When it comes to velvet treats, why does red get all the glory? Well, I introduce to you a layer of blue velvet brownies with a cheesecake Oreo truffle layer, topped with chocolate chips and dark fudge. To think that Oreo truffles are spread across blue velvet brownies... A new twist on the more traditional red velvet! Sinful. Sultry. Perfect.
I found the red velvet version of these brownie bars on Pizzazzarie, and the combinations blew me away. But, what if we transformed it into a blue velvet dessert?I love the idea of a striking blue cake, but achieving an aesthetically pleasing hue of blue with chocolate cake is extremely difficult as many recipes yield a misleading result. Some cakes come out an aqua green color while others come out an ill teal than blue. Sickly greenish-blue cupcakes. How appetizing... Although the problem lies in food coloring, you can certainly find the shade that is more pleasing to the eye with a little bit of modification!
I found Heather's version of her blue velvet cupcakes and her color was just what I was looking for. She also addressed the same problems that I was having, so I was even more confident that this was going to come out just nicely. The secret lies in a color you wouldn't exactly think to try when making a blue color: just a dab, dash, smidgen of violet gel food coloring. And hallelujah! You got yourself a blue velvet cake. According to Heather, "The cocoa powder soaks up the colorant, and you are left with a dark navy bluish paste. This gets added to the initial butter/sugar mixture, and the color of your batter will lighten when the flour is added later." Sounds apprehensive, but trust me. You'll never want to go back to red velvet ever again.
Recipe
Blue Velvet Oreo Truffle Brownie Bars
Equipment
Ingredients
BLUE VELVET BROWNIES
- 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate baking bar, chopped
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- 2 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Wilton royal blue gel food coloring
- 1 drop Wilton violet gel food coloring
OREO TRUFFLE LAYER
- 1 package Oreo cookies
- 8 ounce cream cheese
WHITE CHOCOLATE LAYER
- 10 oz white chocolate bark or chips
- mini chocolate chips, for garnish
Instructions
BLUE VELVET BROWNIES
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line bottom and sides of the 13x9 inch pan with cooking spray.
- Microwave chocolate and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl at high 1 ½ to 2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring at 30-second intervals.
- Mix in the food colorings into the mixture to form a paste, and then whisk in the sugar. Mix well.
- Add eggs, 1 at a time, whisking just until blended after each addition. Gently stir in flour and next 4 ingredients. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
- Bake at 350° for 44 to 48 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely on a wire rack (about an hour).
OREO TRUFFLE LAYER
- Crush package of Oreos in a food processor (or in a large plastic bag and rolling pin).
- Melt cream cheese for 15 seconds in a microwave to soften.
- Stir together crushed Oreos and cream cheese until blended smooth.
- Carefully spread out Oreo truffle mixture on top of baked red velvet brownies. Use your hands to help press it down instead of spreading to avoid tearing the brownies.
WHITE CHOCOLATE LAYER
- Melt white chocolate candy bark (or chocolate chips) and pour over top Oreo truffle layer. Leave some extra for garnish.
- Melt ⅓ of mini chocolate chips and drizzle on top of white chocolate layer.
- Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and white chocolate chips while still warm.
- Let cool completely before cutting into squares.
Rich says
Is the red food colouring in the blue velvet brownie part of the recipe a mistake? Seems counter-intuitive to put in red food colouring in with the blue gel food colouring unless you wanted to make purple...
Anna | The Baking Spoon says
Oops good catch! The recipe is fixed now:)
Alaa says
Can this be done a day in advance and put in the fridge?
Anna | The Baking Spoon says
Yes they can be!
Staria says
Can I substitute the bittersweet baking bar for cocoa powder? If so, how much? Thanks! :)
Aisha says
How much does this recipe serve?
Stephanie says
Is there any cocoa powder in the brownies? None is listed in the recipe or instructions, but it is mentioned in the description.