Description
This Viral Brownie Pudding recipe offers a decadent twist on traditional brownies with a luscious, fudgy center achieved by baking in a water bath. The combination of rich cocoa, real vanilla bean, and optional coffee extract enhances the deep chocolate flavor, resulting in a moist and saucy dessert perfect when served warm with ice cream, fresh berries, or a drizzle of heavy cream.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (227g, plus more for greasing the dish)
- 4 x-large eggs (room temperature, or 5 large eggs)
- 2 cups granulated sugar (400g)
- 1 vanilla bean (scraped or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
- ¾ teaspoon coffee extract (optional)
- ¾ cups unsweetened cocoa powder (75g)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (65g, spooned and leveled)
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
For Baking
- hot tap water (for water bath)
- butter (for greasing the dish)
For Serving
- ice cream (optional, for serving)
- fresh berries or heavy cream (optional, alternative serving suggestions)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 325℉. Generously grease a 2-quart baking dish with butter, using butter wrappers if desired for ease. Place this dish into a deep roasting pan to create a water bath setup.
- Add Water Bath: Pour hot tap water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the baking dish. This water bath helps cook the pudding gently and evenly.
- Melt Butter: Melt 1 cup of unsalted butter in a medium saucepan and then remove it from the heat. Allow it to cool while preparing the batter to prevent cooking the eggs prematurely.
- Beat Eggs and Sugar: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or using a hand mixer and large bowl, beat 4 x-large eggs with 2 cups granulated sugar on speed 6 for 5 to 7 minutes. Regularly scrape the bowl to ensure even mixing. The mixture should become thick, smooth, and pale yellow.
- Add Vanilla and Coffee Extract: Slice the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds, then mix them into the egg and sugar mixture along with the coffee extract, if using, to build flavor depth.
- Sift Dry Ingredients: Sift together ¾ cups unsweetened cocoa powder, ½ cup flour, and ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt directly into the egg mixture. Gently mix just until combined, being careful not to overmix to keep the texture tender.
- Incorporate Melted Butter: With the mixer at low speed, slowly drizzle in the cooled melted butter, carefully scraping the pan to get every bit of butter into the batter for richness.
- Fold Batter: Stop mixing and fold the batter gently with a rubber spatula for 15 to 30 seconds to ensure a uniform consistency without deflating the air incorporated in the eggs.
- Transfer Batter to Dish: Pour the combined batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top evenly with a spatula for an attractive finish.
- Bake in Water Bath: Place the baking dish into the water bath and bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 60 minutes. The pudding is done when a cake tester inserted 2 inches from the edge comes out mostly clean while the center remains jiggly and saucy.
- Rest and Serve: Let the pudding rest for 5 to 10 minutes after baking. Serve warm by scooping into bowls alongside ice cream, or alternatively with fresh berries or a drizzle of heavy cream for an indulgent treat.
Notes
- Using a water bath ensures gentle, even cooking and prevents the pudding from drying out.
- The coffee extract is optional but enhances the chocolate flavor.
- If you don’t have a vanilla bean, substitute with 1 teaspoon of high-quality vanilla extract.
- The pudding has a soft, saucy center by design; do not overbake.
- Allow the batter to come to room temperature to help achieve the best rise and texture.
