Fudgy Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting
These fudgy brownies are rich, decadent, and topped with a creamy cream cheese frosting. If you've never thought to try brownies with a cream cheese layer on top, then you'll definitely need to make this recipe!
Servings: 12 brownies
Calories: 428kcal
Equipment
- 8x8 inch baking pan
- Parchment paper
- Mixing Bowls
- Electric Stand Mixer
- Offset Spatula
Ingredients
Fudgy Brownies
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 4 ounces bittersweet or milk chocolate bar, roughly chopped
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature preferred
- 1 egg yolk, room temperature preferred
- ¼ cup vegetable oil (or canola)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 ounces block-style cream cheese, room temperature
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ¾ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Fudgy Brownies
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, creating "handles" that hang over the sides. Then spray with non-stick spray.
- In a microwaveable-safe medium bowl, melt the butter and chopped chocolate in 20-second intervals, stirring well after every 20 seconds until melted and smooth.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, and egg yolk for 3 minutes (this step is crucial). Whisk in the vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and melted chocolate, just until combined.
- Gently fold in the cocoa powder, flour, and salt using a rubber spatula.
- Spread the brownie mixture into the prepared pan. Use your rubber spatula to spread out the batter evenly. Bake for 35-40 minutes, just until the edges are set and the middle of the brownies doesn't jiggle. You can also use a toothpick to check the center (the toothpick should come out clean with just a few crumbs).
- Allow the brownies to completely cool (about 1 hour) before frosting and slicing.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter on high speed until light and creamy (about 1 minute). Add the powdered sugar, milk, and the vanilla extract. Mix on low speed until combined. Then beat on high speed for 1-2 minutes until creamy.
- Once the brownies have cooled, spread the frosting over the brownies, slice, and enjoy. Keep any leftover brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Baking Pan: Line your 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, creating "handles" that hang over the sides. Then grease your pan with non-stick spray. This makes extracting the brownies once they have cooled extremely easy.
- Cocoa Powder: In order to have an intense chocolate flavor, this recipe uses more cocoa powder than flour.
- Folding: This means we carefully combine our ingredients without stirring or beating. We do this with a silicone spatula until the ingredients are just combined with each other, “folding” everything together.
- Cooling: To easily cut and serve the brownies, allow them to cool for at least one hour. I like to use a dough scraper to get smooth and even cuts.
- Frosting: If you want a thicker frosting, do not add the milk. I added just a little bit of milk to make a smoother cream cheese frosting that's not as thick. Both are delicious though!
Nutrition
Serving: 1brownie | Calories: 428kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 143mg | Potassium: 185mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 546IU | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 2mg
