Cakey Walnut Brownies, a classic dessert that can be made at home from scratch in 30 minutes. It has a light, chocolatey sponge with crunchy walnut pieces, so indulgent, hard to resist not having one too many brownies. Cut them in squares, or bake them as a round cake, the result is the same scrumptious dessert.
Inspired by the Romanian "negresa", which would literally translate as "the black one" or the "the black woman", these cakey brownies are light and moist, with a good touch of cocoa powder and a lovely crunch coming from the walnuts.
Unlike the American brownies, which are usually rich, gooey and heavy, these cakey brownies have a more sponge-like texture. There is no need to glaze them, unless you really want to, and they can be enjoyed as they are.
My Easy Fudgy Vegan Brownies are as decadent, but without butter or eggs. A bit different, but they do taste like the real deal. And, if you are after a gooey brownie recipe, my Baileys Brownies with Black Cocoa are incredibly indulgent and overly rich.
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Note!
Go to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions!
Ingredients overview
- flour - I used self-raising flour, if you use plain flour, add 2 teaspoons of baking powder for a light cake that has a good hight
- eggs - use eggs that are at room temperature, so the sponge can rise quickly
- butter - I used salted butter, unsalted is also ol
- cocoa powder - use good-quality cocoa powder for a rich taste, it might sound like there's a lot of cocoa powder in this recipe, but it's a good balance
- dark brown sugar - adds sweetness and a darker shade of sponge. For a lighter shade, you can use light brown sugar or granulated sugar
- chocolate - I used milk chocolate chips, you can use dark chocolate chips too for a more bitter, chocolate-heavy taste
- vanilla extract - it enhances the chocolate flavour and adds a lovely touch of vanilla; rum extract is another great option
- icing sugar - or powdered sugar to dusting the brownies
Step-by-step photos and instructions
- add butter cut into cubes to a pan set over a low heat and allow it to melt
- add the chocolate chips and sifted cocoa powder and whisk well to get a smooth texture
- use a hand mixer to beat the eggs with the sugar until and the mixture is smooth and triple in size
- pour in the chocolate mixture, add the vanilla extract, chopped walnuts and sifted flour, and mix gently with a spatula to get a smooth batter
- transfer to a cake tin or a sheet pan, and bake at 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean
- remove the tin from the oven, allow the brownies to cool down, then slice and dust with icing sugar
Cakey brownies vs. fudgy brownies
Cakey brownies are light, and the sponge is light and fluffy, just like a cake. Using self-raising flour lifts up the sponge, making it airy. If you use plain flour, add baking powder and baking soda.
The fudgy brownies are dense, rich and a lot heavier. It is the amount of chocolate and butter that makes the difference, the more, the fudgier. Also, the amount of flour has to be low, so the texture can be tick and very chocolatey.
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Cakey Brownies with Walnuts
Video
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
- 100 g milk chocolate chips (â…” cup)
- 80 g unsweetened cocoa powder (¾ cup)
- 200 g butter (¾ cup + 2 tbsp)
- 200 g dark brown sugar (1 cup)
- 4 eggs
- 125 g self-raising flour (1 cup)
- 100 g chopped walnuts (1 cup)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit).
- Cut the butter into cubes and add them to a pan set over a low heat.
- Allow the butter to melt, then add the chocolate chips and sifted cocoa powder, and whisk well to get a smooth texture.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the sugar and eggs with a hand mixer until they triple their volume.
- Pour over the cooled chocolate mixture, sift the flour, add the vanilla extract and chopped walnuts and fold everything together using a spatula.
- Grease and flour a rectangle cake tin ( mine is 30 x 22 x 5 cm / 12 x 9 x 2 inches) and add the batter in an even layer.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven, and allow it to cool down completely before dusting it with icing or powdered sugar.
Notes
- Do not increase the heat temperature when melting the butter and adding the chocolate, or the mixture can burn quickly and get a bitter taste.
Julie N. says
PERFECT AND TASTEY!!!
Daniela Apostol says
Thank you!
Lydia says
Would like to make brownies don’t understand measurements such as 7.05 and 1.14 and what size sheet pan or cake tin
Daniela Apostol says
Mine is a square tray that is 20cm or 8 inches long and 5cm or 2 inches high.
Cheryl says
What size pan please.
Marlene Snell says
I need to see the measurements in ounces and cups but I cannot find the US Customery link. Please tell me where to find it.
Daniela Apostol says
I have updated it now, thank you for letting me know!