Dirty Chai Cheesecake Brownies
Every family has its own preferred ratio of spices in their chai masala. I like my chai to be a bit heavier on the cardamom and ginger side! For this chai masala, I freshly grind all the spices before blending them together. I use this chai masala quite a lot for baking, but you can also use it to make chai.
Dirty chai is a chai with a shot of espresso, and it’s what kept me going through grad school. The combination of chai spices, milky black tea, and bitter coffee is stellar. You can make this semi-homemade if you’re short on time by using boxed brownie mix. I promise I won’t judge!
Make it eggless: For the cheesecake batter, use 3 Tbsp. heavy cream or whole milk whisked with ½ tsp. cornstarch. Substitute ½ cup (100 g) aquafaba and add an additional ½ tsp. baking soda for the brownie batter.
Recipe information
Total Time
45 minutes (plus 5 hours for cooling)
Yield
one 13x9" pan
Ingredients
Chai Masala
Coffee Cheesecake
Brownies
Preparation
Chai Masala
Step 1
In a bowl, whisk 3 Tbsp. ground cardamom, 2 Tbsp. ground ginger, 4½ tsp. ground cinnamon, ¾ tsp. ground cloves, ¾ tsp. ground anise seeds, ¾ tsp. ground fennel, and ½ tsp. ground nutmeg until well combined.
Do Ahead: This makes ½ cup (48 g). Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
Coffee Cheesecake
Step 2
In a medium bowl, beat together 8 oz. (225 g) full-fat cream cheese and ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar until smooth. Whisk in 1 large egg, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 1¼ tsp. instant coffee or espresso powder, and ¼ tsp. kosher salt until well combined. Set aside.
Brownies
Step 3
Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease a 13x9" pan with unsalted butter, softened, and line with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together 1¼ cups (150 g) all-purpose flour, 1 cup (84 g) unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process), and ¼ tsp. baking soda and set aside.
Step 4
In a saucepan, melt 10 Tbsp. (143 g) unsalted butter over medium heat. Remove from the heat and stir in ½ cup (93 g) finely chopped dark chocolate (about 72% cacao) until melted. Set aside to cool.
Step 5
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk, combine 3 large eggs, 1¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar, 2 Tbsp. light brown sugar, 2 tsp. chai masala, ½ tsp. kosher salt, and ½ tsp. vanilla extract. Whisk on high speed for 6 minutes until thick and glossy. Slowly pour in the chocolate/butter mixture and mix until well combined. Sift in the flour mixture and mix until all the dry ingredients are incorporated. Fold in ½ cup (77 g) semisweet chocolate chips until just combined.
Step 6
Spoon half the batter into the baking pan and use an offset spatula to spread it into an even layer. Add dollops of each batter on top and use a knife to swirl the two batters. Tap the pan on the counter four or five times to get rid of any air bubbles and to level out the batter.
Step 7
Bake until the center is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs, 30–35 minutes. Cool the brownies for 1 hour and then refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
Step 8
To decorate, dip a fluffy brush, like a blush brush, into gold luster dust and tap the brush with your hand over the cooled brownies.
Recipe notes
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