Red Velvet Party Squares Recipe From The Jenna Rae Cakes Cookbook

Straight from the pages of the best-selling Jenna Rae Cakes cookbook is this delicious Red Velvet Party Squares recipe. This red velvet brownie combo is too good to resist but once it’s topped with the White Chocolate Cream Cheese Fudge Frosting, it sends it over the top.

Pro tip: The book says it’s important to use liquid food colouring in this recipe. To make these Red Velvet Party Squares festive for any occasion, swap out the red food colouring for blue, green (for St. Patrick’s Day!), or equal parts red and blue to make purple.

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Keep reading for how to make this Red Velvet Squares recipe from the Jenna Rae Cakes cookbook!

Yields: 12 large squares

Ingredients for red velvet brownie:

• 1⅔ cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ¾ cup packed brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons sifted cocoa powder
• 3 tablespoons red liquid food colouring
• 4 eggs
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ¾ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Ingredients for white chocolate cream cheese fudge frosting: 

• ½ cup cream cheese, at room temperature
• ¼ cups icing sugar
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1¼ cups (275g) chopped white baking chocolate
• 2 tablespoons whole (3.25%) milk

Method for RED VELVET BROWNIE: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 13- × 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Line it with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the granulated sugar, butter, and brown sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and food colouring. Pour the cocoa mixture into the butter mixture and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
4. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until fully combined. Slowly pour in the buttermilk, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar, mixing until combined. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and paddle. Add the flour and salt. Using a spatula, gently fold until just combined.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, spread it into an even layer. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out almost clean with moist crumbs (you don’t want a clean knife for fudgy brownies). Let cool to room temperature.

Method for WHITE CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE FUDGE FROSTING:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed for 4 to 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl after each minute. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat for an additional 2 minutes, until creamy and smooth, scraping down the bowl after each minute.
2. In a heat-resistant bowl, melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until smooth.
3. With the mixer on medium-low speed, slowly add the melted chocolate and milk. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Use immediately.

ASSEMBLY:

1. Pour the White Chocolate Cream Cheese Fudge Frosting over the brownie. Using an offset spatula, spread it into an even layer. If you’re having trouble spreading the frosting, warm the spatula by dipping it in a cup of hot water and drying it, then resume spreading. Continue dipping the spatula in hot water as needed.
2. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour to set.
3. Transfer the squares to a cutting board by lifting the edges of the parchment paper. Pull the parchment paper away from the sides of the squares. Using a sharp chef’s knife, cut into 12 equal squares.
4. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before serving.

Excerpted from Jenna Rae Cakes and Sweet Treats: Over 100 Recipes for the Modern Baker by Ashley Kosowan and Jenna Hutchinson. Copyright © 2020 by Ashley Nicole Kosowan and Jenna Rae Hutchinson. Published by Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.