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Author:
Tracy Nawara
Brownies are a favorite of many for their ultra chocolatey flavor and chewy texture. They can be customized to have nuts, extra chocolate, peanut butter, and tons of other variations that can suit anyone’s tastes. Brownies are the perfect crowd-pleasing dessert.
Coffee ‘N Cream Brownies are layered creamy brownies with a thick brownie layer, a creamy whipped coffee layer, and a rich chocolate ganache top layer. This three-aspect brownie has wonderful notes of espresso and heavy cream. The best part is the topping; chopped chocolate-covered espresso beans to add crunch to all of the sweetness.
The base of this dessert is a homemade brownie using butter, unsweetened chocolate, and sugar. It’s a simple brownie batter, but sometimes the simplest recipes are the best. Add nuts or chocolate chips here if you like add-ins in your brownies. The base is baked and cooled before moving on to the next steps.
After the decadent brownie layer has cooled, it’s time to make the coffee cream. The coffee cream is made using espresso powder, heavy whipping cream, softened butter, and powdered sugar. It is almost a frosting-like consistency with a light whipped texture and a strong coffee flavor from the espresso powder.
The final layer on these brownies is the topping of chocolate ganache. Ganache is heavy cream and chocolate melted together, which cools to a fudgy consistency. The ganache is gently spooned and spread over the top of the coffee cream. For a little crunch and more coffee flavor, top the warm ganache layer with chopped chocolate-covered espresso beans. These layered brownies are very soft, so it’s nice to have a little texture difference in the topping.
These coffee-forward brownies are the perfect recipe to change up your typical brownie routine. The coffee filling is similar to a light coffee frosting and the ganache seals it all inside the brownie. The cross-section of layers when you cut into these brownies is beautiful, so you will definitely want to share them with your family and friends. Just wait for all the compliments!
For the Brownies:
For the Coffee Cream Filling:
For the Chocolate Glaze:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the butter and chopped unsweetened chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl. Melt in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring in between, until the chocolate and butter are melted. Set aside.
In another bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until they are combined and pale in color. Stir in the chocolate and mix completely. Add the vanilla, flour, and baking soda. Fold together with a spatula to not overmix the batter.
Pour into a buttered 8×8 pan and flatten with your spatula. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick just comes out clean. Do not overbake!
Cool the brownies on a wire rack. Do not cut yet!
Next, make the filling. Whisk together the instant espresso and the heavy cream until fully combined. Beat in the sugar and softened butter. Note: The butter has to be very soft to incorporate well. Once the cream is beaten until light and fluffy, the filling is ready.
Spread the coffee filling over the cooled brownies. Place in the fridge and allow it to sit for about 4-6 hours.
Finally, in a small saucepan, combine the chocolate chips and heavy cream. Over low heat, allow them to melt together. Once melted, allow the chocolate to cool slightly. Pour over the coffee cream layer on the brownies and spread carefully to cover. Top with the chopped chocolate-covered espresso beans for crunch. Allow the ganache to set up for 30 minutes before slicing. Store leftover brownies in the fridge.
