Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Brownies
Fall has definitely arrived! With all the delicious soups, chili, and baking with apples and pumpkin, it’s by far the most fun food season. These bars have popped up all over the Internet after showing up in Cara’s blog two years ago. Hubby has been asking for these bars for about two weeks now. With the shortage of canned pumpkin going on right now, I couldn’t make these until now because I just couldn’t find canned pumpkin!
I made these when we had some overnight guests and everyone loved them. We got impatient and cut them after they had cooled for about a hour. They hadn’t been chilled so they were still a bit gooey and warm. They’re delicious at this point and also after they’ve been chilled (the pumpkin flavor really shines once they’ve chilled).
I made a few adjustments to Cara’s recipe. One of the bloggers who made these said she wished there was more of the pumpkin mixture, so I upped that part of the recipe. Cara’s original recipe called for 6 oz of cream cheese and since a block of cream cheese is 8 oz, I just adjusted the other ingredients of the cheesecake portion so that it would use a full block of cream cheese. My adjustments are shown below.
I also don’t tend to think of pumpkin and chocolate together. It seems to me that white chocolate or cream cheese frosting are natural partners with pumpkin. The more I thought about it, the more I thought that dark chocolate would pair with pumpkin better than milk chocolate. So in the brownie portion of these bars, I used some dark cocoa.
Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Brownies
Yield: 16 bars
Ingredients:
For the Brownie Batter
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup dark cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
For the Cheesecake Batter
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp + 2 tsp flour
2/3 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 tsp pure vanilla
2/3 tsp cinnamon
1/3 tsp ground ginger
1/3 tsp ground cloves
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8x8" square metal baking pan.
Beat together melted butter, sugar, and vanilla, then beat in eggs one at a time. Combine dry ingredients and then gradually stir into butter mixture with a wooden spoon. In separate bowl, beat together cheesecake batter ingredients.
Spread about 2/3 of chocolate batter into prepared pan, and spoon cheesecake batter over. Dollop remaining brownie batter over cheesecake batter. Swirl the batters together by running a butter knife back and forth through the pan.
Bake for 40 minutes, or until center is set. Cool completely on wire rack and chill before cutting and serving.
Original Beantown Baker Recipe, inspired by Cara's Cravings
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
This looks just plain amazing…and I’m not even a huge chocolate fan! The different textures must be delectable — good thing Valentine’s Day is coming up =)
This looks like my favorite cake I’ve never tried. Yum! After reading the directions, it seems like you could reduce the prep time by simply preparing the brownie batter first and setting it aside while prepping the cake batter, and then baking them at the same time. Either way, I am putting this on my “MUSTS!” list. Thanks for sharing.
Wow!! That looks amazing. It would make a great chocolage indulgence for Valentine’s Day.
WOW! That looks amazing! I love the filling. I’m starring to try for sure. Chocolate cake is always a big winner with guests. 🙂
Mmmm….chocolate! Looks fantastic 🙂
Man, this cake is serious stuff!! I would love some of that! Thanks for all the tips on how to make it more efficiently.
Wow.
That is one amazing way to celebrate.
OMG That looks awesome. I wish I could take it out of the computer screen and eat it right now!!!
While I’m not a chocolate cake fan I have to say that is one delicious and impressive looking cake! Definitely makes wish I was into chocolate. 🙂
~ingrid
Did anyone count the calories? 😉
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I really feel hungry!
Cheers,
Carsten
tasteandshare.com
food social network * wine social network
gloof
Talk about death by chocolate! That looks incredible!
This is such a beautiful cake! I really want to give it a whirl. A lot of chocolate but totally worth it!
omg. this looks A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. can i get a piece right now please?!
wow. that looks amazing
Looks absolutely fabulous. Really wonderful photos too!
So glad I stumbled upon your blog.
🙂
ButterYum
beautiful cake! one can never be tired of Chocolate! and those strawberries steal the show!:)
Yummy! that would’ve have been a perfect finger food! love the cheesy texture:)
this would be perfect for the Valentine day giveaway I’m hosting on my blog. would be great if you could participate!
http://www.funandfoodcafe.com/2010/02/valentine-super-bowl-recipe-carnival.html
Is a cake like this even legal? This is going to be a most special addition in the KOL round up. Thanks for participating, Jen!
Wow!! Just the way the CHocorango likes! Kinda perfect!
When I made this, I almost went into a chocolate coma. But it was totally worth it!!!