Red Velvet Cheesecake Swirl Bars

A gift for someone you love– said the tag line of a hugely popular chocolate brand while we were growing up. And rightly so, chocolate seems to be the most timeless & eternal way, even so many years later, to show someone how much you love them.

So today, being this special big 10^th birthday of my darling twin nephews, who unfortunately live far far away from me, how could I not treat you all to a marvellous chocolate recipe with a secret twist? Cool isn’t it? Just like them!!

Here are some gorgeous red velvet cheesecake swirl bars with attractive kaleidoscopic designs made with a dual layered batter. The base layer has a vibrant red, droolworthy chocolatey batter with a hint of vinegar, topped with an even more yummylicious tart cream cheese layer that perfectly balances out the sweetness of these bars. A made-for-each-other duo, just like these twins!

So not only does the chocolate say I love you, but the attractive red-white layers with swirls are just the ideal way to dress it up too! After all, a 10^th birthday comes only once-in-a-lifetime!

Wish we had the appropriate accompanying smell-a-vision technology to go with this treat, so I could have shared some of the enchanting aroma of these delectable cheesecake bars with you!!

Happy Birthday my dear boys from us all! May you both have a healthy, rocking & super-duper fun 2021! Love you lots!

Recipe for Red Velvet Cheesecake Swirl Bars

Ingredients

Red Velvet layer

2 large eggs
115 gms butter
150 gms granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
21 gms cocoa powder
1 tablespoon liquid red food colouring (I use ColourMist)
¾ teaspoon white vinegar
95 gms all-purpose flour / maida

Cheesecake Layer

224 gms cream cheese, softened
50 gms granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Procedure

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease an 8×8’ baking pan & keep aside.
To make the base layer: In a small bowl, beat the 2 eggs together & keep aside.
Melt the butter in a large microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds at a time until melted.
Add in sugar & beat with a electric beater until light & fluffy.
Add in vanilla essence & beat in.
Now whisk in the eggs one at a time & beat gently for 30 seconds.
Blend in the vinegar using a spatula.
Fold in the flour & cocoa powder, very gently by hand using a spatula until it is completely incorporated & no flour pockets remain. It is important not to overmix your batter at this stage, else your brownies will be too dense.
Finally mix in the food colouring & you’re ready to go!
Pour the batter into the pre-greased baking pan, ensuring to leave about 3-4 tablespoons for the top.

To make the cheesecake swirl:

In another medium size bowl, beat the softened cream cheese using the electric hand mixer for few seconds.
Add in 50gms sugar, 1 egg & 1 teaspoon vanilla essence until completely smooth for about 1 minute.
Pour in & spread out the cream cheese mixture on top of the base layer of batter.
Spoon a few dollops of the remaining red batter onto the white cream cheese layer.
Using a bamboo skewer/toothpick or edge of a knife, create swirls through the layers.
Bake for 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting into squares.
Cover the bars and store at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Makes 16 bars

Notes:

To make a double batch, double all the ingredients and bake in a 9×13” pan for around 45 minutes approx. at 180 Celsius.
If using gel food colouring, reduce to 1.5 teaspoons.
Do use regular granulated sugar for this recipe (not powdered or castor sugar).
This recipe does not require any baking powder or baking soda or milk.
While combining the dry ingredients with the wet, it is important not to overmix your batter, else your bars will be too dense.
Cream cheese adds a superb tang to any red velvet cake recipe & the duo are made for each other.