Chocolate and Cherry Cheesecake Brownies

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Picture a chocolate cake. Now add a mouth-watering vanilla cheese filling and top it off with cherries. That’s what you’ll get with these gorgeous, moist brownies. With complementary flavours, this simple recipe is ideal for a guilty pleasure snack. (Modified recipe from the magazine Palce Lizać, 2011.)

Indulgent Chocolate Brownies with Cherries

Ingredients

Mixture (make sure all ingredients are at room temperature):

  • 200g dark chocolate (I used 100g of chocolate with 64% cocoa content and 100g of chocolate with 80% cocoa content)
  • 200g unsalted butter at room temperature,
  • 180g sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 100g plain flour

Cheese filling:

  • 250g mascarpone cheese
  • 250g cream cheese
  • 80g sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs

Decoration:

  • 250g cherries (fresh or frozen; frozen cherries should be defrosted first)

Method

  1. Prepare the mixture

Break the chocolate into smaller chunks and place in a bowl. Melt in the microwave or over a pan of boiling water. Set aside.

Place the unsalted butter into a bowl. Add the sugar and whisk for 2–3 minutes with an electric mixer. Add the three eggs and briefly mix with the mixer at medium speed. (Don’t worry if the mixture curdles.) Add the melted chocolate and mix with the mixer at medium speed until all ingredients are combined. Add the flour and mix.

Add about 3/4 of the mixture into a 20x20cm or 21x21cm cake pan lined with baking paper. Smooth the mixture out evenly.

  1. Prepare the cheese filling:

Put both cheeses in a bowl. Add the sugar, the vanilla extract and the eggs, then mix with the mixer until it reaches a smooth consistency.

Place this mixture on top of the mixture already in the cake tin, then smooth out. Place the remaining chocolate mixture on top in blobs for an uneven effect. Sprinkle cherries on top.

  1. Bake

Place the tin in a preheated oven. Bake on the lowest rack at 170°C (gas mark 3) for about 60 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Don’t worry about the mixture sinking – this is supposed to happen.

Enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can cocoa powder be used instead of chocolate, and can regular curd cheese be used instead of cheesecake cheese?

Regular curd cheese works if ground until creamy and smooth; for cocoa, I'd use about 40g, though I haven't tested it myself.

Can one bar of milk chocolate and one of dark chocolate be used instead of two dark?

Yes, though it'll be less chocolatey.

Do you need to add baking powder?

No — it's a brownie, not a cake.

If I increase the cheese and mascarpone quantities, should I add more eggs?

I don't think you need more eggs.

What tin size works best — 21, 24 or 26cm?

21cm gives the best result; 24cm may be a touch too big.

Can a different flour be used instead of wheat flour, e.g. rice or almond?

I think so, it should turn out fine too.

If I make 1.5x the recipe, do I need to bake it longer?

No — if you're using a bigger tray, the baking time stays about the same.

Can cherries be replaced with bilberries, raspberries, or cherries from syrup/compote?

Yes to all — any of those work well as a substitute.

My cake spread out when I released the springform tin — what went wrong?

It probably hadn't cooled properly, or wasn't baked long enough.

Can the melted chocolate be slightly warm when used?

Yes, that's fine.

Can the white (cheesecake) layer be doubled?

Yes — I'd add 2–3 tablespoons of custard powder, though I'm not sure it'll all fit in the tray.

Can margarine be used instead of butter?

Yes, a regular baking margarine works.

My oven doesn't have top-and-bottom heat, only top-only, bottom-only, or fan sides — is it still worth trying?

Yes — use bottom heat only, and bake about 5 minutes longer.

Can homemade cherries in syrup/preserve be used without making the cake too soggy?

If it's not too much, I think it'll work.

Is the video's soaking solution (water and lemon) used in full?

Yes, I use all of it.

What kind of soured cream should be used?

A regular one from the shop, e.g. Zott 12% or 18% in a tub.

Can this cheesecake-brownie be baked using only yolks, for an egg-white intolerance?

I haven't tested that substitution myself.