German Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies

I really love German Chocolate Cake. I just love the combination of pecans and coconut in the sweet icing. I know the cake isn’t German, it’s named after a man named German. There are lots of great cakes from Germany, but that isn’t one of them! I was excited to find this recipe for German chocolate brownies, with the great addition of cream cheese for a cheesecake layer. Wow, these sound really incredible!

These is not a petite brownie. When I read through the recipe I could hardly believe that it called for 6 eggs, over a cup of butter, over 2 cups of sugar, 8 ounces of chocolate, and much more. It also messes up two mixer bowls and multiple spatulas. Oh well, a good brownie is worth it right? They weren’t too hard to put together, which was a bit surprising. I did separate the ingredient in the recipe into two parts, as I found I was jumping back and forth between the ingredients and the instructions. I try to make sure the recipe is as clear as possible, and that’s more challenging when you have so many ingredients to work with.

I baked these and then refrigerated them for several hours, which I think made cutting these brownies easier. I have to admit that I found it hard to know when these brownies were baked through, as the cheesecake layer looks done but the brownies beneath are still uncooked. I kept testing them until my knife came out almost clean, but they are still on the gooey side. Cold they are fine though, so just keep them refrigerated. These aren’t quite as sweet as the cake, but I think that’s ok. You still get the good flavors, but not the same sugar overload.

German Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies   

11 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

½ cup sugar

2 tablespoons flour

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-1/4 cups butter, room temperature

1-3/4 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

8 ounces German’s sweet chocolate, melted and slightly cooled

1-1/2 cups flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup chopped pecans

3/4 cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9” x 13” pan with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

Make the cheesecake topping: In a large mixer bowl, beat the cream cheese on medium until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Gradually add the sugar and the flour and beat again until light. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth. Set aside.

Make the brownies: In another large mixer bowl, beat the butter on medium until smooth. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the sugar, beating until light. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition. Add the vanilla and melted chocolate and stir until incorporated. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the flour and baking powder. Stir in the pecans and coconut with a spatula.

Spread the brownie batter evenly into the prepared pan. Spoon the cheesecake mixture over the brownie batter, smooth the top and then with a knife, gently swirl the two layers together.

Bake for 35-45 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center of the brownies comes out almost clean. Cool completely before cutting into squares. 

Recipe from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen