As we were developing new brownie recipes, we got to wondering: What is it that creates the discrepancies between these brownie textures? Are the ingredients different, or is it just the way they’re combined? After doing some research and testing multiple batches, we came to a few conclusions. Keep reading to learn how to make brownies more chewy, fudgy, or cakey by switching up a few basic ingredients.
Types of Brownies
The chewy brownie (center in the photo) is likely the one you know and love. It has—you guessed it—a thick and chewy outer crust with a rich chocolate center. A fudgy brownie (far left in the photo) is slightly underbaked and is very gooey and dense. It is for true chocoholics. Cakey brownies (far right) may get a bad rap but think of them as slices of fluffy chocolate cake, complete with an irresistible crackly shell on top.
Chewy Brownies
While butter is the only fat used in fudgy and cakey brownies, chewy brownies benefit from the addition of canola oil (which is also why this version may remind you of the boxed mixes). The addition of brown sugar is also crucial, because it speeds gluten formation, resulting in a chewier texture. Using cocoa powder instead of melted chocolate ensures they don’t fall too deeply into the fudgy category.
Fudgy Brownies
Fudgy brownies benefit from less cocoa powder and the addition of chopped chocolate, which gets melted with the butter to create a thick, molten base. Pulling them out of the oven before a toothpick comes out clean also ensures the center stays fudge-like and gooey.
Cakey Brownies
To create the airy texture of cakey brownies, we beat the butter and sugar together until very light and fluffy. Instead of two large eggs and one large egg yolk (what you’ll find in chewy and fudgy brownies), cakey brownies require two eggs and one white. That’s because the egg white, when mixed with the sugar, creates the delicious, flaky crust on top of these brownies. You’ll mix milk into this batter too, just like you would in a classic cake recipe. You’ll also find that these have more flour and require baking powder to help them rise.
