Valentine’s Day can be a wonderful time to celebrate how much you love your spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend. There are many ways to spend quality time with one another on this holiday, but one thing is for sure – you need to end the evening with dessert. There is just something about Valentine’s and sweets that go hand-in-hand, especially chocolate. If you are looking to make dessert for your love that night, then you certainly cannot go wrong with these Red Velvet Cheesecake Swirl Brownies. Just saying the name of this dessert will make your mouth water. After one bite of these decadent and indulgent brownies, you and your significant other may feel like you have entered heaven.
Ingredients
These brownies are really two, if not three, desserts in one. As you prep to make the dessert, you will need ingredients organized and set aside for both the red velvet brownies and the cheesecake filling.
Red Velvet Brownies
- 1 cup of white sugar
- ½ cup of melted unsalted butter
- ¼ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ounce of red food coloring
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon of distilled white vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup of all-purpose flour
When you are adding the eggs into the brownie mixture, do not just crack the eggs into the bowl. In a small bowl, crack the two eggs and lightly beat them. You can then add the lightly beaten eggs into the mixture whenever the directions call for them.
Cheesecake Filling
- One 8-ounce package of cream cheese
- ¼ cup of white sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract
To mix the ingredients for the cheesecake filling thoroughly, it is best if the cream cheese is at room temperature.
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Directions
Begin the process of making these brownies by preheating the oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8×8-inch baking pan. Then to make the red velvet brownies, you will mix the cup of sugar and melted butter in a large bowl with a whisk. Next, you will stir in the cocoa, vanilla extract, vinegar, salt, and the red food coloring. For best results, you should add each ingredient into the mixture one at a time, blending well before adding the next ingredients. This will help avoid lumps in the mixture. You will then mix in the two slightly beaten eggs into the mix until well combined. The next step will be to stir in the flour thoroughly into the cocoa mixture. You will need to set aside 1/4 cup of the batter. The remaining batter needs to be poured into the greased baking dish.
Next, you need to make the cheesecake filling. With an electric mixer, you will beat the cream cheese in a separate bowl on medium speed. The cream cheese should be light and fluffy. You will then add the sugar, egg, and vanilla extract called for the filling. Be sure to beat the entire cream cheese mixture for about three to four minutes until it is thoroughly blended. You will then carefully spoon the cream cheese filling over the batter in the pan. Be gentle as you smooth the cream cheese mixture, so that you do not overmix. For best results, use a knife of offset spatula. Then with the remaining 1/4 cup of batter that you set aside, you will drizzle over the cream cheese mixture. Using a knife or skewer, you will create swirls by dragging your utensil the two mixtures.
Place the pan in the oven where you will bake for 30 to 35 minutes. You will know that your dessert is ready because the top should be dry and the edges will have begun to separate from the sides of the pan. After you take the brownies out of the oven, you may be tempted to eat straight from the pan, but it is a good rule of thumb to allow the brownies to cool before you cut into them.