Marbled Red-Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

This weekend, we are meeting some friends for dinner. One of them loves cakes and pastries. We used to attack the dessert table at buffets when we were on vacations. So I thought this would be a good opportunity to bake something new and pass it on to her and others.

I was a little nervous when I put these brownies inside the oven. But when I took the first bite, it was so good! I got out my cookie cutter and started cutting out cute little hearts! You could just cut small squares with a knife, but these hearts were too cute!

Pouring the cheesecake mixture on to the brownie layer.

All set with pretty swirls, ready to go into the oven...

Cutting out cute little hearts, with my pink sandwich cutter.

Marbled Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

Yield: 30 hearts  (2 inches)
http://chitra-frommykitchen.blogspot.sg/

Ingredients:

Red Velvet Layer:

1.5 cups + 2 tablespoon - Plain Flour
1 cup + 2 tablespoons - Sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons - Cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon - Salt
1/2 teaspoon - Baking powder
1 1/2 - Eggs
1/2 cup - Sunflower oil
2 tablespoons - Milk, divided
2 teaspoons - Vanilla extract
1 teaspoon - Red food coloring
1 teaspoon - White  vinegar

Cheesecake Layer:

250 grams - Cream cheese, softened (I used one package of Philadelphia Block Cream Cheese)

1/4 + 2 tablespoons - Sugar
1 - Egg
1 teaspoon - Vanilla

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 180C (350 degrees). Line a 9 x 9 baking pan with butter paper. See Notes below.
• In large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Add salt and sugar. Set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, vegetable oil, 1 tablespoons milk, vanilla extract, red food coloring, and white vinegar.
• Combine the dry and wet ingredients, until completely combined. Do not over mix.
• The batter will be a really thick, but don't worry, that's what you want.
• Remove 2 table spoons of the batter and place it in a separate bowl.
• Whisk in the remaining 1 tablespoons of milk (into the 2 tablespoons of batter you just took out). Set aside.
• Pour the remaining batter into the prepared baking pan. Using a spatula, smooth out the batter to reach all the edges.
• Now, beat together cream cheese and sugar until fluffy, about 2-4 minutes.
• Add eggs and vanilla, beating until combined and there are no lumps.
• Pour the cream cheese mixture on top of the red velvet layer and smooth mixture till it reaches all the edges.
• Drop spoonfuls of the remaining red velvet batter (that you mixed with milk) onto the top of the cheesecake layer.
• Drag the tip of a knife through the red velvet and the cheesecake layers to create swirls.
• Bake for 30 minutes, rotating half way through, or until a tooth pick inserted, comes out dry. 
• Let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting.
• Use a medium sized heart cookie cutter to create the perfect hearts. Or cut into squares. 

Note:

• I used a glass Pyrex dish, 13” in diameter.
• And I lined the glass dish with butter paper.
• Because I was baking with a glass dish, I reduced the temperature to 325 degrees, and baked for 45 minutes.