Red Velvet Brownies

Ingredients

• 1 cup All-purpose flour
• 0.25 cup Cocoa powder
• 0.5 tsp Kosher salt
• 2 Large eggs
• 1 Egg yolk
• 1 cup Sugar
• 0.5 cup Brown sugar
• 0.5 cup Unsalted butter (Melted)
• 3 tbsp Oil
• 3 tbsp Sour cream
• 0.5 tbsp Vanilla extract
• 1.5 tsp White vinegar
• 1 tbsp Red gel food coloring
• 4 tbsp Unsalted butter (At room temperature; for the frosting)
• 4 oz Cream cheese (At room temperature; for the frosting)
• 2 cups Powdered sugar (For the frosting)
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract (For the frosting)
• 0.25 tsp Kosher salt (For the frosting)
• 1 tbsp Red gel food coloring (Optional; for the marbled frosting)
• Sprinkles (Optional, for topping)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. 2

   In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Set the dry mixture aside.

3. 3

   In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, egg yolk, sugar, brown sugar, melted butter, and oil for 2 minutes, until combined.

4. 4

   Add the sour cream, 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract, white vinegar, and red gel food coloring to the wet mixture. Continue whisking until fully incorporated and smooth.

5. 5

   Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix.

6. 6

   Spray an 8-by-8-inch square baking pan with nonstick baking spray or line it with parchment paper. Add the brownie batter to the prepared pan.

7. 7

   Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the edges are set and the center is still slightly jiggly. The brownies are better slightly underbaked than overbaked to preserve their fudgy texture.

8. 8

   Allow the brownies to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Turn them out onto a wire rack and let them cool completely.

9. 9

   Prepare the frosting by mixing the room-temperature cream cheese and room-temperature butter with a hand mixer until smooth, about 2–3 minutes.

10. 10

    Add the powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Continue mixing until the frosting is smooth and fluffy.

11. 11

    Once the brownies have cooled completely, spread the cream cheese frosting over the top.

12. 12

    For the optional marbled finish, transfer half of the frosting to a separate bowl, add 1 tablespoon red gel food coloring, and mix until evenly colored.

13. 13

    Dollop the white and red frostings over the cooled brownies and swirl them together with a toothpick or butter knife. Add optional sprinkles on top.

Notes

For fudgier brownies, remove them when the edges are set but the center remains slightly jiggly. The source also mentions a vegan variation using flax eggs, non-dairy butter, and non-dairy sour cream in the same listed amounts.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• brownies
• baked
• American
• vegetarian
• make-ahead
• cream-cheese-frosting