This dark chocolate brownie dessert is a great recipe to make for a romantic night in.
What main ingredients are needed for these Dark Chocolate Raspberry Layered Brownies?
Chocolate- a premium chocolate bar is chopped and melted down. Any type of bar will work, but a premium brand will ensure a better tasting brownie. And dark cocoa, like a Dutch processed cocoa is also used.
Fat- both vegetable oil and butter is needed in the recipe.
Flour- all purpose flour is used. Other types of flour may yield a different texture.
Water- a small of boiling water or coffee is used to help the chocolate bloom.
Cream cheese- cream cheese is used in the frosting to give it a creamier texture and taste.
Raspberries- fresh or frozen raspberries can be used for the frosting
Powdered sugar – powdered sugar is needed for the frosting because it is American buttercream.
What type of chocolate is used for the Raspberry Dark Chocolate Layered Brownies?
For these brownies, I use 2 types of chocolate in the recipe.
The first is Dutch processed cocoa powder. This is the darker, richer version of regular cocoa powder. It is unsweetened cocoa that has been treated with an alkali to make it pH neutral. This gives it a milder, less acidic flavor, and a darker color.
The second type of chocolate I use is 72% or 86% Cacao intense chocolate bar. Each bar is usually 3.5 oz, so the whole bar gets used in the recipe. Some bars are 4 oz, which is fine to use as well.
How are the brownies made?
The chopped chocolate bar is melted together with the butter and sugar. This can easily be done in the microwave but, on the stove top in a double boiler works as well.
The mixture is then cooled for 10 minutes, then the vanilla and oil is added.
In a medium mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, add the eggs. Beat the eggs for at least 3-5 minutes until they are fluffy and paler in color. They can be beaten up to 10 minutes. This will give the brownies a shiny top.
Add the eggs and mix with a whisk. Now, add the flour, cocoa and salt and stir. The mixture will be on the thick side at this point.
Once you add the boiling water or coffee, the mixture will come together and smooth out. The hot liquid is used at the end to help the chocolate bloom. And only a little is needed.
Bake the batter in a square pan, cool completely, then cut into 8 rectangles by cutting the brownies down the middle horizontally, then cutting them in the middle the other way vertically. Cut the top half in half, then the bottom half in half until you have 8 equal rectangles.
How are the Raspberry Dark Chocolate Layered Brownies assembled?
After the raspberry cream cheese frosting is made, add it to a piping bag with a piping tip. I used a star tip, but any design is ok. It just depends on how you want the frosting dollops to look. You can also not use a piping tip at all. You can simply cut off a small piece of the bag, or use a zip bag instead of a piping bag.
Squeeze the piping bag and make buttercream dollops over the surface of one of the brownies. Crush a couple of the freeze dried raspberries and sprinkle the powder over the frosting. Add a second brownie on top and repeat with additional cream cheese frosting and crushed raspberries.
This is definitely a great Valentine’s Day dessert to make!
Commonly Asked Questions:
Do you have to make homemade brownies for this recipe?
No, you can also use a boxed brownie or any pre-made, store bought brownies.
Are the freeze dried raspberries necessary for the recipe?
If you can not find the freeze dried raspberries, they can be omitted from the recipe. They are used more for the look of the dessert. They is still plenty of raspberry flavor in the frosting.
How are the brownies stored?
Store the brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Looking for other Valentine’s Dessert recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Chocolate Raspberry Cake Truffles
Vanilla Cupcakes with Roses and Pink Chocolate Macarons
Chocolate Mini Bundt Cakes with Rose Chocolate Ganache
Dark Chocolate Raspberry Layered Brownies
Ingredients
Brownies
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 6 tbsp Dutch processed cocoa powder
- 3.5 oz premium chocolate bar, chopped
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp boiling water or coffee
Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) raspberries
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
- 1 8oz bar, cream cheese, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Garnish
- Freeze dried raspberries
Instructions
Brownies
- Melt the chopped chocolate bar, butter and sugar in a heat proof bowl in the microwave or on the stove top in a small saucepan until the mixture starts to bubble. Let the mixture cool for at least 5-10 minutes. Stir in the vanilla and vegetable oil.In a medium mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, add the eggs. Beat the eggs for at least 3-5 minutes until they are fluffy and paler in color. They can be beaten up to 10 minutes. Add the beaten eggs to the chocolate mixture and stir until combined. Add cocoa powder, salt and flour and mix until incorporated. The mixture will be very thick at this point. Pour in boiling water or coffee and whisk until the batter is smooth. Pour into a parchment lined 8 inch square baking pan Pour into a non-stick 8 inch square baking pan. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Cut into 8 rectangles.
Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add raspberries to a blender and blend until puréed. With a spoon or spatula, push the purée through a mesh strainer to remove the seeds. Set aside.Add butter, cream cheese and to a stand mixer. Mix on medium speed. Add 3 tablespoon raspberry purée and mix again. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and heavy cream and beat until smooth. If you want a deeper raspberry flavor add additional purée, one tablespoon at a time. Set aside.
Assembly
- Add the raspberry frosting to a piping bag with a star tip. Place one brownie down on a work surface or plate and pipe 8 dollops of frosting on top of the brownie. Crush 1-2 freeze dried raspberries with you fingers and sprinkle it on top. Repeat the process with a second brownie until there are 2 layers. Serve.
