Cheesecake Swirl Brownies
Fudgy chocolate brownies topped with a creamy baked cheesecake layer and marbled chocolate swirls. Chill thoroughly before cutting into 16 neat squares. Batch yield: 16 cheesecake swirl brownies; approximately 1.20–1.25 kg after baking and chilling. One serving: 1 brownie, one-sixteenth of the batch, approximately 75–78 g after baking and chilling. Allow approximately 7 hours 55 minutes overall: 425 non-oven minutes plus 50 oven minutes for one tin baked in a single batch. Non-oven time includes 60 minutes for ingredient softening, 30 minutes for preparation and assembly, 90 minutes for post-bake cooling, 240 minutes of mandatory chilling, and 5 minutes for weighing and cutting. Active preparation totals 35 minutes. Preheating overlaps the final 15 minutes of softening; brief cooling of the melted chocolate overlaps mixing and is not added again. Longer or overnight chilling adds extra elapsed time. Appliances: Conventional or fan oven; Microwave; Electric hand mixer; Refrigerator. Equipment: 23 × 23 cm square baking tin, at least 5 cm deep; Baking parchment; Digital kitchen scales; Measuring jug or spoons; Microwave-safe bowl; Two mixing bowls; Small bowl; Hand whisk; Fine-mesh sieve; Flexible spatula; Skewer; Wire cooling rack; Knife; Cutting board; Food-safe cover or airtight container. Allergens: Contains milk, eggs and wheat. Chocolate may contain soy lecithin, so check its label for soy and other product-specific allergens. Choose chocolate and cream cheese suitable for vegetarians. Nutrition is estimated per one-sixteenth of the complete batch; ingredient brands and moisture loss affect the final values. Storage: Because of the cheesecake layer, keep refrigerated at 4°C/40°F or below in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Refrigerate within 2 hours of baking and limit subsequent time at room temperature to 2 hours, or 1 hour above 32°C/90°F. Freeze individual chilled brownies, well wrapped and sealed, for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
425 min
Prep
50 min
Cook
16
Serves
326
Calories
Macros · per serving
4g protein
36g carbs
19g fat
Ingredients
For 16 servings
- 125 g Unsalted butter, cubed
- 175 g Semisweet chocolate, approximately 50–55% cocoa, chopped
- 35 g Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 255 g Granulated sugar
- 100 g Light brown sugar
- 3 Large eggs
- 10 ml Vanilla extract
- 95 g Plain all-purpose flour
- 2 g Fine salt
- 350 g Full-fat block cream cheese, suitable for vegetarians
- 10 ml Water
Instructions
- 1
Allow the cream cheese and eggs to stand at room temperature for 60 minutes so the cheese becomes soft enough to mix smoothly. The butter will be melted, so it does not need separate softening. During the final 15 minutes, preheat the oven to 170°C/340°F conventional or 150°C/300°F fan.
- 2
Line the base and sides of a 23 × 23 cm square tin, at least 5 cm deep, with baking parchment, leaving overhang on two opposite sides for lifting. No greasing is needed.
- 3
Place the butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20–30-second bursts, stirring between each, until melted and smooth; this usually takes 60–90 seconds in total. Leave for about 5 minutes, until warm rather than hot, while making the cheesecake mixture.
- 4
Using an electric hand mixer on low speed, beat the cream cheese with 80 g of the granulated sugar until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in 1 egg and 5 ml of the vanilla just until evenly combined. Scrape the bowl and avoid whipping in lots of air.
- 5
In another bowl, hand-whisk the remaining 2 eggs with the remaining 175 g granulated sugar, the brown sugar, remaining 5 ml vanilla and salt for about 1 minute, until evenly mixed and glossy. Whisk in the warm chocolate-butter mixture. Sift in the flour and cocoa, then fold with a spatula just until no dry patches remain; the batter should be thick and shiny.
- 6
Weigh 125 g of brownie batter into a small bowl and stir in the 10 ml water to make a softer swirl mixture. Spread all the remaining brownie batter evenly in the prepared tin. Spoon the cheesecake mixture over it and gently spread to the edges. Dot the reserved chocolate mixture over the cheesecake, then draw a skewer through the top in a few loose curves. Keep the skewer mainly in the cheesecake layer so the base remains distinct.
- 7
Bake on the middle shelf for about 50 minutes, checking from 45 minutes. The edges should be set and slightly puffed, while the centre cheesecake has only a slight wobble, not a liquid ripple. A skewer inserted into the brownie near the centre should carry moist crumbs but no wet batter.
- 8
Cool completely in the tin on a wire rack for approximately 90 minutes. Refrigerate no later than 2 hours after baking, even if the tin still feels slightly warm. Once cool, cover and chill for at least 4 hours, until the cheesecake and brownie are thoroughly cold and firm.
- 9
Lift out the chilled slab and remove the parchment. Weigh the finished slab to confirm the yield: expect approximately 1.20–1.25 kg after baking and moisture loss. Cut into a 4 × 4 grid to make 16 brownies, approximately 75–78 g each; the actual chilled slab weight divided by 16 gives the confirmed serving weight. Allow about 5 minutes for weighing and cutting.
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