# Brownies - frosted or not? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 28, 2011, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brownies-frosted-or-not/604335 "2011-11-28T13:20:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brownies-frosted-or-not/604335/1 "2011-11-28T13:20:25Z")
This is an ongoing battle. My husband insists the perfect brownie is frosted. I believe that the chewy, gooey, chocolate-y wonderfulness needs nothing else. I know he’s wrong - just curious how many of you are wrong also. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sarabellum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarabellum/32/3492_2.png) [@Sarabellum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarabellum)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brownies-frosted-or-not/604335/2 "2011-11-28T13:49:23Z")
Also depends on the frosting. I prefer a very thin coating of fudge, and some chopped walnuts sprinkled on top. Maybe some chocolate chips. Cake frosting? Bleh. I’d take a plain brownie in favor of one that’s frosted with actual “frosting”. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brownies-frosted-or-not/604335/3 "2011-11-28T13:54:41Z")
Hell no. Brownies are not frosted. They can be topped with things, but they are not frosted. Frosting is added to cake to make it more sweet and moist. Brownies, being essentially a combination of cake and fudge, need neither of these things. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brownies-frosted-or-not/604335/4 "2011-11-28T14:20:25Z")
Moving to Cafe Society from IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brownies-frosted-or-not/604335/5 "2011-11-28T14:28:58Z")
I was going to type “I love naked Brownies” but it might have been taken the wrong way. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brownies-frosted-or-not/604335/6 "2011-11-28T14:32:21Z")
At least we’re not opening the never-ending chewy vs cake-y debate. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brownies-frosted-or-not/604335/7 "2011-11-28T14:39:31Z")
One thing that will not be tolerated - powdered sugar on brownies. That stuff is evil! Ever accidentally inhaled a wee bit? Sheer agony!!! ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brownies-frosted-or-not/604335/8 "2011-11-28T14:39:37Z")
Frosting makes Brownies too sweet for me. I voted plain. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brownies-frosted-or-not/604335/9 "2011-11-28T14:46:12Z")
If I’m coming over and you’re serving brownies, you better have some whipped cream. That’s the only topping for any dessert. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brownies-frosted-or-not/604335/10 "2011-11-28T16:12:53Z")
Frosting is unnecessary. It just ruins perfection. Leave them unfrosted, please! ---
**Author:** ![Chopper9760](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@Chopper9760](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chopper9760)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brownies-frosted-or-not/604335/11 "2011-11-28T16:37:00Z")
Nothing on or in the brownies, they are already perfect. Unless you’ve made cake brownies, put whatever you want on those because they’re actually cake and they already suck. ---
**Author:** ![AngelSoft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angelsoft/32/440_2.png) [@AngelSoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelSoft)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brownies-frosted-or-not/604335/12 "2011-11-28T16:48:08Z")
I voted either way since normally I prefer plain UNLESS it’s my absolute favorite dessert ever. Thick, gooey brownies topped with vanilla icing that’s had peppermint extract added and then drizzled over with melted chocolate that’s allowed to harden. Omg, those are absolutely divine. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brownies-frosted-or-not/604335/13 "2011-11-28T16:50:30Z")
Frosting has never improved anything. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brownies-frosted-or-not/604335/14 "2011-11-28T16:57:07Z")
Make gooey brownies. Soften some cream cheese. Melt a bar of decent chocolate (Ghirardelli’s, e.g.) into the cream cheese. Melt some seedless raspberry preserves and pour it into the cream cheese. Whip it. Whip it good. Spread atop the brownies. Melt some more decent chocolate–and if you want, a separate thing of white chocolate–and, using a fork, drizzle atop the brownies in enthusiastic diagonal slashes. Then come back and tell me that brownies don’t benefit from frosting. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brownies-frosted-or-not/604335/15 "2011-11-28T17:00:12Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Then come back and tell me that brownies don’t benefit from frosting. I think those ingredients would be better folded _into_ the brownies. Frosting on brownies is acceptable but always superfluous. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brownies-frosted-or-not/604335/16 "2011-11-28T17:05:32Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > I think those ingredients would be better folded _into_ the brownies. > > Frosting on brownies is acceptable but always superfluous. Bah, I say! I didn’t say think about it. I said do it. Until you do, I do not want your thoughts! Bah again, I say! ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brownies-frosted-or-not/604335/17 "2011-11-28T17:21:53Z")
You put frostng on a brownie, you’ve just turned it into a little serving of chocolate cake. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brownies-frosted-or-not/604335/18 "2011-11-28T17:24:26Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Make gooey brownies. > Soften some cream cheese. > Melt a bar of decent chocolate (Ghirardelli’s, e.g.) into the cream cheese. > Melt some seedless raspberry preserves and pour it into the cream cheese. > Whip it. Whip it good. > Spread atop the brownies. > Melt some more decent chocolate–and if you want, a separate thing of white chocolate–and, using a fork, drizzle atop the brownies in enthusiastic diagonal slashes. > > Then come back and tell me that brownies don’t benefit from frosting. I’ll take your word for it that the brownies are better. My next question would be why did you make such bad brownies that they needed to be improved? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brownies-frosted-or-not/604335/19 "2011-11-28T17:39:26Z")
I had no idea that we were such heretics, but I will continue to frost my brownies, because chocolate frosting is proof that there is a God and she loves us. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brownies-frosted-or-not/604335/20 "2011-11-28T17:44:09Z")
In reality I’m not really anti-frosting. Not huge on cream cheese frostings but some are actually very good. The problem is that I very rarely run across something that has frosting but not so much frosting as to overwhelm whatever it is on. Rendering the base (in this case the brownie) nothing more than a device for avoiding the embarrassment of being caught eating frosting out of a bowl (or a store bought can) with a spoon. Used judiciously it is a good thing. But 99.9% of people do not use it judiciously. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brownies-frosted-or-not/604335.md?page=2)