Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

Red velvet is an interesting cake.  Originally named more for a velvety texture rather than red color, the cake has become one known in the form of a bright, vibrant red color and a rich chocolaty taste.



My boss is a red velvet fanatic.  He's been suggesting I make a red velvet cake for months, and when he sent a brownie recipe my way that looked utterly delicious, I figured it was time to give this version it a try.

I made my standard swaps of using brown sugar, but also added some cinnamon after learning a while back that cinnamon and chocolate make great friends.

 To make the red velvet portion of the brownies, I melted the butter and then placed it in a large mixing bowl. I mixed in the brown and white sugars, vanilla extract, cocoa powder, salt, food coloring and vinegar, in order, mixing between each.  I recall from my childhood when dying eggs that vinegar brings out the color, making it more vibrant.

Next, I beat the eggs in a small bowl, then stirred them into the batter. I gradually stirred in the flour, then set aside about 1/4 cup of the batter. I poured the rest into the baking pan.

For the cream cheese portion, I mixed together the cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla in a medium bowl.

Then, I spread the cream cheese mixture, then placed the remaining red velvet batter over over it, creating a ribbon-like appearance. I used a a knife and inserted it into the cream cheese layer, mixing the top layer of batter into the cream cheese mixture to swirl.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  The original recipe called for 30 minutes of bake time, but mine needed a few extra minutes to be ready.

These were GREAT!  Not only were they gorgeous in appearance, they had a very rich flavor.  The combination of chocolate brownie and cream cheese really were a great mix.  My boss loved them, and since I brought them into work many people went crazy over them.  In fact, one of my coworkers gave me money for ingredients to make a second batch so she could have more.  That's a sign of a success!  Now, I will be making a true red velvet cake one of these days, and would like to try and go as authentic as possible by skipping out on food coloring and using the base ingredients to create the famous red color.  These will be a great addition to my holiday recipes and an awesome reason to indulge in some brownies!

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies Recipe

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon red food coloring
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Cream Cheese Layer:
8 ounces cream cheese , softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8 by 8 inch baking pan with nonstick baking spray or lightly coat with butter. To make the red velvet portion, melt the butter and add to a large mixing bowl. Stir in brown and white sugars, vanilla extract, cocoa powder, salt, food coloring and vinegar, in order, mixing between each addition. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add into butter mixture. Gradually stir in the flour, then set aside about 1/4 cup of the batter. Pour the remaining amount into the baking pan. For the cream cheese portion, mix together the cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Gently spread the cream cheese mixture, then lightly pour the brownie batter left over over it, creating a ribbon-like appearance. Insert a knife through the cream cheese layer and swirl the top layer of batter into the cream cheese mixture to swirl. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.