Are you the kind of person who likes a combination of sweet with a slight tanginess? If you are, then I hope that you at least give the combination of cream cheese and brownies a try! I can assure you that these Red Velvet Cheesecake with a brownie base will certainly bring enjoyment!

For these Red Velvet Cheesecake Swirl Brownies, it is a beautiful combination in both texture and flavour, which I will elaborate further in my usual style of breakdown of the recipe. I am sure you can agree with me as well that this is a really pleasing colour combination!

Unfortunately for me, I did not really dislodge the excessive air bubbles and am not planning to make yet another batch (after experimenting with a few).

This is the final product and if you would want something like mine which looks Halloween-inspired, go ahead and not hit the pan against the counter!

Let me now then proceed to the recipe breakdown according to the Taste and Texture, Ingredients and Method of Preparation!

For the taste, it is towards the chocolatey side backed by a background of vanilla (considering how it is Red Velvet afterall!). If you have eaten Red Velvet before, the flavour of Red Velvet will be appreciable albeit being less intense. In addition, it will be backed by a tanginess due to the swirling with cream cheese. It is almost a Red Velvet Cupcake topped with cream cheese Frosting, but assembled through a different method of baking, a much more convenient one!

The texture of these swirl brownies will be dense, moist and towards the chewy side. I prefer mine refrigerated to make it firmer!

Now to the ingredients.

You will see nothing out of the ordinary except the usage of distilled white vinegar. If you haven’t baked any Red Velvet flavoured bakes before, vinegar is needed as a component to create that distinct flavour of Red Velvet!

Regarding the other ingredients, I like to be generous with my Cream Cheese portions because I really love the cream cheese portion. You can definitely feel free to use + / – 50g from the recommended amount of cream cheese I have used in the recipe I am sharing today.

Last but not least, the method of preparation.

I would like to elaborate on would be the swirling effect.It is nothing complicated once I have explained it!

Basically what I did was to spread a layer of the brownie batter, reserving about a quarter to a third of the batter. Next, I pour in the cream cheese in the middle. Then, I put spoonfuls of the red velvet brownie batter wherever I like! Finally, I just use a butter knife or a fork to make swirled patterns by drawing “S” shapes in the batter!

Let’s now proceed to the recipe!

Red Velvet Cheesecake Swirl Brownies
by Javier Tan September-16-2018

Tangy with cream cheese complemented with a chewy background of Red Velvet Brownies make these brownies a good dessert for any Cream Cheese lovers, or for days where you prefer something towards the savoury side!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 Cup or 115g Unsalted Butter, Melted and Cooled to Room Temperature
  • 3/4 Cup or 150g Granulated White Sugar
  • 1/2 Cup or 60g All Purpose/Plain Flour, Sifted
  • 1/3 Cup or 30g Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, Sifted
  • 1/2 Teaspoon or 2.5ml Distilled White Vinegar
  • Red Food Colouring, Add to Preference
  • 2 Large Eggs, 55g each, Room Temperature
  • 3/4 Teaspoon or 3.75ml Vanilla Extract or 7.5ml of Vanilla Essence
  • 40g or a couple of spoonfuls Semisweet Chocolate (Optional, for richer flavour)

For The Cream Cheese Layer

  • 1 Large Egg at room temperature, about 55g including shell.
  • 250g or 1 Cup + 2 Tablespoon Cream Cheese, Softened at Room Temperature
  • 37.5g or 3 Tablespoons Granulated White Sugar
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C and line your 8 x 8 inches baking tray with parchment paper.
  2. Melt the unsalted butter with the chocolate (if using). Stir in the granulated white sugar after the butter has cooled for a couple of minutes.
  3. Add in the two eggs separately. Mix well after the addition of each egg until you attain a mixture that is of a single consistency.
  4. Stir in the red food colouring, vinegar and vanilla and mix well.
  5. Sift the flour and cocoa powder until there are no more lumps and fold it into the brownie mixture.
  6. Next, prepare the cream cheese mixture by whisking the cream cheese to loosen it up slightly. It will be slightly clumpy.
  7. Add in the white sugar and egg and just keep whisking until you form a mixture of a single consistency. If yours appear clumpy, it means it needs more whisking.
  8. Now, transfer approximately 2/3 of the brownie batter into the baking tray.
  9. Spoon all the cream cheese into the center or distribute it throughout the top of the brownie batter.
  10. Top the leftover 1/3 brownie batter randomly as how you would like it. Use a knife to create swirls by cutting though making “S” shapes in the batter.
  11. Hit the tray against the counter to dislodge excessive air bubbles. For the slight halloween effect, do not do so. Bake for about 25-28 minutes.
  12. Cool for a couple of hours. Serve and enjoy!
Details
  • Prep time: 30
  • Cook time: 30
  • Total time:
  • Yield: 1 8 x 8 Inches Cake or 1 9″ Round Cake

Notes:

  1. Store in refrigerator for up to 3 days. Best eaten on the day itself!
  2. If you would like to be updated for more recipes which I strive to create to perfection for sharing, do check out my InstagramFacebook Page, or YouTube 🙂 Thank you so much for all of your support! Feel free to tag me or link back here!
  3. Feel free to ask me any questions through any platforms that I use!
  4. If you have more questions regarding how to marble or how the consistency of the batter should look like, please do not hesitate to contact me!

Enjoy!
– Bakeomaniac, Javier Tan