Mocha Cheesecake Brownies

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Cooling & Chilling4

Total Time5

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Coffee Cheesecake Brownies, Mocha Cheesecake Brownies

Servings: brownies

8x8 inch (20x20 cm) pan there isn't quite enough batter for a 9x9 inch (23x23 cm) pan

1 teaspoon instant coffee powder do not use coffee grounds
1 tablespoon boiling water
8 ounces full-fat cream cheese (228 grams) room temperature
6 tablespoons granulated sugar (75 grams) if you prefer a sweeter cheesecake, use 1/2 cup sugar instead
1 large egg

Preheat the oven to 325F (160C). Line an 8x8 inch (20x20 cm) pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang around the edges. Lightly grease. Alternatively, you can simply lightly grease the pan.

Place the butter (cut into cubes) and the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Microwave for 45 seconds at a time on medium power (not high power, which is often the default) and stir between each interval until smooth. Alternatively, melt in a double boiler over low heat.
Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Then whisk in the sugar, egg and vanilla extract.
Whisk in the flour and salt until smooth. Set aside as you make the cheesecake layer.

In a small bowl/cup, whisk together the instant coffee powder and boiling water.
In a separate medium bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Then beat in the sugar.
Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Ensure there are no lumps in the cream cheese. Then beat in the egg and instant coffee dissolved in water.

Reserve 1/2 cup of brownie batter. Then pour/spoon the remaining brownie batter into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer.
Carefully drop spoonfuls of coffee cheesecake on top of the brownie batter and spread into an even layer so that all the brownie batter is covered. Be careful not to just dump the cheesecake batter in the middle of the pan - otherwise it can be hard to spread into an even layer.
With the reserved 1/2 cup of brownie batter, drop small spoonfuls of batter onto the cheesecake layer. I did 4 rows of 4 spoonfuls - each was a little over a teaspoon in size.
Use a wooden skewer or toothpick to swirl the spoonfuls of brownie batter into the cheesecake layer.
Bake in the preheated oven on a rack about 1/3 from the bottom of the oven for about 30-35 minutes, or until the top looks almost set.
Remove from the oven and cool the brownies in the pan until the pan no longer feels warm to the touch.
Cover the pan and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours before serving.
When ready to slice, lift the brownies out of the pan using the overhang of the aluminum foil. Place on a cutting board and slice with a sharp knife. If you didn't line the pan and simply greased it, slice the brownies in the pan.

Room Temperature Ingredients: The eggs and cream cheese should be at room temperature before getting started. Take them out of the fridge about 30 minutes prior.
Dark Chocolate: I used 70% dark chocolate. Anything between 50-75% dark chocolate works well, or semi-sweet chocolate for a sweeter brownie.
Instant Coffee: Be sure to use instant coffee and not coffee grounds. I recommend using a brand with very fine granules - I like the Starbucks brand because it is very fine. You can also use instant espresso powder - I'd recommend using 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder. I use enough for what the package says makes 1 cup of coffee, but on the lighter end - ie the brand I used said 1-2 teaspoons per cup of coffee, so I used 1 teaspoon.
Storage: Store brownies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Because brownies need to chill for at least 4 hours in the fridge, I typically make them the day before I plan to serve.
Nutrition: Details provided are an estimate only and based on 1 brownie, assuming the pan is sliced into 12 equal brownies.