How to bake the brownies of your dreams

I know brownies are highly subjective. When I published my first cookbook, I spent a lot of time trying to get the brownie recipe just right.

“Just right” can mean many different things to many different people. To me it meant a brownie that had deep, rich chocolate flavor, a glossy, papery-thin top, and a hint of boxed brownie nostalgia in the form of slight chewiness. After months of testing, I finally created my favorite brownie that checked all these boxes.

But, of course, this recipe was not a love match for everyone who made them, so over the years I worked on other kinds of brownies — brownies that were fudgy and rich, brownies that were swirled with cream cheese or peanut butter, brownies that were stuffed full of nuts and marshmallows and even more chocolate, and brownies that were simple and cakey.

Brownie purists may give some side-eye at the mention of cakey brownies; by their definition, brownies should be rich with chocolate and fudgy in texture, and anything else is sacrilege. However, I have heard whispers that, in fact, there are many who do love a good cakey brownie. They may even put frosting on top and eat it without shame. I am not here to judge, and quite frankly, would be happy to eat any of these brownies: straight-up, fudgy or cakey. They all are beautiful in my eyes.

All of these variations start with a similar base, but with slight changes in the chocolate and baking powder (and sometimes the amount of flour and pan size), they can be made into different types of brownies. For instance, the amount of chocolate changes for each recipe, with the cakey recipe having less and the fudge brownie pumped full of it. The baking powder works the opposite way, with a small amount (or none!) in the fudge brownies, but more in the cakey.

Pan size can also change things up: the smaller the pan, the thicker and richer the brownie bite. Playing around with different chocolate and cocoa powder combinations can also change the taste of your brownie. I’ve included here my recipe for my favorite brownies and a few tips and variations so you can play around with them and make them your favorite, too.

First, some tips:

Use good-quality chocolate. Since brownies are all about the chocolate, you want to like what you use. I use Valrhona’s Guanaja 70% dark chocolate or their Caraïbe 66% dark chocolate, and Guittard’s Cocoa Rouge red Dutch-process cocoa powder. Ghirardelli’s semisweet chocolate baking bar also works well here.

Don’t overbake your brownies. Check them periodically throughout baking to ensure that you catch them at the right time. If you overbake, the brownies will be dry.

Don’t use a glass pan or a dark metal pan to bake your brownies. Glass pans heat unevenly and retain heat even after they are pulled from the oven, and this often results in overbaked edges and underbaked centers. Dark metal heats faster and can also cause overbaked edges and bottoms.

Mix and match the chocolate. Using both melted chocolate and cocoa powder will give you robust chocolate flavor and great texture.

Don’t skimp on the whisking. That lovely, papery layer on top is the result of whisking the eggs and sugar very well before folding in the other ingredients.

A note about pan sizes: A 9-by-13 baking pan will bake up a great, traditional brownie. A 10-by-10 square pan will bake up an extra-rich brownie that is slightly thicker in size (this is my favorite pan to use). You will need to add a few minutes of baking time. A 9-by-9 square pan will bake up an even richer, thicker brownie. You will need to add several more minutes to the baking time.

Makes 12 large or 24 small brownies.

Imagine if boxed brownies and all their chewy goodness were actually chocolatey and delicious — that’s what I set out to do here. See variations below the recipe for both fudgy and cakey brownies. From Sarah Kieffer.

Directions

Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Grease a 9- by 13-inch baking pan and line with a parchment sling. (See tips above for different pan sizes).

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated and brown sugars, oil, vanilla, salt and baking powder. Set aside.

Place the butter and chocolate in a small, heavy-bottom saucepan set over low heat and melt together, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. Continue cooking until the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and add the cocoa powder, whisking until completely combined. Add the chocolate mixture to the sugar-egg mixture and whisk until smooth. Let the mixture sit for a minute and then whisk again for 30 seconds. Add the flour and stir with a spatula until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and use an offset spatula to smooth the top.

Bake for 22 to 27 minutes, until the sides of the brownies have set, the top is starting to crackle and looks glossy, and a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out with crumbs. The batter on the toothpick should not be wet but should have a good amount of crumbs clinging to it. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely. Use the parchment sling to gently lift the brownies from the pan. Cut into squares and serve. The brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Increase the chocolate to 10 ounces (283 g) bittersweet chocolate (up to 70%), add 2 egg yolks, decrease the baking powder to ½ teaspoon. For an extra fudgy brownie, you can decrease the flour to ½ cup (71 g) and bake the brownies in a 9-by-9 square pan. These will be very intense, and are best eaten in small bites. Make sure the center is baked as described above.

Decrease the chocolate to 6 ounces (170 g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate and increase the baking powder to 1 teaspoon. Add chocolate frosting if desired.

To make frosting:

Directions

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of boiling water, being careful not to let the water touch the bottom of the bowl, and stir constantly until just melted. Remove from heat and stir until smooth.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides, add the powdered sugar, and mix again on medium speed until light, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chocolate, and mix on low speed until combined. Finish mixing with a spatula, making sure the chocolate is evenly incorporated. Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled brownies, and top with sprinkles if desired.