One Bowl Perfectly Fudgy & Cakey Brownie

Brownies saved my life.

Really.

No, not by giving me CPR kind of saving my life.

More like if I don’t eat chocolate cake, I’m really just going to die.

Read here and you’ll understand what I’m talking about.

If you think money is the cause of war, think again. I say… brownies too can be the cause of WW3.

If we stop segregating people by race, by religion, by citizens… instead, we divide them by the types of brownies they like, we will have two major groups. Two very passionate I will kill you to defend my brownie groups.

A cakey brownie lover.

Or

A fudgy brownie lover.

Then, as with everything in life where there are just some people who don’t want to belong to just one group, you’ll have people like me.

The hybrid.

The ones who love the perfect mix of fudgy and cakey brownie.

Since I’m still celebrating my birthday which happened to be a week ago, I decided that indulging myself with brownies was the right thing to do.

Here are some rules to a fudgy or a cakey brownie.

1. Flour: More flour = cakey.
2. Fat: More fat = fudgy.

So, the flour to fat ratio determines your brownie.

3. Eggs: More eggs = cakey. Eggs play a role in leavening as well.
4. Egg Yolks: More egg yolks = fudgy.
5. Baking soda: More baking soda = cakey.

Notes

1. Baking Soda: I use this instead of baking powder because natural cocoa powder was used. If you use dutch processed cocoa powder, then use baking powder instead. Every 1/4 tsp baking soda = 1 tsp baking powder.

2. Cocoa and coffee powder from ravecoffee.co.uk is heated to release its flavor and make it taste even better.

3. If you are a sweet tooth type of person, you will want to increase the sugar to 1 1/2 cups – 2 cups.

So, since I’m a hybrid, I have to literally perfectly balance everything. That means, it’s brownie experiment time. Let’s look at Brownie A.

Brownie A – Cakey                                                                    

1 cup all purpose flour (4.25 oz)
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup yogurt
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp fine coffee powder or espresso powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs, cold

Bake time = 20-24 minutes

Reasoning:

1. Baking Soda = cakier. I started with 1/4 tsp to see how it’d do.
2. Less fat = cakier. Original amount of fat would’ve been 1 cup melted butter. I substituted 1/2 cup with 1/4 cup yogurt.
3. More eggs = cakier. I started with 3 eggs instead of 4 so that it’s not too cakey.

Result: It was moist, has good lift, but I’d like it a little more fudgy.

Next Step:  Onward to more fudgy brownie. Brownie B.

Brownie B – Mix of Fudgy & Cakey

1 cup all purpose flour (4.25 oz)
3/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp baking soda
2/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup oil
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp fine coffee powder or espresso powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs, cold

Bake Time = 22-26 minutes

Reasoning:

1. Baking soda: Brownie A was too cakey so I decrease it by half.

2. Fat: I removed yogurt in its entirety and put back the fat. However, I used a mixture of oil and butter. Oil makes brownie moist and chewy.

3. Eggs: I felt that the brownie needed a little more binding, therefore I increase the eggs to 4. I wasn’t worried about the eggs making the brownie too cakey since I was putting back the fat.

Result: The texture was pretty close to what I want. Moist and fudgy with just a little lift. It looks like Brownie A but just more fudgy.

Next Step: I wanted to see if I can get away with decreasing the oil and make it a just a tad more fudgy. Brownie C.

Brownie C – Fudgy

1 cup all purpose flour (4.25 oz)
3/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp fine coffee powder or espresso powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks

Bake time = 18-22 minutes

Reasoning:

1. Fat: I wanted to decrease the amount of fat so I decreased by a total of 1/4 cup.

2. Eggs: Since I decreased the oil, the brownie would becomes cakey so I knew I need to add egg yolks. I went for two egg yolks.

Result: It was moist and chewy. It was SUPER fudgy. No lift whatsoever compared to the first two. Mr. V loves this level of fudginess while I like it after 3 days have passed (as it has dried out a lil by then and is perfect for me).

I’ve made three brownies in the duration of 3 days. I think it’s time to stop making them (for the time being).

Depending if you’re a cakey type, a fudgy type or a hybrid type, you can choose the recipe that tickles your taste buds. There’s a perfect brownie recipe for everyone. Armed with the knowledge of how ingredients affect texture, you can play around with the ratio to get your perfect brownie.

I end this post with a recipe that is the best perfect mix of fudgy and cakey brownie. It’s like Brownie B, but less fat. Less fat = we can eat more of the moist, full of deep chocolaty flavor, not too dense, yet not too light or crumbly brownie. Out of this world. Best part is, only ONE bowl is used. One bowl to wash.

Also, if you haven’t done so already, check out my last post Malaysian Mamak Fried Chicken. Crispy on the outside yet juicy on the inside fried chicken. Every bite is filled with a curry flavorful kick. It’s the best fried chicken yet.

Dare I ask, what brownie group are you in?

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One Bowl Perfectly Fudgy & Cakey Brownie                  Makes a 9″ brownie

what you need:

1 cup all purpose flour (4.25 oz)
3/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp fine coffee powder or espresso powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk

directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking soda. Whisk until mixed well. Set aside.

2. On the stove over a double boiler, melt the butter. Add the oil and sugar and whisk until they are well incorporated.

3. Add the cocoa powder and coffee powder. Whisk to combine. It will be grainy. Don’t worry as it will smooth out later. Remove the bowl from the heat and let cool for a few minutes.

4. Add the vanilla (and yogurt if using Brownie A recipe) into the slightly cool bowl. Add one egg at a time, beating well after each addition. As you add more eggs, the batter will emulsify. Don’t worry if it’s difficult to incorporate in the beginning. Beat as vigorous as you can in order to get that crackled surface.

5. Add the flour mixture and fold until flour is incorporated. No more beating vigorously here or else brownies may become tough.

6. Pour the batter into a 9″ square parchment paper lined and greased pan. Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake for 18 – 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center of the brownie yield some moist crumbs (or still a little wet). Check every minute. If the toothpick comes out clean, you’ve over baked it.

7. Let the brownie cool completely in the pan for 30 minutes. Remove the brownie from the pan and transfer to a wire rack. Let cool another 30 minutes. To cut, dip a knife in hot to ensure a clean cut. Wipe off the knife with a damp cloth or paper towel after each cut.