Black Cocoa Brownies

These Black Cocoa Brownies made with black cocoa powder that delivers a stunning color and intense deep chocolate flavor with a white chocolate frosting that creates a beautiful contrast against the dark cake beneath. 

Ingredients and substitutions for Black Cocoa Brownies

• Butter: Butter helps create that silky texture we love about brownies whilst also helping them rise. You could sub with non dairy butter, though I have not tried this. I do not recommend subbing oil in equal measure as it will likely make your brownies denser.
• Sugars: The brown sugar helps to make the brownies fudgy, however, you could substitute in equal measure with superfine or caster sugar which will result in a chewier final brownie. Whilst the confectioners or icing sugar dissolves into the buttercream; creating a nice balance without making it overly sweet.
• Eggs: As well as adding structure to the brownies, the eggs bind everything together so are essential. These have not been tested with vegan style eggs, if a change is made to replace the eggs the final results are not guaranteed.
• Plain flour: Plain flour or all purpose is best because it helps give the brownies their texture without making them cakey or firm. You also don’t want to overwork the batter, so only mix until you can see no more dry portions in your bowl.
• Salt: Without salt the chocolate flavors will be dull so it is essential to adding dimension to the brownies. Sea salt is best, but rock or kosher salt also works well.
• Black cocoa powder: Also known as Dutch processed which does taste different from regular cocoa powder in that it has a really deep cocoa taste that lends itself to being more earthy. In this recipe, it works perfectly with the white chocolate frosting.
• Chocolate: 27% cocoa butter white chocolate block was used here thanks to it's higher quality than baking chocolate. This also controls the level of sweetness in the frosting better. The higher the cocoa content the creamier our white chocolate which results in a smooth texture.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to make Black Cocoa Brownies:

Step 1: Melt: Place the butter and sugar over a double boiler (or in a microwave) and heat through, whisking to melt evenly and help to dissolve the sugar.

Step 2: Add other ingredients: Add one egg and whisk to combine and repeat before tossing in the flour, salt and cocoa powder and whisk to combine.

Step 3: Brownie tin: Pour into your prepared tin and smooth out.

Step 4: Bake: Bake until a skewer comes out clean on the edges, but fudgy in the center…you should be able to smell the brownies from the oven.

Step 5: Buttercream: Whip butter and sugar together until smooth then add melted white chocolate.

Step 6: Spread and serve: Spoon the buttercream on top of the brownies and spread over the top. Slice, serve and dig in!

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Black Cocoa Brownies

Sylvie Taylor

These Black Cocoa Brownies are made with intensely flavored black cocoa for a fudgy base topped with a white chocolate frosting that is the kind of dessert you’ll want to bring to any event.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Cooling time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 16

Calories 264 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Black cocoa brownies

• 185 grams / 6.5 ounces butter cubed
• 250 grams / 1 cup + 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 110 grams / 2 large eggs room temperature
• 106 grams / ⅔ cup plain flour
• 73 grams / ⅔ cup black cocoa powder sifted (see note)
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

White chocolate frosting

• 40 grams / 1.41 ounces white chocolate
• 100 grams / 3.5 ounces butter softened
• 84 grams / ¾ cup confectioner/icing sugar sifted
• ¼ teaspoon sea or kosher salt

Instructions

 

Black cocoa brownies

• Preheat your oven to 180C/350F and line a 18×18 cm or 7×7 inch square baking tin with parchment paper.
• Place the butter and sugar in a double boiler on medium heat until the butter is beginning to melt.
• Whisk to combine and help the sugar and butter mix evenly, continue whisking to help dissolve the sugar for at least 1 minute.
• Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 2 minutes.
• Add in one egg and whisk until well combined, repeat with the remaining egg until the mixture is smooth.
• Whisk in flour, salt and cocoa powder until the brownie batter is combined and smooth.
• Pour into prepared baking tin and bake for 35 minutes and you can smell it wafting from your oven.
• Remove and allow to cool completely.

White chocolate frosting

• Melt the white chocolate and set aside to cool until lukewarm.
• Place the butter and sugar into a bowl and beat on medium with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, approximately 4 minutes.
• Add the salt and white chocolate and whip on low until combined.
• Remove the brownies from the tin and mark out the edges where you will cut your cookies.
• Spoon the buttercream on top of the cookie and smear to the very edges, swooshing a little.
• Slice and serve.
• Enjoy!

Notes

• Black cocoa powder: Also known as Dutch processed tastes different from regular cocoa powder in that it has a really deep cocoa taste that lends itself to being more earthy. In this recipe it works perfectly with the white chocolate frosting.
• Chocolate: 27% cocoa butter white chocolate block was used here because it is a higher quality than baking chocolate to give the frosting the best flavor.
• Replacing the black cocoa powder with regular unsweetened cocoa powder: Black cocoa powder tends to have a finer texture so behaves somewhat differently to regular plain cocoa powder. You could follow this recipe for fudgy one bowl brownies instead.
• Texture of brownies: These are more on the fudgy soft side as they are only mixed until the flour is fully combined. This helps to avoid activating the gluten in the flour. Additionally, they're only baking for the specified time longer baking results in brownies that are more cakey than fudgy.

Recipe by Roamingtaste

Nutrition

Calories: 264kcal

Keyword bars, chocolate

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