I hate baking y’all….I mean I HATE BAKING Y’ALL!!!  So I do a cute little thing I called “Fakin’ Bakin’”.  I call it “Fakin’ Bakin’” because instead of doing everything from scratch, I leverage cake mixes, Bisquick, store bought pie crust…hell, whatever gets me through the baking process without me having to throw the whole thing away and grab a bottle of wine, I’m here for it!!

This recipe has become a favorite around here.  These are my Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies!!! Usually reserved for a special occasion, my youngest tricked me into making these for HIM on Mother’s Day and ummm well….I’m a sucka. 

The base for this recipe is good old fashioned boxed cake mix.  The cool thing about this is once you start making brownies with cake mix, the possibilities are ENDLESS! Give these a try and let me know what you think!

PREP TIME: 10 minutes

COOK TIME: 25 minutes

TOTAL TIME:  40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Brownies

• 15 oz box chocolate cake mix (I used Duncan Hines Red Velvet Cake)
• 1/2 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Cheesecake Swirl

• 8 ounces (224g) cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray 8×8 baking pan with nonstick spray. Set aside. *Note: The photo above is from a double batch*
2. Make the Brownie layer – Add all ingredients to a large bowl and mix with a rubber spatula until completely combined
3. Transfer batter to a greased 8 X 8 baking dish BUT leave out 2 or 3 tablespoons for later.
4. Make the cheesecake swirl – With a hand-held mixer on medium speed, beat the softened cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, egg yolk, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in a medium bowl until completely smooth – about 1 minute.
5. Drop spoonfuls of your cheesecake mixture on top of your brownie layer.
6. Cover with the last few Tablespoons of brownie batter. Glide a toothpick through the layers, creating a swirl pattern.
7. Bake the brownies for 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow the brownies to cool completely before cutting into squares. 

…..and that’s it!!! Let me know what you think about this easy fakin’ bakin’ recipe in the comments!