Red Velvet Brownies Cheesecake Swirl (Print)
Fudgy red velvet bars combined with a creamy cheesecake swirl for a luscious and elegant treat.
# Ingredient List:
→ Red Velvet Brownie Layer
01 - ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
04 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
05 - 1 tbsp red food coloring (liquid or gel)
06 - ¾ cup all-purpose flour
07 - 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
08 - ¼ tsp salt
→ Cheesecake Swirl
09 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
10 - ¼ cup granulated sugar
11 - 1 large egg yolk
12 - ½ tsp vanilla extract
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing overhang for easy removal.
02 - Whisk melted butter and sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla extract, and red food coloring; whisk until fully incorporated.
03 - Sift flour, cocoa powder, and salt into the wet mixture. Fold gently with a spatula until just combined—avoid overmixing to maintain fudgy texture.
04 - Reserve ¼ cup of batter for swirling. Spread remaining batter evenly across the prepared pan.
05 - Beat cream cheese until smooth. Blend in sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until creamy and uniform.
06 - Drop spoonfuls of cheesecake mixture over brownie batter. Dollop reserved brownie batter on top. Use a knife or skewer to swirl layers together gently for marbled effect.
07 - Bake for 32–35 minutes until center is just set and toothpick inserted comes out with moist crumbs.
08 - Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Lift using parchment overhang and cut into squares before serving.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The combination of fudgy chocolate brownie and tangy cheesecake is the kind of balance that keeps you reaching for just one more square
- These look impressive enough for special occasions but come together with surprisingly minimal effort
02 -
- Over-swirling the layers will turn your beautiful marble into muddy brown, so just a few passes with your knife is plenty
- These continue to firm up as they cool, so pulling them from the oven when they still seem slightly underdone is actually correct
03 -
- Gel food coloring is worth tracking down—liquid coloring can make your batter too thin and affect the final texture
- Room temperature ingredients blend together seamlessly, so plan ahead and set everything out about an hour before baking