Name: Old School Fudgy Frosted Brownies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Ingredients: 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces; 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken into small pieces or chopped; ¾ cup (150 grams) sugar; ¼ cup cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process; 2 large eggs, at room temperature; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; ¼ teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon baking powder; ¾ cup (92 grams) all-purpose flour; ½ cup chopped pecans, optional; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened; 3 tablespoons cocoa powder; 1 tablespoon honey; ⅛ teaspoon salt; 1 cup powdered sugar; 2 tablespoons milk; flaky sea salt for serving

Old School Fudgy Frosted Brownies

In 1989, I was gifted the Hershey’s chocolate baking cookbook for my birthday. The page with the most stains on it is the fudgy frosted brownies. They always reminded me of a smaller Texas sheet cake, which is probably why they were my favorite recipe from the book. Moist, dense, and very chocolatey, they are easy to put together and an excellent dish to bring to a potluck. I’ve adapted the recipe slightly from the original hersheys to make the brownies a little more dense and fudgy. I highly recommend not skipping the flaky salt on top. It works beautifully with the chocolate and offsets the sweetness.

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Old School Fudgy Frosted Brownies

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

In 1989, I was gifted the Hershey’s chocolate baking cookbook for my birthday. The page with the most stains on it is the fudgy frosted brownies. They always reminded me of a smaller Texas sheet cake, which is probably why they were my favorite recipe from the book. Moist, dense, and very chocolatey, they are easy to put together and an excellent dish to bring to a potluck. I’ve adapted the recipe slightly from the original Hershey's to make the brownies a little more dense and fudgy. I highly recommend not skipping the flaky salt on top. It works beautifully with the chocolate and offsets the sweetness.

5 from 2 votes

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Course Dessert

Servings

Ingredients

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken into small pieces or chopped
¾ cup (150 grams) sugar
¼ cup cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup (92 grams) all-purpose flour
½ cup chopped pecans, optional

For the frosting:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tablespoon honey
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
flaky sea salt for serving

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 325 F. Butter an 8 x 8-inch pan and line with parchment paper.
Place the butter and chocolate in a metal bowl, and set it over a pot of barely simmering water. Stir with a heat-proof spatula until it is all melted. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the sugar, which will help cool the chocolate butter mixture down before you add the eggs. Whisk the eggs in, one at a time, and stir vigorously for a minute or two until the batter turns glossy. Whisk in the vanilla, salt and baking powder, then switch back to a spatula and fold in the flour. Fold in the nuts, if using.
Pour the batter into your prepared pan, smooth the top so it is even, and bake for 25 minutes. While the brownies are baking, make the frosting.
Using hand held beaters, mix the butter, cocoa, salt and honey until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and milk, and beat until it is creamy.
When the brownies are done, remove them to a rack and let them cool for 5 minutes.
Pour the frosting onto the still warm brownies, spreading to the edges. Allow them to cool completely, then cut into bite-sized squares. Before serving, sprinkle them with flaky sea salt, such as Maldon’s brand.