Fudgy Brownies with Stella's American-Style Chocolate Buttercream

When I think about my favorite desserts, brownies are high, high, HIGH up on the list. Caramel brownies, Twix brownies, beer-frosted mocha brownies, Kahlua cheesecake brownies...I'm pretty much smitten with brownies.

Add another one to the list. Fudgy Brownies with Stella's American-Style Chocolate Buttercream. You might know Stella as Bravetart. The dessert genius with a cookbook by the same name and senior editor of Serious Eats. She posted this frosting not long ago and, well, it was a must-make.

First, the brownies. They're fudgy, they're chocolatey, they're straight-up delicious. You don't have to frost them...they stand on their own...but YOU ARE GOING TO FROST THEM this time.


One thing I love about this recipe for the brownies is that it's made in a saucepan. No mixer, no beating - saucepan.

Start by melting butter then adding granulated and brown sugar. Brown sugar adds a little more flavor and also contributes to the fudginess. Cakey brownies should be outlawed.

This mixture gets heated until hot but not boiling. It'll all come together and look a bit like caramel sauce.

Dutch-process cocoa gets added to the mix, along with a few other goodies like instant espresso powder, vanilla, etc. You'll also whisk in the eggs.

Stir in the flour and bake.

Once the brownies have cooled, you'll make Stella's frosting. I'm going to link to her recipe below - I followed it exactly. It starts with a ganache.
As. All. Things. Should.

You'll make a chocolate buttercream, then add the ganache to it. OH MY. It's luscious.

Frost the brownies and refrigerate for the frosting to set up. I used about 2/3 to 3/4 of the frosting. Save the rest for slathering onto graham crackers, or you know, eating with a spoon. #guilty

Fudgy Brownies with Stella's American-Style Chocolate Buttercream

1 cup salted butter
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups Dutch-process cocoa
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 recipe Stella's American-Style Chocolate Buttercream

Grease a 13x9" pan. Line with foil. Grease the foil. Preheat oven to 350.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Once melted, add the sugars. Stir and cook over medium-low heat until combined and hot but not boiling. Remove from heat and stir in the cocoa powder, instant espresso, salt, baking powder, and vanilla.

Whisk in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the flour.

Spread evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 28 minutes or until done. Cool in the pan on a wire cooling rack.

Once cooled, make Stella's American-Style Chocolate Buttercream. Frost the brownies using an offset spatula. (You'll use about 2/3 to 3/4 of the frosting.) Refrigerate the brownies to set the frosting and keep them refrigerated for storage.

To serve, lift the brownies out of the pan using the foil. Use a bench scraper to cut the brownies.

What's your favorite type of brownie? (Don't say cakey. That's wrong.)