Fudgy Cheesecake Brownies

Ingredients

• 8 oz cream cheese (softened; reserve 30 g (about 2–3 tbsp) of the prepared cream cheese mixture for swirling)
• 1 large egg (room temperature; for the cream cheese layer)
• 0.25 cup granulated sugar (for the cream cheese layer)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (for the cream cheese layer)
• 1 cup unsalted butter (for browning)
• 0.5 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (for the brownie layer)
• 0.333 cup semi-sweet chocolate (chopped)
• 3 large eggs (room temperature; for the brownie batter)
• 0.5 cup light brown sugar
• 1.75 cups powdered sugar
• 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
• 0.75 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• salt (a pinch)

Steps

1. 1

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

2. 2

   Prepare the cream cheese layer by whisking the softened cream cheese, 1 large room-temperature egg, granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth.

3. 3

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

4. 4

   Transfer the browned butter to a heatproof bowl. Add the cocoa powder, olive oil, vanilla extract, and chopped semi-sweet chocolate. Mix until the chocolate has dissolved into the warm butter mixture.

5. 5

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

6. 6

   Whisk the 3 room-temperature eggs with the light brown sugar for 4–6 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture becomes light and pale in color.

7. 7

   Add the powdered sugar to the egg mixture and mix until combined, about 1–2 minutes.

8. 8

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

9. 9

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

10. 10

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

11. 11

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

12. 12

    Top with the remaining brownie batter, then add the reserved cream cheese mixture. Use a utensil to make swirls through the layers.

13. 13

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

14. 14

    Let the brownies cool completely before cutting.

Notes

The source recommends dissolving the sugar into the eggs for a crackly top, avoiding overmixing, and adjusting the baking time as needed. The source does not specify an exact cooling duration beyond instructing that the brownies cool completely before cutting.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• brownies
• baked
• chocolate
• cheesecake
• vegetarian
• American baking