Cappuccino Cheesecake Bars
For the good times and caffeine
These cappuccino cheesecake bars are ultra creamy and silky, but you‘ll still have that wonderful coffee kick that you will love. They have a brownie bottom to make them ever more decadent. And they are topped with a pile of whipped cream dusted with cocoa and cinnamon, like a real cappuccino, but without the mug! Lets say this is a coffee shot that you would be able to take anytime of the day!!
I have to admit I started drinking coffee veeeery late, as in less than 10 years ago. I had taken sips before, of course, but never had a daily routine of drinking coffee. My grandmother used to drink lots of it during the day. I’m talking about 5 to 6 cups a day. I loved sitting with her in the table while she was drinking her coffee, because those would be the moments that she recounted so many of her childhood memories, where the sun apparently was warmer and the air crispier. I simply loved just hearing her, and it’s something I miss a lot from my childhood as well. Good times!
Now back to almost the present, I started drinking coffee daily when I started involving myself in the food world, those first days as my journey as a food blogger. One time someone gifted me an artisanal coffee from Puerto Rico, and I just happened to have bought the Chemex, you know, merely as a prop. But as an aspiring foodie, I needed to try both, so I did! I immediately fell in love with the aroma and the delicate taste of that particular coffee. I started to drink coffee not for the caffeine but just for the pleasure of its taste. Now, back to the present, I need the caffeine too, hehe!
But since the love for the coffee flavor has always been there, I love using it in my recipes, especially those that involve chocolate. It was a matter of time that I used coffee in cheesecake as well.
These cappuccino cheesecake bars are super creamy and oh-so-silky! Instead of using a graham cracker crust, I made a brownie bottom. Yes, more decadence and richness in every bite! I used mini chocolate chips in the batter instead of regular ones because since these bars are eaten chilled, mini chips are easier to bite. Other than that, these are as easy as my Brownie Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars. Super simple and super easy to make, but sooo good!! Read on to see how these are made:
How to make Cappuccino Cheesecake Bars
Make chilled ingredients room temperature: Start by taking out cream cheese and eggs for both layers so they are at room temperature. If cream cheese is not soft enough when ready to make the batter, heat it in 15-second intervals at power 3 until it’s very soft but not oily or separated. Also, if you need to make your eggs room temperature, place them in a bowl with hot tap water for 10 minutes.
Prepare the pan: Cut two pieces of parchment paper 8” on one side and a few inches more the other side to form a rectangle. Use to line your squared cake pan. Full explanation below.
Preheat your oven to 350°.
Making the bottom layer: Make the brownie batter. When you melt the butter with the sugar, let it loose some of the heat (3 minutes) and place it in the fridge a few minutes to speed up the process of bringing them down to room temperature. If you can, stir it once or twice. This also helps the process.
Making the cheesecake layer: While the brownie layer is baking, make the cheesecake batter. Remember not to over mix and always do it in a slow-medium speed, you don’t want to incorporate too much air to the batter.
Turn it up a notch: Take out the brownies and increase oven temperature to 425°. Pour cheesecake batter over the brownie layer.
High and low: When the oven has reached 425°, place the pan again inside the oven. Bake for 5 minutes, then decrease temperature to 275°. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Cues for doneness in the recipe.
The waiting is the worst part: Let the pan cool down a few minutes, then chill in the fridge at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
Do you want whipped cream with that?: Take cheesecake out of the pan and spread a thick layer of whipped cream. Dust some cocoa powder with a bit of cinnamon over the top.
How many shots of these cappuccino cheesecake bars are you going to have is totally up to you! But think that you can swap your coffee for these, so I’m guessing you can totally have a few of these in a day : ) As always my dear friends, let me know any questions you might have, I’m all ears! Until the next one!
