the fat you need to moisten the crumbs and helps rise the batter.
- Sugar: To sweeten the brownies, use 2 cups of sugar. White sugar is ideal for the sugar mixture in this recipe because it makes a more light, and crumbly mixture, as opposed to brown sugar, which would make the brownies thick and chewy.
- Cocoa powder: For the chocolatey flavor, you only need 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder. Cocoa powder has a strong but bitter chocolate flavor, so you need to add enough sugar to counteract the bitterness and sweeten the chocolate. If you want a deeper flavor, you can use dark chocolate cocoa powder.
- Eggs: Use 5 large eggs as part of the liquid ingredients. Eggs add needed structure and help make the Cakey Brownies soft and moist.
- Flour: You’ll sift 1 ½ cups of flour into the chocolate mixture. Sifting the flour before you add it to the batter helps to remove any clumps and ensure that you don’t overmix the batter in an effort to remove them. For simple brownie recipes like this one, plain all-purpose flour works beautifully in the dry ingredients.
- Coffee: Adding coffee to chocolate desserts is the perfect way to enhance the flavor. The bitter coffee helps to highlight the sweet chocolatey flavors of the recipe.
- Chocolate chunks: For double chocolate flavor, sprinkle chopped chocolate chunks over the top of the brownie batter before baking. Dark chocolate or semisweet chocolate are both great options. If you don’t have any chocolate shards, as the recipe calls for, you could also top off the delicious brownies with semisweet chocolate chips.
Kitchen Tools & Equipment
Baking Pan: These brownies are baked in a 9×13 baking dish similar to a sheet cake. Often we use an 8×8 inch square baking pan but that makes the brownies thicker and more dense. Using a longer pan makes the brownies lighter and fluffier than a deep dish brownie recipe.
Mixing Bowl: You don’t need a stand mixer or even beaters to make this brownie batter, just a regular mixing bowl and a whisk. It’s easier to sift the dry ingredients in a separate bowl but to save on cleanup, you can also just sift them into the wet batter.
How to Make
Time needed: 40 minutes.
- Prep Time
To start, preheat the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 × 13 inch baking pan with non-stick baking spray, grease with butter, or line the pan with parchment paper to keep the brownies from sticking.
- Mix the Brownie Batter
Add the melted butter, granulated sugar, and unsweetened cocoa powder to a large mixing bowl. Whisk until the melted butter is smoothly blended with the chocolate mixture. Add eggs, vanilla extract, and coffee. Whisk the wet ingredients well. Sift the flour, baking powder, and kosher salt into a separate bowl to remove any lumps. Add the flour mixture to the brownie batter. Mix until just combined.
- Baking Time
Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking dish, using a rubber spatula to spread it smoothly. Sprinkle the chopped chocolate pieces over the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-33 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cut and Serve
Wait for the Cakey Brownies to cool, then use a long sharp knife to slice the pan into squares. If you lined your pan with parchment paper, you can use it to carefully lift the sheet of brownies out for easier, neater slicing.
Can this be made ahead of time?
Yes. Because they’re served cool, brownies are an ideal baked good to make a day or two in advance. After baking, let the brownies sit at room temperature until they’ve completely cooled. Then you can cover the pan in plastic wrap or foil to keep them moist while you store them. The brownies will stay fresher, left uncut until you’re ready to serve.
Nutritional Facts
Baking Cakey Brownies Tips & Tricks
Knowing when the brownies are done
This brownie recipe takes about a half hour to bake. Check if they’re done after the 30-minute mark to see if they’ve finished baking. When the brownies are done, they’ll be slightly crisp around the crust but still look soft in the middle. To ensure they’ve finished, insert a toothpick or knife in the center of the brownies. It should come out clean without any batter or wet crumbs on it. If it still has batter on it, continue to bake for another 1-3 minutes.
Don’t overmix the batter
You want these brownies light and fluffy and if you mix them too much, they will get tight and dense. To prevent overmixing, sift your dry ingredients to remove clumps. Stir your wet and dry mixtures just until there are no dry streaks.
What to Pair with Cakey Brownies
Drinks: A warm brownie and cup of Hot Chocolate or ice cold milk are the perfect pair for brownie lovers of all ages. For adults, bring out the chocolate notes in your favorite glass of Pinot Noir with these brownies.
Toppings: Top these Cakey Brownies with a sweet frosting like Cream Cheese Frosting or Dark Chocolate Frosting. A scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream or drizzle of Salted Caramel Sauce are also delicious topping for any brownies.
How to Store
Store: To keep the brownie recipe fresh, you can cover the pan in plastic wrap or transfer leftover brownies to a ziplock bag or airtight container with wax paper to separate layers. You can put the brownies in a cool, dry place and store room temperature for up to 3 days. They will also keep fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Freeze: You can freeze Cakey Brownies for up to 3 months. Wrap each brownie individually to keep them from sticking, then place them in a freezer bag together. Let the brownies thaw in the fridge before serving.
Frequent Questions
Whether your brownie recipe turns out cakey or fudgy depends on the fat-to-flour ratio. Fudgy brownies contain a higher fat percentage so that they stay soft and gooey even after baking. Cakey Brownies, on the other hand, contain more flour to which gives them a lighter crumb and airy texture.
No. A good Cakey Brownie recipe, like this one, still makes soft, moist brownies. The difference is that the crumb is more delicate, and they’re less fudgy and more airy. Because of this, biting into a Cakey Brownie is similar to eating a soft piece of chocolate cake.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 2 cups unsalted butter , melted
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 5 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup coffee , room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 9 ounces chocolate , chopped into shards
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray a 9×13 baking pan with baking spray or line with parchment paper overhanging off the sides of your pan.
- In a large bowl whisk together the melted butter, sugar and cocoa powder until smooth.
- Add in the eggs, vanilla extract and coffee and whisk well.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, then add to the bowl.
- Whisk well until just combined.
- Pour into baking dish and top with chopped chocolate.
- Cook for 30-33 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool before slicing.
Nutrition
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Variations
Chocolate: For more delicious chocolate flavor, you can add some chocolate chips to the brownie batter before it goes into the pan. You could also use white chocolate chips, or do a mixture of white and dark chocolate.
Add-ins: You can make your chocolate brownies with different kinds of mix-ins to dress up and personalize the brownie recipes. If you want to add a delicious crunch, sprinkle chopped walnuts, almonds, or pecans over the surface of the brownies. You could also add coconut flakes, toffee bits, sea salt, M&M’s, broken candy bar pieces, or pretzel pieces to the brownie batter.
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