Without a doubt, cakes and brownies are two amazing treats. They have a lot of similarities and you may likely confuse a brownie for a chocolate cake if you don’t know their differences.
Moreover, some brownies and cakes look so alike that you can’t tell them apart. But they are different from each other. And these differences are not farfetched.
If you’re curious to know more about what makes them different, follow me as we explore more in this article.
What are brownies?
Brownies are pieces of baked desserts that are denser than cake but softer than cookies. They have a cracked, crispy top and a body that’s compact and flat, and are usually cut into squares.
The basic brownie recipe includes chocolate, cocoa powder, flour, butter, eggs, and sugar. Other ingredients like chocolate chips, and nuts, are also used to make it more appealing and tastier.
Although brownies can be topped with icing, their rough, cracked top makes it difficult to frost them. Brownies have little or no leavening agents and the eggs are beaten rather than whisked.
That being said, let’s see the types of brownies we have.
Types of brownies
There is an endless combination of flavors you can create to make different types of brownies, and it’s all at the baker’s discretion. Let’s take a look at the most common of them:
1. Fudgy brownies
This is the common rich, fudgy, and chocolatey brownie we all know. It starts with melted butter and unsweetened chocolate to give a gooey and dense texture that makes you go on and on.
2. Cakey brownies
These types of brownies are even more similar to chocolate cakes. In this case, cocoa powder is used instead of melted chocolate and a little leavening agent is added to the recipe.
The result is an airy, light-textured brownie that’s moist and fluffy inside.
3. Chewy brownies
This type of brownie is somewhat like the fudgy variant but the melted chocolate is replaced with cocoa powder and the butter with oil in the batter.
Additionally, it uses less flour and there’s an addition of brown sugar to speed up the formation of gluten for a chewy result.
Other delicious flavors you can try out include:
- Fudge walnut brownies
- Blondies
- Peanut butter brownies
- Cream cheese brownies
- Espresso brownies
What is a cake?
A cake is a baked confectionery made from a mixture of flour, fat, sugar, egg, and leavening agents like baking powder or soda.
Cakes can be accompanied by nuts, cocoa, vanilla extracts, and fruits to give them a unique flavor. The exterior can be iced with whipped cream, buttercream, or decorated with marzipan.
Cakes were designed as a modification for bread but have grown to become a specialty food served in ceremonies and special events like weddings and birthdays.
There are varieties of cakes today based on many recipes and mixing techniques.
Types of cake
There are basically two types of cakes with an endless variety in each category which are:
1. Butter/shortened cake
Shortened cakes are those that include butter, oil, or shortening in their recipe. They include but are not limited to yellow butter cake, carrot cake, upside-down cake, and coffee cake, among others.
2. Foam cake
Foam cakes have little or no fat content in them. Instead, it includes whipped eggs (whites, yolks, or both), and as a result, is airier and lighter than butter cake. Examples of foam cakes include sponge cake, angel food cake, etc.
Difference between brownies and cakes
1. Basic ingredients
The basic ingredients for brownies are flour, eggs, cocoa powder or melted chocolate, sugar, and butter. The ingredients used for cake include flour, eggs, butter, and leavening agents such as baking soda and baking powder.
Brownies do not include a leavening agent. As a result, they do not rise like cakes.
Additionally, brownies use only melted chocolate or cocoa powder to give them the signature brown appearance and flavor whereas cakes can come in different flavors.
2. Taste & texture
Cakes are light and fluffy and the taste is dependent on the flavor. The flavor ranges from vanilla to chocolate, carrot, and walnut – the list is endless. Additionally, cakes have smooth and creamy tops.
Conversely, brownies are dense, and chewy, with a cracked and crisp top. Brownies are basically chocolatey, except for the blondie variant that uses vanilla instead of chocolate.
3. Ingredients proportion
Most brownies have a larger proportion of eggs to flour than most cakes. Also, brownies contain a large amount of sugar compared to cakes.
4. Method of preparation
There are similarities in preparing both desserts, however, when preparing brownies, the batter is beaten hard after adding the flour mixed with the egg.
For cakes, you don’t need to beat the batter once the flour has been added.
5. Uses of brownies and cakes
Brownies serve as tea-time desserts, home treats, or finger foods for picnics or special occasions. However, they cannot serve as the focal point of special occasions.
On the other hand, cakes are always the top dessert served on special occasions. They can be decorated elegantly and in different shapes to suit the mood or theme of any event.
6. Presentation of brownies and cakes
Cakes can be baked in multiple shapes and sizes, whether square, round, or modern fondant designs. They can be multiple layers, decorated, and iced for celebrations.
Brownies are not always elaborately decorated. They are simply cut into squares after baking. Although it may quite difficult, they can be topped with icing or marzipan.
FAQs
Are brownies healthier than cake?
Yes, brownies are a little healthier than cakes because the chocolate in them works as an antioxidant.
Can cake turn into a brownie?
No. If you follow the recipe and preparation method of cake keenly, there’s no way you can have a brownie. However, a little tweak in the process can give you something that resembles a brownie.
Is brownie a cake or cookie?
No. Brownie is closer to being a cookie than a cake. It is denser than a cake but softer than a cookie.
Conclusion
Cakes are a lot different from brownies, and this article has done justice to the differences that exist between them.
If you followed keenly, you should be able to tell the difference even if they are put side by side on any occasion.
To reiterate, cakes are light and fluffy, and they can come in varying shapes, forms, sizes, and flavors. Brownies are dense, chocolatey, and gooey. They are made with little or no leavening agent which makes them flat.
I hope this article was helpful. Thanks for reading.
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