Fudgy Red Velvet Brownies with Cream cheese Frosting
These brownies aren't just your average ones – they're super chocolatey, fudgy, and downright delicious. Picture rich cocoa goodness and a creamy frosting for a perfect finishing touch.
Servings: slices
Equipment
- 1 8-inch baking pan
- 1 Wilton tips 103, 104, 1A, and 1M
- 1 Electric mixer
- 4 Piping bags
Ingredients
Red Velvet Brownies
- 1 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter melted and hot
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoon red gel food coloring
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 ounces full fat cream cheese room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar measured, then sifted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup sprinkles optional
Instructions
Red Velvet Brownies
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of an 8-inch round pan with parchment paper, then grease the sides with oil, dust them with cocoa powder, or use cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, sift the dry ingredients together and set aside.1 ⅓ cup (166.7 g) all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup (21.5 g) cocoa powder, 1/4 teaspoons (0.3 teaspoons) salt
- Using a large bowl of a stand mixer, beat the sugar and melted butter until the sugar is fully dissolved, around 2-3 minutes at medium-high speed. Let cool before adding the eggs.3/4 cup (170.3 g) unsalted butter, 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- Add egg, yolk, vanilla extract, and food coloring, and beat until everything is mixed.1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) pure vanilla extract, 1 ½ teaspoon (1.5 teaspoon) red gel food coloring
- Incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix at low speed until just combined. Do not overbeat. Use a spatula to fold in the chocolate chips.1/2 cup (90 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1/2 cup (90 g) milk chocolate chips
- Pour batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a few crumbs.
- Let cool for 20 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Over a large mixing bowl of an electric mixer, (or using a hand mixer) cream the butter at medium speed for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Incorporate the cream cheese and beat for an extra minute.4 ounces (113.4 g) full fat cream cheese
- Add the sifted powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt to the cream cheese mixture and mix for an extra 1-2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Do not overbeat.2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon (0.3 teaspoon) salt
- Cut the brownies into 12 equally sized slices. Using a piping bag, and Wilton tips 103, 104, 1A, and 1M, pipe each slice separately. Add your favorite sprinkles and enjoy!1/4 cup (40 g) sprinkles
Notes
Expert Tips:
- Ensure your eggs reach room temperature for the brownies, and do the same for the butter and cream cheese in the frosting. This promotes a seamless mixture with the rest of the ingredients and prevents unwanted lumps in your frosting.
- Heat butter until the point where it's hot. This will ensure your sugar completely dissolves when mixed with it.
- Make sure the butter and sugar are cooled before adding the eggs (unless you want scrambled eggs!)
- After adding the dry ingredients, beat your brownie mix just until combined. Over-beating the brownie batter will change its texture, and instead of a gooey brownie, you could end up with a tough one.
- Avoid overbeating the frosting, or it could become too runny to be able to pipe it into your cupcakes.
- Cool brownies completely before cutting them, and use a very sharp knife. You can also pop your brownies for 30 minutes in the fridge to get extra sharp edges in your brownie slices.
- The brownies should also be completely cooled before piping the frosting, to avoid a melty mess.
- Be careful with the baking time! Only 5 extra minutes could dry your brownies out.
