Classic Cake Brownies by Lisa Yockelson

Classic Cake Brownies - made January 30, 2024 from Brownies & Blondies by Lisa Yockelson

1 cup unsifted all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsifted cake flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

3 tablespoons shortening

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon superfine sugar

2 extra large eggs

2 extra large egg yolks blended with 1 tablespoon milk

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled slightly

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 x 9-inch baking pan with foil and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and shortening on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the sugar and beat another 2 minutes.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the egg yolk-milk mixture until combined.
5. On low speed, beat in the melted chocolate and vanilla extract.
6. Add dry ingredients and beat until just combined.
7. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth into an even layer. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely before cutting and serving.

If it's hard to tell from the pictures the difference between these brownies and the Sour Cream Brownies from the same baking book by Lisa Yockelson, you're not alone. Although they had slightly different ingredients - this one was made with shortening, milk and unsweetened chocolate vs the other one had sour cream, a little cocoa powder and chocolate extract, I'm not entirely sure I could taste the difference in a blind taste test.

They were similar in the softer texture and were both not richly chocolatey. Still good chocolate flavor but not quite enough to make your taste buds slap you around. While they were good, I have to admit I'm not sure they were worth all the extra ingredients and fussy little steps like separating eggs and whisking yolks with milk. Or having odd measurements of slicing off a tablespoon of butter from a stick or 3 tablespoons of shortening instead of just quartering a stick of shortening. I bake too much to deal with a lot of fuss. I'm always glad to try a new recipe but this didn't stand out enough to make again with the additional ingredients and steps than a more straightforward recipe for good brownies.