Blueberry Brownie Cheesecake

A layer of brownies, a layer of cheesecake and a layer of blueberries join forces to create an epic blueberry brownie cheesecake. 

We are living in pretty crazy times. A year ago, my biggest concern was picking a thesis topic (I wrote about the accountability of corporations for gross human rights violations, in case you were wondering ;-).

Little did anyone know that a year later the whole world would be embroiled in a global pandemic, and in the midst of that, protests sparking across the world.

I haven’t been with my family over the past few months, and coming home is like a breath of fresh air. I feel more at ease, more comfortable, and I finally have all the time the world to do things that I love. Right now, I feel blessed more than anything. For me having the gift of time means baking, a lot.

Today I’m sharing a blueberry brownie cheesecake recipe with you. The name itself is a mouthful. It’s a recipe that I usually make for special occasions — it’s a hit on birthdays.

And with summer just around the corner, it’s also a great way to use up those berries. The version that I make most often is actually using frozen (fresh is fine!) raspberries, which I press onto the surface of the cheesecake before baking.

The version I’m sharing with you today is with blueberries. I used to pair cheesecake and blueberries together so often when I was little, and the nostalgia is nice.

I wanted to share this particular video now, because I find that food can be comforting, like a big hug. This cake does that. It makes you feel good (until of course you eat too much, which happens).

I made it for my 21st birthday, and for the birthdays of at least three others. Now I’m passing it on to you!

These are some essentials to keep in mind.

1. Make sure that all your ingredients are at room temperature, as it will prevent separating and will make it easier to mix everything.
2. The brownie cheesecake takes a while to bake. I would say probably around 1.5 hours.
3. When it’s done, the edges will have puffed up and will be slightly golden, the centre may still not be completely set (and by that I mean it shouldn’t be super jiggly and raw, but the dead middle can be a lil loose).
4. It will probably take less time if you bake it in a 9×13 inch pan (45 min-1 hour)
5. Chill it before serving, it makes it taste sooo much better.
6. I love this recipe with raspberries (150 g or a good cup or so, just press some fresh or frozen, onto the surface of the cheesecake before baking), then dust with icing sugar once serving
7. You can also serve it with some fresh fruit on the side.

Hope you like this blueberry brownie cheesecake recipe as much as I do!

Blueberry Brownie Cheesecake

A layer of brownies, a layer of cheesecake and a layer of blueberries join forces to create an epic blueberry brownie cheesecake. 

Yield: 12 servings

Prep: 30 minutes minutes

Cook: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

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Ingredients

For the brownie base:

• 200 g (8 ounces) dark chocolate , at least 60% cacao solids
• 200 g (1 cup) butter, softened at room temperature
• 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar, brown sugar works too
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tsp instant espresso powder
• 1 tbsp hot water
• 110 g ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt, didn't mention in video!

For the cheesecake layer:

• 600 g (21 oz) cream cheese
• 150 g (¾ cup) sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

For the blueberry topping:

• 400 g 2-3 cups blueberries
• juice of ½ lemon, 1 tbsp
• 1 tbsp sugar

Instructions

• Begin by preheating the oven to 170 C or 325 F, and grease a 24 cm (9 inch) springform cake tin with butter, then line the base with parchment paper.
• For the brownie base, melt the dark chocolate. I like to do this in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds or until it has melted completely but you could also do over a double boiler.
• Set the chocolate aside, then cream together the butter and sugar.
• Once light and fluffy, dissolve the instant espresso powder in the 1 tbsp water and add it to the mixture, along with the eggs. Of course, you can choose to omit the espresso and water but it really enhances the flavour of the chocolate. The mixture might separate a little, but that’s okay – it will come together when you add in the rest of the ingredients.
• Pour in the cooled, melted chocolate and stir it in gently.
• Finally, fold in the flour, scraping down the sides of the bowl till everything is combined.
• Pour the brownie mixture into your prepared tin, and spread it out as evenly as possible, and set it aside while we prepare the cheesecake filling.
• For the cheesecake filling, combine the cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla till smooth. It's best if the ingredients are at room temperature, this makes it much easier to combine, and it also helps prevent the cheesecake from cracking later.
• Pour the cheesecake mixture over the brownie base, spreading it out as evenly as possible.
• Bake the cheesecake for 1-2 hours. Mine usually takes 1.5 to 1.75 hours but it really depends on your oven. If it seems like the cheesecake isn't getting anywhere, don't worry, it will set! If the top looks like it's browning too quickly, you can cover the surface of the cheesecake with a piece of aluminium foil to prevent it from browning further.
• What you’re looking for is the edges to be slightly browned (think a light caramel colour), puffed and set, but the centre of the cheesecake part can still be slightly wobbly. Like I said, it can take a while to bake because of how big it is (baking it in a larger pan i.e. a 9x13 inch brownie pan will speed things up).
• Cool the cheesecake completely, then place in the fridge for several hours or overnight so that it's nice and cold.
• For the blueberry topping, place the blueberries in a pot over medium heat, along with the lemon juice and sugar.
• Let the blueberries come to a boil. At this point they will also release some of their juices.
• Turn the heat off, let the blueberries cool.
• Top the cheesecake with the blueberry mixture before serving.
• With the fruit, this should be eaten as soon as possible but it keeps well for a few days cold and covered.

Notes

Instead of blueberries, you can also press 150 g of fresh or frozen raspberries into the cheesecake layer before baking, then dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Berries, brownies, Dessert

Looking for more cheesecake recipes?

• Dulce de Leche cheesecake
• No-bake mango cheesecake
• Mocha cheesecake