Red Velvet Cake, But Make It a Brownie—and Don't Hold Back on the Cream Cheese Frosting

If you're a fan of classic red velvet cake but want something easier to make and with even more cream cheese frosting—arguably the best thing about red velvet cake—we've got just the recipe for you. These red velvet brownies—a genius recipe that combines the best of both worlds—comes by way of our Birmingham, Alabama-based test kitchen colleague Julia Levy. Topped with a tangy frosting, laced with bittersweet cocoa powder, and flavored with rich white chocolate, these brownies taste like a fudgier version of classic red velvet cake. Plus: You don’t have to bake, stack, and frost an entire cake.

Traditionally, red velvet cake is made with natural cocoa powder and an acid like vinegar. As Serious Eats contributor Brian Levy touched on in his red velvet cake recipe, natural cocoa powder contains higher levels of anthocyanins—water-soluble pigments found in purplish-red foods like beets and blueberries—than Dutch-processed cocoa powder. When these anthocyanins come into contact with an acid like vinegar, they turn red, producing the signature mahogany hue we so associate with red velvet cake. The vinegar in traditional red velvet cake also reacts with leaveners like baking soda, helping the cake to rise. In the case of these brownies, there are no leaveners, but the vinegar still provides a subtle tang that's a signature of red velvet cake. The cocoa powder also brings a nice hint of bitter chocolate flavor. 

One key ingredient in these brownies that you won't find in the typical red velvet cake is white chocolate. In developing this recipe, Julia first tested it with all cocoa powder, then with cocoa powder and melted semisweet chocolate, and finally with cocoa powder and white chocolate. The first test, with all cocoa powder, produced something that tasted good but was too cakey to be called a brownie. The second test, with added semisweet chocolate chips, produced a brownie with the ideal fudginess, and while it was delicious, the chocolate flavor was stronger than what she was looking for. The final test with a combination of cocoa powder and white chocolate proved to be the sweet spot, with just the right amount of fudginess you want in a brownie and a balanced flavor.

Though many people don’t think of white chocolate as “real” chocolate, it is, in fact, chocolate. In his guide to white chocolate, former Serious Eats editor Max Falkowitz explains: “Dark chocolate is a suspension of cocoa solids, sugar, emulsifiers, and flavorings like vanilla in cocoa butter. White chocolate simply swaps out the cocoa solids for milk solids, but it’s still loaded with cocoa butter.” Cocoa solids contain the bittersweet flavors we associate with milk or dark chocolates; because white chocolate doesn’t contain any cocoa solids, it has a more subtle flavor. In Levy’s recipe, the white chocolate complements the bitterness of the unsweetened cocoa powder, and its light color allows the red food coloring to shine. Its abundance of fat also contributes to the rich flavor and moist texture of the brownies. The overall effect is a brownie that balances vanilla and chocolate flavors, but amps up the chocolatiness a bit more than traditional red velvet cake, which is often described as having a "mild" chocolate flavor.

Then there’s the cream cheese frosting, which, as noted above, is arguably the best part of red velvet cake. Levy’s frosting comes together in a single bowl with the help of a hand mixer: All you have to do is beat softened cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, salt, and confectioners’ sugar together until it’s smooth and creamy. A little salt brings it all together, and enhances the tartness of the cream cheese while also balancing the sweetness of the confectioners’ sugar. 

Each bite of these brownies is rich and fudgy and crowned with ample frosting. They're delicious regardless of whether you’re sharing them with a Valentine, some pals, or enjoying them by yourself.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and line an 8- by 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.

For the Brownies: In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine butter and chocolate, and microwave on medium power until melted and smooth, stirring every 30 seconds, about 2 minutes.

Add granulated sugar and brown sugar to butter-chocolate mixture, and whisk until just combined. Whisk in eggs, vanilla, and food coloring (if using) until smooth. Add flour, cocoa powder, and salt; using a flexible spatula, fold dry ingredients into chocolate mixture until smooth and no streaks of flour remain. Add vinegar, and fold until incorporated. (If you plan to serve the brownies without the frosting, whisk the eggs and sugar together in a separate bowl before incorporating it into chocolate and butter mixture, which will ensure your top is shiny and crackly.)

Transfer batter to prepared baking pan and bake until top is crackly and a toothpick inserted into the center has some moist crumbs attached, 28 to 32 minutes. Remove from oven and let brownies cool completely in pan on a wire rack, about 2 hours.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting: In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and butter and, using an electric hand mixer, beat on low speed until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add vanilla and salt, and beat until fully combined, about 10 seconds. Add confectioners' sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, beating after each addition until incorporated. Increase speed to medium and beat until fluffy and smooth, about 20 seconds. (Alternatively, frosting can be prepared in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.)

Using an offset spatula or flexible spatula, spread frosting evenly across cooled brownies. Refrigerate until frosting is set, about 15 minutes.

Special Equipment

8- by 8-inch baking pan, medium microwave-safe bowl, wire rack, electric hand mixer or stand mixer, offset spatula

Notes

Brownies made without the food coloring won’t have the signature hue of red velvet cake.

Make sure to use natural cocoa, and not Dutch processed cocoa in this recipe. The higher acidity in natural cocoa reacts with the vinegar to produce a mahogany hue.

Make-Ahead and Storage

The frosting and brownies can be made up to 3 days ahead before assembling and serving. Store the frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Tightly wrap the brownies in plastic or transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate them.  Before serving, let frosting come to room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes, then use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer to beat until smooth and creamy. 

Frosted brownies can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.