Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownie Recipe

OMG, just opened my blog and found out it touched 2000+ view. I don't know where it came from and who reads this blog, but whoever you are...

 <3

These past few weeks have been hectic for me. It's either quizzes, mid semester exams or assignments that got me stuffed up. In between was going out with friends of course. I still have one report due tomorrow, but writing method of cooking seems more fun than laboratory method, and discussing recipe and food feels better than discussing experiment results.

So, after being absent for 3 weeks from blogging, here I am returning with a recipe of a red velvet brownie with cheesecake topping. An easy, fast, cheap and yummy recipe for an easy, fast, cheap and yummy dessert, or snack if you will.

Yields : one 15x20cm brownie.

This brownie recipe is super duper easy, it only requires few utensils and therefore less things to wash, YAY. But the outcome is such a scrumptious and pretty dessert! Perfect for cooking for a crowd as one cake gives you about 15 pieces of brownie that's just a perfect bite size. The red velvet brownie so moist with the slightly sticky cheesecake topping, makes a perfect combo. It's a match made in Gondo's Kitchen. Just one bite out of the oven, and...

INGREDIENTS:

• 113g of unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 1 cup of granulated white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 3 tbs high quality cocoa powder
• 1 tsp distilled white vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• approx. 2 tbs red food coloring

ps: use a very good quality cocoa powder, because it's the ingredient that gives the red velvet brownie a hint of chocolate flavor.

Cream cheese topping:

• 225g cream cheese, softened at room temperature
• 1 egg
• 3 1/2 tbs sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

METHOD:

Grease a 15x20cm baking pan with non stick spray and line the pan with parchment paper, making sure it goes up to the sides, this will facilitate the removal of the brownie from the pan. See I wrote too much reports that I used the word 'facilitate' a lot now, lol.

                                                       

Preheat the oven to 180 degree C.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream together the butter and sugar, scraping down the sides regularly...

Add the eggs one at a time along with the vanilla extract, and beat well.

Add the cocoa powder, vinegar and salt along with the food coloring and mix well after addition of each ingredient. For the amount of red food coloring, you can adjust based on visual observation, add more if not red enough. The idea is to start in a small amount, adding more later.

Add the flour last and mix it ONLY until it's incorporated. Do not over mix. Nothing good can come from over mixing.

And this is the consistency you're after...

Set about 1 cup of the mixture in a bowl and pour the remining to the lined baking pan... and now you can start with the cheesecake topping!

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Put all the ingredients for the topping in a mixing bowl and use a spatula or a whisk to mix everything together. Make sure that your cream cheese is very soft so it's easier to mix. I just don't have the patience to wait for my cream cheese to fully soften, so I add my semi-softened cream cheese to the mixture.

 Although it might look like it's not going to be one smooth mixture, after a few minutes of beating it will have a smooth consistency. Which proves that not only in life... but also in mixing egg and cream cheese -- you have to have faith...

Pour all the cheesecake topping mixture on top of the red velvet brownie mixture and spread with a spatula. Dollop in the remaining brownie mixture that had been set aside on top of the cheesecake topping so it looks like this...

Use a chopstick to swirl it all around and create any shape you would like. This step is so so fun!

Look at that art, I feel like picasso.

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Put it in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until fully cooked. Allow to cool completely before cutting and serving so that the brownie and cheesecake have a chance to firm up a little.

And there you go, a perfectly moist brownie with a gooey cheesecake topping. It's like the classic red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting, but with a brownie like texture. It was amazing. Brought this for my friends and they loved it. Either that or they're just hungry cause it was a 9 am lecture...
But seriously, it was really good and it's a perfect way to end a meal. The most important thing is that it only take an hour max to make.

Oh, and in case you feel guilty after eating half a pan of this delight (like I do), here's something to comfort you... Repeat this in your mind every time you over-eat dessert.

xo