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The Best Chocolate Orange Cheesecake Brownies: These are THE bake for any lovers of the chocolate/orange combination. Zingy orange pairs so comfortably with the cheesecake topping and rich chocolate. The textures all complement each other too for a really fun batch of brownies!
These are definitely not your nana’s basic brownies. The addition of orange means that the kitchen will smell like a dream, and makes them perfect for a fun Summer bake or a cosy Christmas time bake. If you’re looking to bake some cheesecake brownies, or if you want a new chocolate orange bake – this is it. In the recipe I add milk chocolate chunks to the brownie batter, but definitely do use orange chocolate if you want!
The brownies themselves are super simple, dense and fudgy. They then get layered with a creamy cheesecake topping and lots of orange zest, and swirled before baking! The layers work together really well, and do need some rest/chill time to set before slicing and serving. For neat slices, cut with a hot knife.
For these brownies, we rely heavily on the melted butter and light brown sugar to give the fudgy texture and super shiny topping. You could make these for a bake sale – and the recipe is easily doubled. They keep well in an airtight container for a few days. That said, they don’t last long if you’ve got lots of happy hungry mouths in the house!
TIPS FOR The Best Chocolate Orange Cheesecake Brownies
- Brown Sugar: This is crucial to the perfect fudgy texture and deep flavour. You could use dark brown soft if you’re really in a pinch. Light brown is definitely your best friend in brownies.
- Melted Butter: This is what gives brownies that oh so Instagrammable shiny, crisp top. Don’t skip this step!
- Cocoa Powder: As this is a key component, I do recommend a decent quality cocoa powder – but don’t stress if you don’t have any!
- Orange flavour: For a real orange-y kick in the brownies, I like adding some zest and a little orange extract. The extract is absolutely optional – you’ll still get a great result without!
- Cheesecake: Combine this in a small bowl. Full fat cream cheese works best (of course) and use granulated/caster sugar. Brown sugar gives it a darker colour. To swirl, use a chopstick or a knife!
For The Best Chocolate Orange Cheesecake Brownies, I use a basic 8′ square pan (I like this one). I also recommend a good stand mixer or high speed mixer (like this one) to make the brownie mixture. If you want more wild brownie recipe ideas, check out my Strawberry Dream Brownies or these Triple Decker Cookie Dough Brownies For videos and baking inspiration, head on over to my Instagram.
The Best Chocolate Orange Cheesecake Brownies
Ingredients
- 100 g Dark Chocolate Melted
- 170 g Unsalted Butter Melted
- 100 g Granulated Sugar
- 100 g Light Brown Soft Sugar
- 2 Medium Free Range Eggs
- 1 tsp Orange Extract Optional
- 85 g Plain Flour
- 30 g Cocoa Powder
- 150 g Milk Chocolate (or orange chocolate) Roughly Chopped
For the Cheesecake Topping
- 120 g Full Fat Cream Cheese
- 1 Medium Free Range Egg
- 50 g Granulated Sugar
- 2 tbsp Orange Juice
- 2 tbsp Orange Zest (use 1 whole orange, saving some to top after baking)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Line a 8″ square baking tin with greaseproof paper.
- Melt the dark chocolate by breaking up into small pieces in a bowl and heating for 30 second intervals in a microwave, stirring in between. Set aside to cool whilst making the brownies.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer combine the melted butter, and both the brown and granulated sugars on a medium speed until totally combined.
- Add the eggs and orange extract (if using) and mix again. Then check that the chocolate has cooled a little before adding in and combining.
- Add in the flour, cocoa powder and chopped chocolate and fold together. Pour into the tin.
- Make the cheesecake layer by combining all ingredients in a small bowl and mixing with a spoon. Pour this over the brownies. Swirl using a knife or chopstick.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes. The cheesecake may look a little wobbly but that is fine! Let cool before slicing and serving!
