Red Velvet Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon butter
• Red Velvet Layer:
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tablespoon red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• Cream Cheese Layer:
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8×8 baking dish with 1 teaspoon butter.

Whisk 1 cup sugar and melted butter together in a bowl. Add vanilla, cocoa powder, salt, food coloring, vinegar, and eggs to sugar mixture, blending well after each addition.

Stir flour into sugar mixture until batter is just combined. Pour batter into prepared baking dish, reserving 1/3 cup batter for cream cheese layer.

Blend cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, egg, and vanilla extract together in a bowl. Spread cream cheese mixture over brownie batter in the prepared baking dish. Pour reserved 1/3 cup brownie batter in 2 rows over cream cheese layer. Pull a knife through the batter rows into cream cheese layer to form swirls.

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely before slicing.