Red Velvet Brownies with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
Why I Love This Recipe
Originally, I made my red velvet brownies with a mix that was doctored up. They were good, but I wanted to try making them from scratch. While there is too much butter and sugar in these to call them healthy, it is nice to know exactly what my ingredients are. I stand by my motto: "Everything in moderation".
Ingredients You'll Need
1¼ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups granulated sugar
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
½ cup buttermilk
3 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon red food coloring
Frosting:
4 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons freshly grated orange peel
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 ° F.; line a 9X13 inch pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on each side of the pan.
Place the flour, baking soda, sugar, cocoa and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk together until well-combined; set aside.
In a separate, medium sized bowl, beat together the melted butter, buttermilk, and eggs until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and the food coloring.
Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and mix well with a wooden spoon. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the top of the brownies are dry to the touch. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before carefully removing the brownies using the paper overhang. Cool completely before frosting.
For the frosting, beat the cream cheese and the butter in a medium bowl. Add the orange peel, vanilla, and the orange juice, blending until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar and beat to desired consistency. Frost cooled brownies; sprinkle walnuts evenly over the top, if desired.
