red velvet cheesecake brownies

I'm comin' atcha today with a recipe that could very well be my most favorite dessert of all time. I'd say top 3, guaranteed. Zach is actually the die-hard red velvet lover in our house; his one request for our wedding was to have a red velvet grooms cake from a local baker. He didn't care what it looked like, as long as it was Linda Freeman's red velvet cake. Zach expresses from time to time that I should stick with more traditional desserts instead of trying to come up with new combinations and ideas, so I made these with my sweet (sometimes picky) husband in mind. I guess he was right, because we both agree that these brownies are one of the most delicious things to ever hit our tastebuds. And that's saying something, y'all, because we eat our fair share of desserts in this house. 

The cake is incredibly moist, rich, and has a dense, fudgy brownie texture. The cream cheese topping is arguably the best part- it's like a cheesecake meets a brownie meets a red velvet cake, all in one decadent, glorious dessert. You won't be able to stop at just one, I promise. You might as well have a seat and pour yourself a tall glass of milk, my friend. 

With Valentine's Day quickly approaching, tis the season to surprise that special someone with a sweet treat. And while we all love a good old fashioned box of chocolates, this recipe is sure to win over anyone's heart. Plus, it's festively red and perfect for the occasion! You could even throw on some heart sprinkles for good measure (Lord knows this recipe needs more sugar). 

Brownie Batter Ingredients:
1 box of red velvet cake mix
1 stick butter, melted
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 eggs

For the Cream Cheese Mixture:
1 (8 oz.) package of cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9×9 pan.
2. In a bowl combine the cake mix, melted butter, oil, and eggs. The batter should be very think, but bakes up incredibly moist. Reserve 1/3 cup of batter for the topping, and spread the rest in to prepared baking dish.
3. For the cheesecake topping, beat cream cheese for 2 minutes then add sugar until combined. Beat in egg until well blended, then add vanilla. Pour on top of brownie mixture and spread into an even layer.
4. Top cheesecake layer with dollops of the set-aside brownie batter and use a tooth pick or butter knife to make swirls. Bake 20–25 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
5. Cool completely and enjoy! 
 

My parents came to visit this weekend and Bear has had so much fun playing and getting spoiled :). My Dad has been telling Bear he'd buy him a toy when they came, and naturally Bear wanted Legos. I told Bear several times this week that he needed to pick out something small from Papaw Steve- just a little toy, nothing big. We went to the mall yesterday and my Mom and I split up from the boys to do some shopping. We were headed to Pottery Barn when we saw Zach, Bear, and my Dad coming out of the Lego store, all three with the biggest grins across their faces. Bear was carrying a giant sack with this huge Angry Birds Lego box inside- he somehow managed to con my Dad into buying him one of the biggest sets in the store (I'm sure it was real hard to convince Papaw Steve). I'm not sure who was more excited- my Dad for having made Bear's day, Zach because he loves Legos even more than his son, or Bear since he's recently back on an Angry Birds kick and will be playing with this set for weeks. Either way, I'm just glad they're all happy. And I got to shop in peace with my Mom.

Hope you've all had a great weekend!
xo, Britt