Don’t you wish that every time you tried a new baking recipe it would succeed? That it was perfect and you didn’t have to adjust any of the ingredients next time? Well 8 out of 10 times I have to adjust the sugar, butter, or flour quantity. The other day I was craving brownies and I went to my trusty brownie recipe, but for some reason it came out too cakey (see image above), while the last few times I made it, it was perfect. So I backtracked and realized that there are many small details that we tend to think is no biggie but it actually plays a huge part in how your brownie or any baking good comes out. That’s the tricky thing about baking, you absolutely have to follow it to a tee.
Below I will give you some tips on how to get the perfect brownie, to me a perfect brownie is not too sweet, just the perfect amount of rich chocolate taste, not to fudgy or heavy, and definitely not too cakey!
- Do not have your oven too high.
350 degrees should be the highest temperature used to bake brownies. If your oven is too high it will dry it out, we want moist delicious brownies right? - Use the right pan.
When its instructed to use a pan that is 8″ by 8″ do so. - Do NOT OVER MIX.
Very important in baking when it says “mix till incorporated” usually applies when you have to mix flour to the wet mixture, mix it only until till you no longer see traces of flour, then STOP, put your spatula down. - Do not over bake.
Most of the time this is the common error, because it doesn’t take much to over bake something, even 2 minutes can make all the difference. To make sure not to over bake, set your timer on your oven and check on it 5 minutes before it rings, since every oven is different, cooking time varies. If you don’t think you can remember to check 5 minutes before, set another timer on your phone or alarm clock. The color of your pan can make a difference as well, if it is a darker pan it will cook a bit faster than a pale silver pan. If you cook it in Pyrex glass then that will also take longer than the metal pans. - Test with a toothpick.
In most recipes the cooking time will vary between 20-40 minutes, you should check on it at 20 minutes and test it with a toothpick by inserting it near the center, if the toothpick comes out wet than it still needs 5-8 minutes, checking it again at 2-3 minute intervals, try again with a clean toothpick, it should come out a bit wet with a few crumbs hanging on it. - Keep yours hands off!
Lastly, I know how bad you want to cut into that warm brownie when it comes out, I know I have been guilty of it not once, twice, but every time I make brownies. Try to hold back and wait till it has cooled and the texture has set.
Depending on what type of brownie you like, there will be small differences in the ingredients and the techniques used. For fudgy brownies, try adding an egg yolk for richness and do not use a whisk, use a wooden spoon to mix ingredients together. If you like a cakey brownie, use techniques that you would to make a cake. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy, do not use too much flour or try using cake flour instead.
I hope this can help you to be a step closer to making your perfect brownie! Enjoy 🙂