The Best Orange Frosted Brownies

This recipe for Fudgy Brownies is my favorite – one bowl and so easy! Topped with Orange Frosting made with mandarine oranges, these are The Best Orange Frosted Brownies you’ll ever eat!

Happy Easter everyone! I hope you’re having a relaxing Sunday with your family.

We got back last night from a couple of days in San Diego, visiting family. Another word for this trip: the Eating Extravaganza of 2013.

Let me give you a rundown:

We were traveling, so eating a danish at the airport was perfectly acceptable.

So was the bagel sandwich I scarfed at Einstein’s. {Why oh why is there no Einstein’s in Rocklin, CA?}

Then there were hamburgers and chips for dinner.

Friday – now that took the cake. We went out to breakfast with Mel’s dad.

We went to Il Fornaio for lunch.

And I was still hungry for a sandwich at dinner. And frozen yogurt.

We celebrated early Easter Saturday morning with cinnamon rolls and eggs. Which I washed down with two pork carnitas tacos at Old Town.

All interspersed with handfuls of Cadbury Mini Eggs.

Oh, and we went for brunch this morning.

My new name: Fatty McBuffet Pants.

I wore leggings for a reason. None of my pants fit.

So I’m going on a fast for the next week.

As long as the fast includes brownies, I’m good.

I am totally eating crow with these brownies, BTW. I have scoffed at the orange-and-chocolate combo for years. I remember seeing one of those orange chocolate shaped thingies at Christmas when I was like, 12 and thinking EW OMG NO WAY.

People. I was wrong. So very, very wrong.

Orange and chocolate are totally BFFs. Like, they need to get broken heart-shaped necklaces and wear matching color hair ties on their wrists because OMG they can’t live without each other and they have to proclaim their love to everyone.

Orange + Chocolate = Heaven.

This brownie recipe isn’t new. It’s my favorite Fudgy Brownie recipe, the one I paired recently with Coconut Frosting. The same brownies I stuffed truffles inside.

These brownies are rich and fabulous and sinful and the best ever. I use two kinds of melted chocolate and cocoa powder in these brownies for a richness you wouldn’t believe. They are pretty much one bowl and are better than a box. Yes, I said it. They are better than a box brownie.

They’re good even by themselves with a fork, but they are even better with Orange Frosting.

You can use any kind of orange for this frosting, but I used Cuties (mandarin oranges). I had a bag and they were going to go to waste since Jordan decided she won’t eat them. The juice is so fragrant my mouth waters every time I juice them. I don’t like eating oranges (I have texture issues and pulp is a #1 offender) but I like peeling Cuties just so my fingers will smell like them.

The frosting is a basic one: butter and powdered sugar and flavoring. I added orange juice and zest to flavor the frosting. And, my secret for the best frosting ever? Heavy cream. Not milk. Certainly not non-fat milk. The real deal: heavy whipping cream. Just a tablespoon or two makes the frosting rich, creamy, and oh-so-good.

 Meh. I’ll start the fast on tomorrow. What’s one more day? 😉

The Best Orange Frosted Brownies

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Brownies with a fresh orange frosting.

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Yield 16 servings

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Ingredients

 

For the Brownies

• ▢ 2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate , coarsely chopped
• ▢ 2 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate , coarsely chopped
• ▢ 3/4 cup butter
• ▢ 1 3/4 cups sugar
• ▢ 3 eggs
• ▢ 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• ▢ 1 cup all-purpose flour

For the frosting:

• ▢ 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• ▢ 4 cups powdered sugar
• ▢ 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice
• ▢ 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• ▢ 1 teaspoon orange zest

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Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13” pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
• Place the two baking chocolates and butter in a large, microwave safe bowl. Heat on HIGH power for 2-3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until chocolate is smooth. Stir in sugar. Add eggs, vanilla, and cocoa and stir well. Add flour and stir carefully.
• Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake about 25 minutes, until a toothpick 2 inches from the outside of the pan comes out clean. Let cool before cutting.
• To make the frosting, beat butter in a large bowl with a hand mixer until smooth. Slowly beat in powdered sugar until crumbly. Beat in orange juice, then heavy cream (not together).
• Spread frosting over the top of the cooled brownies.

Recipe Nutrition

Calories: 7455kcal | Carbohydrates: 985g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 395g | Saturated Fat: 244g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g | Monounsaturated Fat: 106g | Trans Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 1365mg | Sodium: 2785mg | Potassium: 1512mg | Fiber: 21g | Sugar: 848g | Vitamin A: 10999IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 322mg | Iron: 24mg

Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Author Dorothy Kern

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