What could be more decadent than rich, gooey, chocolatey brownies swirled with sweet, creamy cheesecake filling? Nothing. There is definitely nothing more decadent or more crave-worthy than these cheesecake brownies.

I’ve used my favorite BakeHouse brownie batter and combined it with a dreamy cheesecake swirl to give you the best cheesecake brownies on the planet. Like my BakeHouse Brownies, these beauties require a little tender love and care in the baking process, but trust me; they’re worth it!

Because there are no leavening agents (i.e. baking soda or powder) in the batter, you’ll want to mix the batter long and hard with an electric mixer (handheld is my preferred method). This long beating adds air to the batter which will ensure that proper brownie texture. You’ll also want to take special care to only fold in the flour at the end of mixing (to keep the air in the batter and avoid a gluey textured crumb).

To accomplish those dreamy cheesecake swirls, smooth half the brownie batter on the bottom of the pan, layer the cheesecake on top, and then spoon the remaining brownie batter in blobs over the cheesecake filling. Finish the design by swirling the two batters together with a toothpick.

A final note of caution! Brownies cut much more easily when cooled, so wait until they are room temperature before taking out the knife. I also recommend lining your pan with two overlapping sheets of parchment paper. This allows you to easily remove the brownies from the pan and creates those nice crisp brownie edges that we all dream about.

The Ultimate Cheesecake Brownies - makes 16

Equipment:

• Hand held electric mixer

• 8 x 8 in metal square baking pan

Cheesecake Filling Ingredients:

• 1 (8oz.) package of cream cheese, at room temperature

• 1/4 cup + 2TBS. sugar

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

• 2 TBS. half and half

• 1 egg

Brownie Batter Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1 cup white sugar

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 3 eggs

• 1/4 cup + 2 TBS all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter and line the baking pan with parchment paper, making sure to leave an overhang on all sides.

2. Make the cheesecake filling. Put the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. Use the handheld electric mixer to beat the cream cheese until it’s fluffy and no lumps remain. Add the remaining filling ingredients, and mix again until it’s smooth and all the ingredients are fully combined. Set aside.

3. Make the brownie batter. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over a medium low heat. Remove the pan from the heat, and add the cocoa powder. Whisk until the cocoa is fully incorporated, and the mixture thickens slightly. Set aside to cool.

4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the white and browns sugars, eggs, vanilla, and kosher salt. Use the hand held electric mixer to beat the batter on high speed for about 8 minutes. Your goal is to get enough air into the batter to leaven the brownies. By the end of 8 minutes, you should have a fluffy mixture with the consistency of thick pancake batter.

5. Add the cocoa and butter mixture to the mixing bowl, and mix with the beaters until the chocolate is fully incorporated.

6. Use a fine mesh sieve to sift the flour on top of the batter. Then use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the flour.

7. Assemble the cheesecake brownies. Spread half the brownie batter onto the bottom of the prepared pan. Top that batter with all of the cheesecake filling. Then spoon the remaining browning batter on top of the filling. Use a toothpick or skewer to swirl the cheesecake and brownie batter together.

8. Bake the brownies for 20 minutes, then rotate the pan in the oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until the edges are fully set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

9. Remove the pan from the oven, and whack the bottom of the pan a couple of times against the counter. This will deflate the brownies a bit for an even rise and create that signature crackly brownie top. After you whack it, allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan before cutting.

TIP: To get a really clean edge on your brownies, line the pan with 2 sheets of parchment paper. Make sure that each sheet is exactly the width of your pan but longer so that there will be an overhang. Place one sheet in the bottom of the pan with the overhang emerging on two sides. Then place the second sheet overlapping the first in the bottom of the pan but with its two long sides on the opposite sides of the pan. You will end up with the bottom and all four sides of your pan covered neatly with parchment.