Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

Ingredients

• 0.75 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp natural cocoa powder
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 100 g light brown sugar
• 210 g powdered sugar
• 3 large eggs (Room temperature)
• salt (A pinch)
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 1.5 tsp gel red food coloring
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 0.75 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 0.333 cup semi-sweet chocolate (Chopped)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (For the brownie layer)
• 8 oz cream cheese (Room temperature)
• 0.25 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 0.5 tsp vanilla extract (For the cheesecake layer)
• 2 tbsp sour cream (Room temperature)
• 1 large egg (Room temperature; for the cheesecake layer)

Steps

1. 1

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

2. 2

   Make the cheesecake layer first. Place the cream cheese, egg, vanilla extract, sour cream, cornstarch, and granulated sugar in a mixing bowl. Blend until smooth.

3. 3

   Brown the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring every 10 seconds. When it turns golden brown, transfer it to a heatproof bowl.

4. 4

   Add the cocoa powder, olive oil, vanilla extract, chopped chocolate, vinegar, and red food coloring to the browned butter. Mix thoroughly, then let the mixture cool at room temperature for 15–20 minutes.

5. 5

   In another bowl, whisk the eggs and light brown sugar for 4–6 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is light and pale.

6. 6

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

7. 7

   Combine the egg mixture with the cooled browned-butter mixture and mix until combined.

8. 8

   Add the flour, salt, and semi-sweet chocolate chips to the brownie batter. Mix just until combined, taking care not to overmix.

9. 9

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

10. 10

    Reserve 30 g, or about 2–3 tablespoons, of the cheesecake mixture. Add the remaining cheesecake mixture over the brownie layer.

11. 11

    Top with the remaining brownie batter. Add the reserved cheesecake mixture and make swirls through the top.

12. 12

    Bake for 40–45 minutes, until the edges are golden and the center is slightly fudgy.

13. 13

    Let the brownies cool completely before cutting.

Notes

The source does not specify a cooling duration after baking beyond cooling completely before cutting. The cheesecake mixture is reserved by weight or approximate volume for the final swirl.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• brownies
• red velvet
• cheesecake
• baked
• vegetarian
• American
• chocolate