Frosted Brownies

Brownies may look like snack cakes, but they’re in a baked-goods league of their own, especially when it comes to frosted brownies. I don’t like to pick favorites between brownie recipes, but something about this combination of smooth, sugary frosting and dense brownies gets me every time. These frosted brownies are a chocolate recipe I can rely on, whether I’m hosting friends or just indulging a craving.

With more cocoa and less leavening than cake, brownies don’t rise very high in the pan when baking. But the result is their beloved chewy or cakey texture, depending on the ratio of flour, eggs and butter. I also love the ease of brownies because you don’t need to plug in an electric mixer or use special equipment. Bake a pan over the weekend for a few days’ worth of dessert—if they last that long.

Frosted Brownie Ingredients

• Butter: The brownie batter has melted butter, and the frosting has softened butter. Pull the butter for the frosting out of the refrigerator while the brownies cool so it’s ready when the brownies are.
• Baking cocoa: Unsweetened cocoa powder adds rich chocolate flavor to the brownies and the frosting. Try other cocoa powder recipes with the rest of the package.
• Eggs: Room-temperature eggs blend better with other ingredients. Take the eggs out of the fridge while gathering the other ingredients and heating the oven.
• Sugar: There is a hefty amount of sugar in the brownies to offset the bitter taste of the cocoa powder. If your baking recipes have inconsistent results, consider weighing your baking ingredients with a kitchen scale for more accurate measurements.
• All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour has a good amount of protein and gluten to make the brownies just the right amount of chewy. These tips for how to measure flour correctly will ensure your brownies aren’t dry.
• Baking powder: Baking powder gives the brownies just enough lift so they aren’t wet and heavy. If you are out, try a combination of baking soda, cream of tartar and cornstarch. It’s a handy baking substitution in a pinch.
• Salt: Salt is essential in baked goods to balance the sugar and enhance the flavor. Don’t be tempted to skip it or the brownies will be bland.
• Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract adds a subtle but necessary flavor that helps the brownies taste richer. If you have vanilla bean paste, you can use that in a 1:1 ratio.
• Confectioners’ sugar: Confectioners’ sugar dissolves easily, so it’s ideal for smooth, fluffy frosting recipes.
• 2% milk: A splash of milk in the frosting lightens the buttery base so it’s easier to spread. Whole milk works as well, but avoid heavy cream, which will aerate too much when you beat it in.

Directions

Step 1: Make the brownie batter

In a saucepan, melt the butter and then remove it from the heat. Stir in the cocoa and then let it cool. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until blended. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in another bowl,

Gradually add the flour mixture to the egg mixture. Stir in the vanilla and cooled chocolate mixture until it’s well blended.

Step 2: Bake the brownies

Spread the batter into a greased 13×9-inch baking pan. Bake at 350°F until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 28 minutes (do not overbake them!). Cool the brownies on a wire rack.

Step 3: Make the frosting and top the brownies

For the frosting, in a large bowl, cream the butter and confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy, five to seven minutes. Beat in the cocoa and vanilla. Add enough milk for the frosting to achieve a spreadable consistency.

Frosted Brownie Variations

• Give the brownies a nutty crunch: If nuts and chocolate are your thing, stir a handful of toasted walnuts, pecans or peanuts into the brownie batter and scatter a little more over the frosting.
• Add another frosting: Channel these double frosted brownies and add a layer of vanilla pudding-flavored frosting under the chocolate one. It is extra-decadent and creates a stunning black-and-white look on a simple dessert.
• Add rainbow candy for a copycat recipe: Turn these into homemade copycat Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies by topping the frosting with those iconic rainbow candy sprinkles.
• Start with a mix: We all run short on time occasionally, but that’s when starting with the best boxed brownie mix can save the day. Adding a homemade frosting turns a shortcut into a stellar treat.
• Make the frosting boozy: If it’s an adults-only kind of night, spike the frosting with a few tablespoons of bourbon, Irish cream or coffee liqueur for a treat that makes you feel grown up and childlike at the same time.

How to Store Frosted Brownies

Since the frosting contains both butter and milk, frosted brownies should be stored in the refrigerator well wrapped or in an airtight container and will last for up to one week. If you are making these ahead of time, unfrosted brownies can be cooled, wrapped and left at room temperature. Then, frost them shortly before serving.

Can you freeze frosted brownies?

You can freeze frosted brownies for up to two months in an airtight food storage container or bag. To protect the soft frosting and make it easier to grab one or two squares at a time, slice the brownies into pieces and freeze them on a parchment-lined baking sheet just until the frosting is firm. Then wrap each piece, transfer to a storage container and return to the freezer.

Frosted Brownie Tips

Can you use a different sugar in the frosting?

Confectioners’ sugar is necessary to create the smooth, fluffy texture of the frosting, so you can’t replace it with brown sugar or granulated sugar. If you don’t have confectioners’ sugar, you can make homemade confectioners’ sugar by grinding granulated sugar into a powder, or skip the frosting and make a chocolate ganache topping instead.

What type of cocoa powder should you use?

For a deep chocolaty flavor, we recommend unsweetened cocoa powder, also called baking cocoa, for this recipe. Dutch-processed cocoa has been treated with an alkaline solution, so it’s less acidic, slightly milder and smoother-tasting. Since this recipe doesn’t use baking soda, which requires an acidic ingredient to activate it, you could use Dutch-processed cocoa, but the color and flavor will be slightly different.

Can you use salted butter in this recipe?

If you are debating salted vs. unsalted butter for this recipe, or any baking recipe, the general rule is that it’s better to use unsalted butter so you can control the final taste of the recipe, and that’s true here as well. You can use salted butter, but reduce the added salt by about half to maintain the flavor balance. The amount of salt added to butter varies by brand, making it harder to predict the recipe’s final taste.