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5 from 2 votes

Cranberry Cheesecake Brownies

These delicious Cranberry Cheesecake Brownies are the perfect combination of rich & Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies topped with creamy & tangy cranberry cheesecake.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Diet: Halal, Low Salt, Vegetarian
Servings: 9 pieces
Calories: 635kcal
Author: Ayla Clulee

Equipment

  • 1 kitchen scale
  • 1 measuring spoons
  • 1 Measuring cups
  • 1 sifter
  • 1 8-inch square cake pan

Ingredients

Ingredients for Chocolate Brownies

  • 4 ¼ oz unsalted butter (cut into small cubes) (120 grams)
  • 3 oz dark chocolate (cut into small cubes) (80 grams)
  • 1 ¼ cups caster or granulated sugar (250 grams)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
  • 1 ¾ oz cacao (50 grams)
  • ⅔ cup plain white flour / all-purpose flour
  • ⅔ teaspoon salt

Ingredients for Cranberry Cheesecake

  • 16 oz full-fat cream cheese at room temperature (450 grams)
  • 1 cup icing sugar
  • 3 medium eggs (at room temperature)
  • 2 tablespoon plain white flour / all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup double cream or heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
  • 2 tablespoon cranberry sauce
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preparing the Chocolate Brownie

  • Preheat the oven to 180° C / 350° F and grease or line a 21 cm×21 cm (8” x 8” ) pan with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Melt the butter and chocolate in a glass heat-resistance bowl with the bain-marie method (place the bowl in a saucepan ⅓ filled with simmering water, without touching the bowl to the water).
  • Once melted, take the bowl from the saucepan and whisk the mixture until combined well. 
  • Add the sugar to the mixture and whisk until it is homogeneous and shiny.
  • Add the eggs to the chocolate mixture along with the vanilla paste, and whisk them for 5 minutes. 
  • In a separate bowl, mix the cocoa powder, flour, and salt.
  • Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Do not over-mix at this stage. The dry mixture does not have to mix completely (read above the tips and tricks for making the perfect brownies). 
  • Spread the batter into the pan. The batter will be very thick. Set it aside and proceed to prepare the cheesecake topping.

Preparing the Cranberry Cheesecake Topping

  • Place the cream cheese and icing sugar in a bowl and whisk together until fluffy.
  • Add the eggs, one at a time, and keep whisking until nicely combined.
  • Lastly, add the flour, cream, and vanilla, and beat just enough to combine without overmixing it at that stage.
  • Stir in the cranberry sauce and pour the mixture over the chocolate brownie batter.
  • Place the cake tin in preheated oven and bake the cake for 22 to 25 minutes, until the sides of the cheesecake slightly turned brown, but the middle is still wobbly. Do not open the oven door during baking your cheesecake brownies.
  • Switch off the oven and leave the cake in for 10 minutes with the oven door slightly open to avoid any cracks on your cheesecake.
  • Remove the cheesecake brownies from the oven, cool them completely in the tin, and then put the tin in the fridge overnight to set the cheesecake. 

Notes

  • Make sure you use good quality chocolate and cacao powder as these will give the chocolatey flavor to a brownie. If you use bad-quality chocolate, don't expect your brownies to have an amazing chocolatey flavor.
  • Measure your flour correctly by using a kitchen scale. Adding too much flour to your cheesecake brownies will take away from that nice fudge-like texture.
  • Making sure your eggs are at room temperature will allow the brownies to naturally rise. Whereas, using cold eggs may result in a denser texture.
  • Room-temperature full-fat cream cheese is also a must for a smooth cheesecake topping.
  • Rather than whisking, gently fold the flour into the wet mixture until there are some streaks of flour left in the brownie batter.
  • Line your cake tin to avoid the cheesecake brownies sticking to the pan. Not to mention the benefit of having a clean(er) pan after baking!
  • Overcooking your brownies will result in a cakey brownie rather than a fudgy one. Make sure you use a kitchen timer, or the timer on your phone as soon as the brownies are in the oven.
  • Do not open the oven door during baking your cheesecake brownies. 
  • Let the cheesecake brownies cool down before slicing. I find it easier to portion after refrigerating it overnight.
  • To get clean cuts, use a thin sharp knife. Run the knife under hot water between each cut, wiping it clean to prevent any sticking.

Nutrition

Calories: 635kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 186mg | Sodium: 458mg | Potassium: 194mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 47g | Vitamin A: 1285IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 2mg