The Difference Between Cakey and Fudgy Brownies, and How to Bake the Perfect Batch (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between fudgy and cakey brownies? ›

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.

Brownie textures fall into three general camps… Cakey, fudgy and chewy. Cakey brownies, like the name implies, are light, moist and airy, with a slightly fluffy, cake-like interior. Fudgy brownies are moist, dense and gooey, with almost the texture of fudge, but not quite as compact.

To test for doneness with a toothpick, insert a toothpick into the center of the brownies and pull it back out. For fudgy brownies, you'll want to see some moist crumbs attached to the toothpick when you pull it back out. If it looks like it's covered in brownie batter, the brownies will need to bake a bit longer.

The fundamental difference between chocolate cake and brownie is the level of sugar, butter, and flour. Another contrast between cake and brownie is that the leavening agents, like baking soda or baking powder, are generally not used in the brownies. Also, the brownies contain more chocolate than chocolate cakes.

As their name implies, cakey brownies just might remind you of a good piece of chocolate cake. Instead of a dense, rich center, cakey brownies are the thickest of the three and have a lighter, airier texture due to a lower amount of fat, more flour, and the addition of baking powder for leavening.

Chewy brownies must be slightly under-baked. One of the top mistakes to avoid when making brownies is waiting until there's no more crumbs on the toothpick to pull the pan from the oven. By that point they're close to over-baked, and you will lose out on that chewiness you want.

Is it ok to eat raw brownie batter? Traditional brownie recipes have raw eggs and raw flour in them, so they are not technically safe to eat.

Cake is fluffier and lighter than fudge that is dense. Cake makes use of flour and eggs, whereas fudge is made using sugar, butter, and milk or cream. Leavening agents are sometimes used to make the cake rise, whereas fudge is more of a candy made without using a leavening agent.

Wrapping aluminum foil around individual brownies or a tin of brownies will block the air from entering and preserve their chewy nature.

Brownies are perfect when the middle is just baked, so it sets to a fudgy, moist consistency - if your flour and baking powder are causing the edges to rise, cook and set too quickly, they will give the appearance of a sunken centre, even if the centre is perfectly cooked.

How long do fudgy brownies take to cool? ›

If the recipe you're using gives instructions for a specific cooling method, follow it and wait for your brownies to cool completely. If there aren't specific instructions, leave the brownies in the pan, put the pan on a rack and let them cool completely (which means a 2 to 3 hour wait).

Achieving a fudgy brownie is all to do with the ratio of fat to flour. A fudgy brownie recipe will use more fat than flour. Generally this is achieved by adding more butter or real chocolate to your brownie recipe. A cakey brownie recipe on the other hand will call for more flour in the ratio of fat to flour.

A chocolate brownie, or simply a brownie, is a chocolate baked confection. Brownies come in a variety of forms and may be either fudgy or cakey, depending on their density. Brownies often, but not always, have a glossy "skin" on their upper crust.

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.

Even fudgy brownies will pull from the edges once they've finished baking. You'll see that the edges look dry while the middle still looks soft or slightly wet. Chewy and cakey brownies will have dry edges with firmer-looking centers. The edges of chewy brownies might even look crispy—this is totally fine!

The perfect treat for chocolate-lovers everywhere, these Chocolate Fudge Brownies are gently crisp on top and gorgeously gooey inside… total chocolate heaven!