"All you need is love...and maybe also brownies."
( - unknown, though I feel like whoever said that was probably a relative of mine!)
No lies detected there! Other than those rare people with chocolate aversions, it's hard to find anyone that will turn down a good brownie!
"Brownies AND frosting? Isn't that a little over-the-top?"
Okay; I have to preface this post a bit because it's true - frosted brownies aren't everyone's preference! Brownie purists might cock an eyebrow at me for this post. My husband has a pretty intense buttercream aversion. Straight buttercream isn't really my jam either - it gets pretty sweet for me pretty quickly. I've switched to cream cheese buttercream as my go-to recipe. But I also know my husband will push even that off to the side of the plate if I put on too much. :/
But I LOVE frosted brownies - and from the feedback I've gotten, so do the bulk of my taste-testers. The brownie base is super-chocolatey and rich enough to satisfy any chocoholic. And the cream cheese in the frosting does a fantastic job of keeping the whole thing from getting too overly-sweet.
Plus - sometimes I need a crowd-pleaser dessert that’s simple and goes together quickly! (And sometimes I want something more substantial - and more fun - than cookies.)
To keep the serving process easy, I have an 'all edges' brownie pan that makes uniform brownies that are easy to decorate, festive, delicious, and can served a crowd!
I also know several in my family who aren't 'brownie edge' fans - they'd rather have the center pieces. So I sometimes just stick with a 9x13 pan and just pipe the whole pan and cut them later. (Photos above). All the options - up to you!
Recipe below!
(Of note – you have options here! If you’d rather doctor up brownie mixes, use two mixes (I usually go with Ghiradelli), substitute butter for the oil, replace the water with milk, and add an extra egg!)
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Frosted Brownies
Equipment
- 1 9x13 baking pan (or use this divided brownie pan like I did)
- 3 small piping bags + tips (for decorating; I used one large and three small bags but you can use whatever you'd prefer!)
- large piping bag + star tip (optional)
Ingredients
Brownies
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks, melted)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese (one package; softened)
- 1 cup butter (two sticks, softened)
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 Tablespoons milk
- 1 Tablespoon clear vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (if using unsalted butter)
- 1-2 drops Gel food color(s) of your choice! (save and add later - for the brownies in the photos/video, I used teal, electric pink, and super black.)
Decorations
- Sprinkle mix of your choice! (I used ‘Sugar Wraith’ by FancySprinkles)
Instructions
Brownies
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 (or a divided baking pan) with non-stick or baker’s floured cooking spray.
- Mix together melted butter and granulated and brown sugars. Whisk in eggs until well combined. Whisk in cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and gradually stir in all-purpose flour until combined. Stir in vanilla and chocolate chips, and pour into prepared pan.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean). Cool completely before frosting. Set in the fridge or freezer to accelerate the cooling process if desired. (This is a great time to make your frosting!)
Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
- Beat together softened cream cheese and butter; slowly add in powdered sugar alternating with milk until frosting reaches desired consistency. Add vanilla and salt if needed and beat until well combined.
Decorating
- Divide your frosting in portions – as many colors as you’d like to use – and add your gel colors! I often leave one portion white.
- Choose your favorite piping tips – I used the large open star from my large tip set and a smaller open star and oblong teardrop-shaped tip from my smaller set when I piped the frosting onto the brownies – and I usually find it easiest to start with the larger tips and fill in around them with smaller designs. Up to you!
- Add sprinkles to your liking! I started with larger ones spaced where I thought they looked best and then added smaller ones in between them.
- You could also skip the ‘placement’ and just sprinkle them over the top – either works! Sprinkling may result in less 'polished' looking brownies but it's usually more fun!
- Annnd you’re done! High-five yourself –and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make these Frosted Brownies?
Send me an email and let me know how it went – or make my day and find me on Pinterest or on Instagram and tag @IntensiveCakeUnit in your photo!
You can also add a comment or a recipe rating at the bottom of the page! 🙂
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(Click / tap the photos to be taken to the recipe pages!)
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