TRIPLE LAYER RED VELVET BROWNIES

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Triple Layer Red Velvet Brownies

This triple layered brownie takes everything you love about red velvet sandwiches them all together! It’s a lovely combination of chocolate, coffee, cream cheese and hues of red! The bottom layer of these brownies is an ultra-chewy red velvet brownie. It has hints of espresso, a subdued chocolate, mocha note and has the loveliest burgundy hue. The second layer is a red velvet chocolate cream cheese buttercream. The addition of a little cream cheese adds that touch of tang which balances the sweetness. Finally, my favorite part, the red velvet cream cheese ‘Nama’ ganache. A mix of milk and dark chocolate give the ganache the perfect amount of sweetness. Adding a nob of cream cheese is the perfect little something the ganache needs.

Serving: 16 large squares

Ingredients:

Red Velvet Brownie Base

  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter (70 grams)

  • 1 ¼ cup white sugar (250 grams)

  • 2 large eggs, straight from the fridge

  • 1 large yolk, straight from the fridge

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • ½ - 1 teaspoon red food gel

  • ¼ teaspoon white vinegar

  • 1/3 cup neutral oil (75 grams)

  • 1/2 cup bread flour (60 grams)

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (60 grams)

  • ¼ cup Dutch processed cocoa powder (25 grams)

  • 1/8 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch (10 grams)

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • ¼ teaspoon instant coffee powder

Red Velvet Cream Cheese Buttercream

  • ½ cup of unsalted butter, room temp (1 stick/113 grams)

  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar (180 grams)

  • ¼ cup of Dutch processed cocoa powder (25 grams)

  • ¼ teaspoon instant coffee powder

  • 2 tablespoons of cream cheese, room temperature (30 grams)

  • 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

  • ½ - 1 teaspoon red food gel

  • ¼ - ½ teaspoon of fine salt (adjust to your desired saltiness)

Red Velvet Cream Cheese ‘Nama’ Ganache

  • 1 ¾ cup of semi-sweet chocolate chunks, finely chopped (250 grams)

  • ¾ cup of heavy cream (175 grams)

  • 2 tablespoons cream cheese, room temperature (30 grams)

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (15 grams)

  • ½ - 1 teaspoon red food gel color

  • Pinch of salt

Topping

  • A few tablespoons of either: freeze dried raspberry powder, red cocoa powder, beet powder, radish powder to dust

Method:

Make the Red Velvet Brownie Base

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray an 8x8 pan with baking spray and then line it vertically and horizontally with parchment paper so you have an easy hang to pull on once its baked. Make sure the parchment hangs a bit outside the pan, as the final layered brownies will fill the pan almost to the top.

  2. Melt the butter in a pan on medium heat and add the white sugar. Mix until the butter is just melted.

    • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter (70 grams)

    • 1 ¼ cup white sugar (250 grams)

  3. Once the butter is melted, pull off the heat and pour the mixture into a heat safe bowl.

  4. Add the cold eggs, cold egg yolk vanilla extract, red food gel and white vinegar directly in. Give everything a good whisk.

    • 2 large eggs, straight from the fridge

    • 1 large yolk, straight from the fridge

    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    • ½ - 1 teaspoon red food gel

    • ¼ teaspoon white vinegar

  5. Add in the oil and whisk until fully combined. 1/3 cup neutral oil (75 grams)

    • 1/3 cup neutral oil (75 grams)

  6. In a separate bowl, add all the dry ingredients and whisk until combined.

    • 1/2 cup bread flour (60 grams)

    • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (60 grams)

    • 1/4 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder (25 grams)

    • 1/8 teaspoon baking soda

    • 1 tablespoon cornstarch (10 grams)

    • ½ teaspoon salt

    • 1/4 teaspoon instant coffee powder

  7. Fold in the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and mix until just combined.

  8. Spread the brownie batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake the brownies for about 25 minutes or just until the brownies are set and a cake tester inserted into the center has moist crumbs attached.

  9. Let the brownies cool down fully. You can pop them into the fridge or freezer to speed this up.

  10. Once the brownies have fully cooled down, make the red velvet cream cheese buttercream.

Red Velvet Cream Cheese Buttercream

  1. In a large bowl, beat the butter until fluffy about a minute or two.

    • ½ cup of unsalted butter, room temp (1 stick/113 grams)

  2. Sift in the powdered sugar, cocoa powder and instant coffee powder. Beat the mixture on low until smooth and incorporated.

    • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar (180 grams)

    • ¼ cup of Dutch processed cocoa powder (25 grams)

    • ¼ teaspoon instant coffee powder

  3. Add in the cream cheese, vanilla extract, red food gel and salt and beat until the buttercream is thick, fluffy and smooth.

    • 2 tablespoons of cream cheese, room temperature (30 grams)

    • 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

    • 1/2 - 1 teaspoon red food gel coloring

    • ¼ - ½ teaspoon of fine salt (adjust to your desired saltiness)

  4. Using and offset spatula, spread the buttercream into a neat even layer on top of the cooled brownies. Once fully spread, let the buttercream harden. You can let the brownies chill in the fridge for an hour or so or place the frosted brownies in the freezer for about 30 minutes if you are in a rush.

Nama Chocolate Ganache & Assembly

  1. Place the finely chopped chocolate into a large heat safe bowl. Set aside.

    • 1 ¾ cup of semi-sweet (50%) chocolate chunks, finely chopped (250 grams)

  2. In a pot, add the heavy cream, cream cheese, unsalted butter, red food gel coloring and salt and let it gently heat up on medium low heat. The butter cream mixture should start to steam, it should be about 175 – 180 degrees F.

    • ¾ cup of heavy cream (175 grams)

    • 2 tablespoons cream cheese, room temperature (30 grams)

    • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (15 grams)

    • 1/2 - 1 teaspoon red food gel color

    • Pinch of salt

  3. Give the mixture a good mix until the chocolate is fully melted.

    • Note: If there any small lumps from the cream cheese you can strain the chocolate ganache through a sieve.

  4. Pull the chilled brownies out of the fridge and pour the Nama chocolate ganache layer. Use an offset spatula to evenly spread the ganache.

  5. Once spread evenly, let the brownies chill in the fridge for at least a few hours or until the ganache is solid.

  6. Once the ganache layer has fully set, pull the parchment gently and remove the brownies from the pan. Gently remove the parchment off.

  7. Dust the brownies with your desired red powder.

    • Note: Red cocoa powder, beet powder, radish powder, or freeze dried raspberry powder.

  8. Slice your brownies. For super clean sliced brownies, grab your largest sharpest knife and run it under hot water for 15-20 seconds. Give the knife a wipe and slice. Wipe your knife after each slice and run the knife under hot water again. Dry the knife and slice again. Repeat until you have sliced all the brownies.

  9. Brownies will last in an airtight container the fridge for up to a week.