How do I make a brownie mix more cakelike? (2024)

FAQs

How to make a brownie mix more cakey? ›

Cake-like brownies? Add an extra egg to your brownie batter to make more cake-like brownies. There are directions on the back of the box.

The aeration agent or leavening agent as it's often called helps trap air in the batter structure and hence results in the cakey brownie style.

Fudgy brownies have a higher fat-to-flour ratio than cakey ones. So add more fat—in this case, butter and chocolate. A cakey batch has more flour and relies on baking powder for leavening. The amount of sugar and eggs does not change whether you're going fudgy or cakey.

Add a teaspoon of instant coffee or espresso powder. Throw in a handful of nuts—pecans, walnuts, macadamia, whatever you have on hand. Scoop in a palmful of dried or frozen fruit. Add an extra splash of the top-shelf vanilla extract, or a dab of vanilla paste, or a dash of vanilla powder, to the batter.

One change is to use milk or heavy cream instead of water. This change will make brownies more moist and gooey since milk is more fatty and flavorful than water. A second change is to use butter instead of oil. For similar reasons to using milk, butter adds a rich and more decadent quality to the batter.

It's a sliding scale, and you can make just about any brownie texture from very gooey, to very cakey. Some might call brownies that fall in the middle chewy, however, we'll just call them slightly gooey, or slightly cakey.

Because most brownie recipes call for eggs, the batter shouldn't sit out for longer than two hours before baking. On the other hand, the sauce and dry ingredients can be made a few days in advance and refrigerated for freshness.

The brownies will continue to set as they cool. This recipe must be served after they've cooled to room temperature completely. In fact, they solidify into even more fudgy brownie bits if you chill them in the fridge before slicing and serving.

Brownies are not classified as cakes – this is a very interesting point about the brownie. The reason for this is that although the texture is similar to cakes, it is classed as finger food (whereas usually cake is eaten with a fork), therefore they are categorised as a cookie bar (in America).

What is the old version of brownies? ›

Brownies were originally called Rosebuds and were founded by Lord Baden-Powell after the younger sisters of the Guides and Scouts showed an interest in joining the Guide Association. The Girl Guides Gazette said that Rosebuds wore a dark blue skirt, knitted jersey, cap or tam and the Rosebud Brooch.

Both have chewy textures. However, blondies have a much lighter and softer taste than brownies. The ingredients used in brownies are where the two recipes diverge the most. Blondies use vanilla extract and brown sugar instead of cocoa powder to get their flavor, while brownies use chocolate and cocoa.

If you want to get a little more creative with your brownie mix hacks, add an extra egg to the batter. The extra protein will help thicken up the batter and make it fluffier, creating a more decadent, fudgy texture. You can also add the yolk by itself in addition to the 2 eggs a box brownie mix typically calls for.

Leavener in Brownies

Since leaveners lift and give a lighter, airier texture to baked goods, we're only using 1/8 teaspoon baking soda, for just enough leavening to get a nice thick texture. Feel free to omit the baking soda if using Dutch-processed cocoa powder.

Add Salt. If you've ever found boxed brownies to be too sweet for your taste, stir a pinch of salt into the batter before baking. This'll help bring out the deeper chocolate flavors. You can even try sprinkling some flaky sea salt on top of the brownies as soon as they come out of the oven.

To do this, there's one ingredient that's more important than anything else: baking powder. Baking powder is a leavening agent, which means that it is responsible for lifting up the batter to create that lighter consistency — making it absolutely essential for fluffy brownies.

If your brownie mix is too thick, you can add a small amount of liquid such as water, milk, or oil to thin it out to the desired consistency. Add the liquid gradually and mix well until you achieve the right texture.