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Cappuccino Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Brownie Layer
◯ Organic free range butter – 7 TBSP
◯ Raw sugar – ¾ cup
◯ Unsweetened cocoa powder – ¼ cup + 3 TBSP
◯ Coffee granules - 1 Tsp
◯ Vanilla extract – ½ Tsp
◯ Fine sea salt – ¼ Tsp
◯ Organic cage free egg – 1
◯ Unbleached organic all purpose flour – ¼ cup + 3 TBSP
◯ Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks (you can use regular as well, see notes above) – ½ cup
Cappuccino Cheesecake Layer
◯ Cream cheese, at room temperature – 2 - 8 oz packages
◯ Raw sugar – ¾ cup + 1 ½ TBSP
◯ Organic cage free eggs – 2, large
◯ Egg yolks – 1, from large eggs
◯ Unbleached organic all purpose flour – 2 TBSP
◯ Lemon juice – ½ TBSP
◯ Coffee granules - 1 Tsp
◯ Strong espresso brew - 1 TBSP
◯ Vanilla paste or pure vanilla extract – ½ Tsp
Whipped Cream Layer
◯ Heavy whipping cream, chilled - 1 cup
◯ Confectioner’s sugar, preferably sifted - ¼ cup
◯ Natural granulated sugar - 1 TBSP
◯ Cocoa powder - 1 TBSP
◯ Ground cinnamon - 1 to 1 ½ Tsp
Details
Yield:
a 8” square pan, 16 small squares
Total time:
1 hour plus chilling time
Active time:
30 minutes in intervals
Equipment:
8” square cake pan, parchment paper
Steps
To prepare your 8 x 8 pan:
Cut a piece of cold butter and rub the bottom and sides of your pan. Rub the outer sides as well. This will serve as “glue” to keep the parchment paper on place.
Cut 2 - 8” x 16” parchment paper pieces (I use this unbleached parchment paper that is already cut in 12” x 16” sheets, so I just had to cut it 8” wide). Place one paper centered into the pan and press through the bottom and sides, inside and out. Rub some butter on the parchment paper area inside the pan and place the other piece of paper across. Again press the paper through the bottom, inside and outside the pan to seal it towards the pan. Spray some baking spray on the bottom and sides of your pan as an extra precaution if you have some. Place it in the fridge.
To make the brownie layer:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Put the 7 tablespoons of butter in a large glass bowl and place it on a large skillet filled with some water. Heat it over medium heat until melted. Add the sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves into the butter. You’ll end up with a paste that is smooth and just a bit grainy. Take it out of the skillet and let it cool down.
After the butter mixture has cooled down mix in the ¼ cup and 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder and the 1 teaspoon of coffee granules. Add the ½ teaspoon of vanilla and ¼ teaspoon of salt and stir. Add the egg and mix well. Add the ¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons of the flour and gently mix just until you can’t see streaks of it. Add the ½ cup of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks and fold them in.
Transfer the batter to the pan and press it down with your hands to make it even. Bake for 20 minutes. While the brownies bake, prepare the cheesecake filling.
Take the brownies out of the oven and increase oven temperature to 425°.
To make the cheesecake filling:
Either in the bowl of a stand up mixer and using the whisk attachment or in a medium bowl using an electric hand mixer with the beaters attached, beat together in medium speed the cream cheese for 3 minutes. Add the ¾ cup + 1 ½ tablespoon of sugar and mix for 1 minute, making sure there is no sugar on the top of the walls of the bowl. Decrease speed to low and add the 2 eggs and egg yolk, one at a time. Add the 2 tablespoons of flour, the ½ tablespoon of lemon juice, the 1 teaspoon of coffee granules, the 1 tablespoon of the espresso brew and the ½ teaspoon of vanilla paste or extract, waiting a few seconds before each addition to allow each ingredient to incorporate well. Scrap the walls and bottom of the bowl between additions to make sure everything is blending well. Stop mixing as soon as everything is well incorporated.
Take out from the oven the brownie layer and increase oven temperature to 425°. When the oven is ready pour cheesecake mixture over brownie layer. Bring pan to oven and bake for 5 minutes and then drop oven temperature to 275°. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the mixture looks shiny and firm but not dry and it’s a bit jiggly in the center. If it’s too wobbly, bake it for 2 to 3 more minutes. Retire from oven and let it cool down for 10 minutes, then chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
Taking the bars out:
Pull up one side of the bars at a time using the parchment paper just until you feel the bars are coming up. After releasing the four sides, gently pull two of the sides until they come out. Cut in squares. Layer whipped cream on top (recipe below). In a small sieve put together the 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder with the 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Dust over the whipped cream. Cut and serve. Store them in the fridge.
To make the whipped cream:
In a medium bowl beat in medium speed the cream until the wires start to leave indentations behind, about 3 minutes. Slowly add the ¼ cup of sugar and then the 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. Mix for 1 to 2 minutes more. Stop as soon as the wires are making deep indentations to prevent over mixing.
