Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

Before you start

Cheesecake brownies combine a dense chocolate brownie with a ribbon of sweetened cream cheese, swirled together so each square shows a different marbled pattern. The tang of the cream cheese cuts through the richness of the chocolate, and the two textures, fudgy and creamy, play off each other.

The challenge is that the two batters set at different rates. Cheesecake browns and cracks if overbaked, while brownie can stay wet underneath. Keep the cheesecake portion small, with only a yolk for richness, and bake until the cheesecake looks set with a faint wobble and the brownie shows moist crumbs. Swirl with just a few strokes; heavy swirling muddies the pattern and turns the cheesecake gray.

Ingredients

• Brownie batter115 g (½ cup) unsalted butter
• 115 g bittersweet chocolate — chopped
• 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs — room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp fine salt
• 65 g (½ cup, spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour
• 15 g (2 tbsp) unsweetened cocoa powder
• Cheesecake swirl225 g (8 oz) full-fat cream cheese — room temperature
• 50 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Line the pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides.
2. Melt the butter and chocolate together gently, stirring until smooth. Whisk in the sugar, then the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla and salt. Sift in the flour and cocoa and fold just until combined.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth with no lumps. Beat in the sugar, egg yolk and vanilla until creamy, about 1 minute; do not whip in extra air.
4. Spread about two thirds of the brownie batter in the pan. Drop the cheesecake mixture over it in 6 to 8 large spoonfuls, then drop the remaining brownie batter into the gaps.
5. Drag a butter knife through both batters in a few long S-shaped strokes, then a few strokes across, until you have a marbled top. Stop before the colors blend.
6. Bake for 32 to 38 minutes, until the edges are puffed and set, the cheesecake areas are set with a slight wobble and no browning, and a toothpick in a brownie area shows moist crumbs.
7. Cool in the pan for 1 hour, then refrigerate for 2 hours. Lift out and cut into 16 squares with a warm knife wiped clean between cuts.

Tips for success

• Cream cheese must be truly soft. Cold cheese leaves lumps that you cannot beat out once the other ingredients are in.
• Tap the pan firmly on the counter after swirling to level the top and release large air pockets.
• If the cheesecake begins to brown before the brownie is done, lay foil loosely over the pan.

Substitutions

Full-fat cream cheese

Reduced-fat (Neufchâtel) works but sets softer and can weep slightly. Avoid whipped or tub cream cheese.

Egg yolk

Use 1 tbsp of beaten whole egg plus 1 tsp flour. The swirl will be a little lighter.

Bittersweet chocolate

Semisweet chocolate makes a sweeter brownie; reduce the sugar in the brownie batter by 25 g.

Variations

Raspberry cheesecake brownies

Drop 3 tbsp seedless raspberry jam in small spoonfuls over the top before swirling.

Peanut butter swirl

Beat 60 g creamy peanut butter into the cheesecake mixture and reduce the cream cheese to 170 g.

Troubleshooting

The cheesecake portion cracked and browned

The brownies overbaked or the oven was hot. Pull them as soon as the cheesecake is set with a wobble, and tent with foil if needed.

Swirl disappeared into a muddy gray

It was swirled too much. Use a few long strokes only, and keep the cheesecake in large dollops.

Brownie areas are raw while the cheese is set

Too much cheesecake mixture in one spot, or the batter was cold. Spread dollops evenly and use room-temperature ingredients.

Storage

These contain cream cheese and egg, so keep them refrigerated, covered, for up to 4 days. Do not leave them at room temperature more than 2 hours. Freeze individually wrapped squares for up to 2 months.

Safety notes

Do not taste either raw batter, which contain raw egg and flour. Contains egg, milk and wheat.