This is my favourite recipe for classic brownies and the one I most often use for my baking, simply changing the add-ins from time to time. The secret to the best brownies is using high-quality ingredients: real butter, good quality chocolate (not milk chocolate), baking for just the right amount of time – not too long (a dry brownie is not a brownie!) – and allowing the cake to cool completely before serving. The chocolate in brownies needs time to set, which is why people often say brownies “continue baking” even after they are removed from the oven.
The best brownies are rich in flavour, deeply chocolatey, slightly fudgy in texture, moist, perfectly sweet, and melt in the mouth – while looking a bit like a dense chocolate “underbaked” cake. On top, they should have a shiny, thin, slightly cracked chocolate crust. To achieve the perfect brownie, follow the recipe exactly and do not change even the order in which the ingredients are added – it really does matter. Highly recommended – you’ll bake these successfully!
Ingredients for the best brownies:
- 180 g butter
- 100 g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped
- 150 g dark chocolate (50% cocoa), chopped
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 250 g caster sugar
- 100 g plain flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- a pinch of salt
All ingredients should be at room temperature.
In a saucepan, melt the butter and remove from the heat. Add the chopped dark chocolate and leave for 2 minutes. After this time, stir until a smooth chocolate sauce forms. Allow the chocolate mixture to cool (or leave it slightly warm, but not hot). It should remain pourable.
In a bowl, lightly whisk the eggs with a balloon whisk (do not beat!). Add the vanilla extract and sugar and whisk for a while until well combined. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and stir with the whisk until incorporated. Sift the flour and baking powder directly into the chocolate mixture, add the salt, and stir only until the ingredients are just combined.
Pour the batter into a 28 × 18 cm baking tin (or a 23 cm square tin) that has been buttered and lined with baking parchment.
Bake the brownies at 160°C in a fan oven or 180°C in a conventional oven for about 30–33 minutes. The cake will rise slightly and may crack around the edges or wrinkle on top. A skewer inserted into the centre may come out moist, but it should not have raw batter on it. In fact, brownies are usually not tested with a skewer as it is not very reliable for this type of bake.
Remove from the oven, allow to cool completely, then cut into squares.
Enjoy!
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