Fudgy Cheesecake Brownies

Ingredients

• 8 oz cream cheese (softened; cream cheese layer)
• 1 large egg (room temperature; cream cheese layer)
• 0.25 cup granulated sugar (cream cheese layer)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (cream cheese layer)
• 1 cup unsalted butter (brown before using)
• 0.5 cup natural cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (brownie layer)
• 0.5 cup light brown sugar
• 1.75 cups powdered sugar
• 0.75 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (brownie layer)
• 0.333 cup semi-sweet chocolate (chopped)
• 3 large eggs (room temperature)
• 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
• salt (a pinch)
• 3 tbsp olive oil

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 175°C / 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square pan and line it with parchment paper.

2. 2

   Prepare the cream cheese layer by whisking the softened cream cheese, room-temperature egg, vanilla extract, and granulated sugar until smooth. Set aside.

3. 3

   Place the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Brown it, stirring every 10 seconds, until the milk solids sink and turn golden brown.

4. 4

   Transfer the browned butter to a heatproof bowl.

5. 5

   Add the cocoa powder, olive oil, vanilla extract, and chopped semi-sweet chocolate to the browned butter. Mix until the chocolate has dissolved and the mixture is smooth.

6. 6

   Let the browned-butter mixture cool at room temperature for 15–20 minutes.

7. 7

   Whisk the three room-temperature eggs with the light brown sugar for 4–6 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is light and pale in color.

8. 8

   Add the powdered sugar and mix for 1–2 minutes, until combined.

9. 9

   Add the cooled browned-butter mixture to the egg-and-sugar mixture and mix until combined.

10. 10

    Add the flour, salt, and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Mix just until combined; do not overmix the batter.

11. 11

    Transfer half of the brownie batter to the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer.

12. 12

    Reserve 30 g / 2–3 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture. Add the remaining cream cheese mixture over the brownie batter.

13. 13

    Top with the remaining brownie batter, then spoon the reserved cream cheese mixture over the top.

14. 14

    Make swirls through the top layers.

15. 15

    Bake for 40–45 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the center remains a little fudgy.

16. 16

    Let the brownies cool completely before cutting.

Notes

Dissolving the sugar into the eggs helps create a crackly top. Avoid overmixing. Baking time may need adjustment depending on the pan and oven. The source does not specify a cooling duration beyond cooling completely before cutting.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• brownies
• baked
• chocolate
• cheesecake
• fudgy
• vegetarian