Cherry Chocolate Brownies Recipe

With all the flavors of Black Forest cake, these chewy, decadent chocolate cherry brownies are topped with a dollop of vanilla bean buttercream and decorated with fresh cherry sauce.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Black Forest Brownies, Black Forest Brownies Recipe, Brownies with Cherries, Cherry Brownies, Cherry Chocolate Brownies, Chocolate Cherry Brownies, Chocolate Cherry Brownies Recipe

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 25

Other Time: 1

Servings servings

Calories 343kcal

Author Faith Gorsky

Ingredients

Chocolate Cherry Brownies:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil or any mild or neutral-flavored oil you have on hand
1 cup granulated white sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
14 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 14 tablespoons is 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder optional
3 ounces dark chocolate chopped
3/4 cup fresh cherries pitted and quartered

Quick Cherry Sauce:

1 cup fresh cherries pitted and quartered
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon cold water to form a slurry

Vanilla Bean Buttercream:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
30 tablespoons powdered sugar 30 tablespoons is 1 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Other:

16 fresh whole cherries for garnish (optional)
2 tablespoons finely chopped dark chocolate for garnish (optional)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the Chocolate Cherry Brownies:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line an 8 by 8-inch baking pan with 2 pieces of parchment paper so it hangs over all 4 sides.
Add the butter, oil, white sugar, and brown sugar to a saucepan over medium heat. Heat until the butter is melted, stirring well until the sugar is completely dissolved. (Alternatively, you can add everything to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 45-second intervals, stirring well between each interval.) Pro Tip: The point here isn’t to just melt the butter, it’s to make sure the mixture is warm enough and well-mixed enough to fully dissolve the sugar - this is what creates crepey brownie tops!)
Beat in the vanilla and eggs, and then stir in the cocoa powder, flour, salt, and instant espresso powder. Fold in the chopped chocolate and cherries.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, and spread it out evenly.
Bake until the brownies are set along the outside, and look puffed and dry on top, about 20 to 25 minutes (be careful not to over-bake!). Pro Tip: The toothpick test for doneness won't work here because if a toothpick comes out dry, the brownies are over-baked.
Cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.

For the Quick Cherry Sauce:

While the brownies are baking, make the cherry sauce.
Add all ingredients except the cornstarch slurry to a small saucepan. Cook (covered) over medium to medium-low heat until the cherries start to soften, about 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to low, stir in the cornstarch slurry, and cook until thickened and translucent, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.

For the Vanilla Bean Buttercream:

Add all ingredients to a large bowl. Beat together with a handheld electric mixer until smooth and creamy.

To Decorate:

Once they’re cool, cut the brownies into 16 squares.
Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip, and decoratively pipe one dollop of buttercream on top of each brownie.
Spoon the cherry sauce decoratively on top. If desired, sprinkle on the finely chopped dark chocolate and top each brownie with a fresh whole cherry.
Serve.

Notes

Storage: Store these brownies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Recipe Yield and Serving Size: This recipe makes 1 (8 by 8-inch) pan that's cut into 16 brownies. Each brownie is 1 serving.
Time-Saving Semi-Homemade Version: Even though this recipe isn't hard to make, it does have multiple steps. And sometimes you just need a quick dessert option! For the time-saving version of Black Forest brownies, use a boxed brownie mix (and add in the chopped chocolate and cherries), store-bought vanilla frosting, and store-bought cherry pie filling.

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