Classic Cake Brownies

By carvalhohm

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups cake flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup pecans or walnuts, toasted and chopped coarse (optional)

Details

Adapted from today.msnbc.msn.com

Preparation

Step 1

+Brownies:+

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Make foil sling by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil so that they are as wide as 13x9-inch baking pan (one 13-inch sheet and one 9-inch sheet). Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to one another, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Grease foil and set aside.

2. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl until combined; set aside.

3. Melt chocolate and butter in medium heatproof bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Off heat, gradually whisk in sugar. Add eggs, 1 at a time, whisking after each addition, until thoroughly combined. Whisk in vanilla. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, folding with rubber spatula until batter is completely smooth and homogeneous.

4. Transfer batter to prepared pan; spread batter into corners of pan and smooth surface. Sprinkle toasted nuts, if using, evenly over batter. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of brownies comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Let brownies cool in pan on wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours. Remove brownies from pan using foil. Cut brownies into 2-inch squares and serve. (Brownies can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.)