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Buttermilk Brownies

Krista · 18. January 2015 · 10 Comments

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The rich chocolate flavor of these cakelike brownies definitely qualifies them as timeless classics. Plus, they’re practically foolproof, a fact appreciated by generations of cooks.

Such is the description in the Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Cookies Magazine from 2002. The exact same recipe can be found in my Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, copyright 1989. The recipe is probably at least as old as I am. Tried and true!Buttermilk Brownies on plate

A friend of mine also uses a nearly identical recipe, which she got from her grandmother, but hers is called Chocolate Sheet Cake. It also calls for buttermilk and the batter is prepared in the same way as in the recipe here.

Whether you call these cake or brownies, they are simply perfect. Every time you make them. And they are quickly gobbled up. They are moist and cake-y and chocolate-y and just the right amount of gooey with their fudgy icing.

My daughter requests these brownies as her birthday cake. They are that good. Now, because I am obsessed with baking, I do feel a little guilty presenting these on her special day because they are so easy and quick to make.

These are made a little differently than other cakes and brownies. It even seems pretty weird – boiling up butter, cocoa powder and water. But that’s the secret to making these so rich, moist and chocolate-y.

Put the butter, cocoa powder and water into a medium-sized saucepan. It looks weird, I know!Cocoa, butter, water in potAfter you bring the mixture to a boil, it looks like this. It looks and smells chocolately already.Chocolate mixture boiling in potThe perfect Buttermilk Brownie batter. We like it runny.Buttermilk brownie batterFor the Chocolate-Buttermilk Icing, bring butter, cocoa powder and buttermilk to a boil. This time it looks greasy and gloppy. Don’t worry, we like it like that.Cocoa mixture boiling in potSee? The Chocolate-Buttermilk Icing turned out perfectly.Chocolate frosting

4.34 from 9 votes
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Buttermilk Brownies

Course Brownies
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 35 brownies
Calories 170 kcal

Ingredients

Brownies

  • 2 cups (280 g) flour
  • 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (225 g) butter
  • 1/3 cup (40 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 cup (240 ml) water
  • ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 ½ packets vanilla sugar

Chocolate-Buttermilk Icing

  • ¼ cup (60 g) butter
  • 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3 tablespoons buttermilk
  • 2 ¼ cups (250 g) powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or ½ packet vanilla sugar

Instructions

Brownies

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 13x9x2-inch (25x38x4 cm) baking pan. In the bowl of your mixer, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.
  2. In a medium saucepan combine butter, cocoa powder and water. Bring the mixture just to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and pour the chocolate mixture into the flour mixture. Beat with mixer on medium speed until combined. Scrape bowl and add buttermilk, eggs and vanilla extract or vanilla sugar. Beat for one minute on medium speed. The batter will be thin. Pour into prepared pan.
  3. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near the center of brownies comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

Chocolate-Buttermilk Icing

  1. Begin making the chocolate-buttermilk icing immediately when the brownies are done baking. Place the powdered sugar into the bowl of your mixer. In a medium saucepan bring butter, unsweetened cocoa powder and buttermilk to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. This mixture will seem oily and separated but that's normal. Remove from heat and pour chocolate mixture over powdered sugar and add vanilla extract or vanilla sugar. Beat until smooth, scraping bowl once. Working quickly, distribute the icing over the warm brownies and then spread the icing evenly.
  2. Cool the brownies completely in the pan on a wire rack and cover and chill them in the refrigerator before cutting. Keep brownies covered in the refrigerator for up to three days.

 Fudge BrowniesFudge Brownies - Living on Cookies

Cheesecake BrowniesCheesecake Brownies - these are the BESTe

These amazing old-fashioned Buttermilk Brownies are moist, cake-y, and chocolate-y, with a melt-in-your-mouth, fudgy buttermilk chocolate icing.
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Filed Under: Brownies & Bars, Holiday Recipes, How To, Recipes, Sweet Treats Tagged With: buttermilk, Chocolate, frosted brownies

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Linda says

    3. July 2022 at 13:45

    Nice recipe but this should be labeled as a cake. It’s definitely not dense like a brownie.

    Reply
    • Krista says

      3. July 2022 at 13:57

      Hi Linda,

      They are cake-like and some people call them cake, but I grew up calling them brownies so to me they’re a type of brownie.

      Reply
  2. Tammy says

    23. March 2021 at 21:29

    These are amazingly good! My whole family loved them. This recipe is a keeper for sure.😍

    Reply
    • Krista says

      23. March 2021 at 22:10

      Thanks, Tammy!

      Reply
  3. Nathan says

    20. October 2020 at 07:18

    I made these several times and added nuts and semi sweet chocolate chips. I use buttermilk in several other family recipes but never in brownies. This recipe is so easy and simply delicious 😋

    Reply
    • Krista says

      20. October 2020 at 07:53

      Good to know that nuts and chocolate chips work with this recipe. Thanks, Nathan!

      Reply
  4. kaylene roberts says

    24. October 2019 at 03:48

    I made them tonight .
    They are so moist and the icing was delicious!!! When your kids ask for the recipe you know it good! Thank you for sharing it.

    Reply
    • Krista says

      24. October 2019 at 07:11

      It always makes my day to hear that someone tried my recipe and loved the results! 🙂 Thank you for the feedback!

      Reply
  5. Kim says

    22. February 2018 at 18:42

    The measurements in cm are for a jelly roll pan and then the cooking time would probably also be correct. I put in a 13×9 and needed a lot more time to bake

    Reply
    • Krista says

      22. February 2018 at 19:17

      Hi Kim, Thank you for pointing that out. That’s correct – the measurements in centimeters are from my “European” brownie pan, which is slightly larger than a 9×13 inch pan. Variations in actual oven temperature and type of pan – glass or metal – will affect baking time as well. I just checked the original recipe and it says 35 minutes baking time for a 9×13 inch pan and 25 minutes for a 10×15 inch pan. I hope you enjoyed the brownies!

      Reply

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Hi and welcome! I’m Krista, making the world sweeter, one recipe at a time. Feel free to rummage around and get inspired. Continue Reading...

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