Atop a fudgy, deeply chocolatey brownie bottom sits a luscious, wonderfully tart raspberry filling. If you are a fan of raspberries and chocolate, this is for you!
Atop a fudgy, deeply chocolatey brownie bottom sits a luscious, wonderfully tart raspberry filling. If you are a fan of raspberries and chocolate, this is for you!
There are some recipes I meticulously spend a LOT of time developing to get them just right (see: rainbow cake, babka scones for example). And then there are recipes which fall into place in one go. Often the latter are those that are a combination of recipes which I know really well. Admittedly, I made this out of curiosity and had no idea how it would turn out (especially the top layer which was a bit new to me) and I wasn’t expecting much. I left it in the fridge for two whole days before tasting it and when I did; I was blown away. My husband refused to let me share much of this with anyone else and devoured most of it the day after I shot these photos. It’s absolutely wonderful.
It took me a very long time to find a brownie recipe that I truly loved. I know that sounds crazy; there are a ton of recipes out there with hundreds of 5-star ratings. But I was very particular about certain things: I wanted more cocoa than chocolate (so the chocolate flavor would be more intense), more cocoa than flour too (I abhor a cakey brownie), sugar and butter to make a really fudgy texture, but not overly sweet, and I needed a guarantee it would always always give me the same result.
I found it early last year in these thick cocoa brownies. They kind of exploded on IG and for a hot moment everyone was making them and loving them. A year on, whenever an occasion or recipe requires a brownie layer I make that recipe and get the exact same brownie every time. Btw, I’ve found ways to streamline the process even quicker. You’ll see some of that here!
These will be even fudgier than usual brownies because they are cold. Have you ever had a chilled brownie? It’s like pure fudge. You’ll love it.
I made this in the manner of key lime pie: fruit juice, egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk. It’s SUCH an easy filling; all you do is stir the ingredients together and then pour them on top and bake!
This raspberry layer is just, INCREDIBLE. It’s delightfully tart from a LOT of frozen raspberries and some lemon juice & zest. The texture is so smooth thanks to a can of sweetened condensed milk; it’s creamy and silky and somehow doesn’t at all seem like a custard. There’s no taste of milk or egg here, you simply get a burst of berry flavor.
You’ll need an 8 inch cake pan to bake this in, a 2 or 3 inch high pan should do it as there is not ‘rising’ here.
Truthfully you could bake it in a square pan instead of in a round cake pan and get bars instead of slices. But there is something a little majestic about all these layers that I felt it deserved a bit more fanfare in its presentation. It slices so beautifully though so either is fine!
There are two baking sessions: one for the brownie bottom and one for the top; all together you don’t want this to bake for more than 30-35 minutes and the top only needs 10-12 minutes (just to set it).
Cocoa: I like dutch process cocoa in most of my recipes because it’s less acidic and more intense and rich.
Sweetened Condensed Milk: This is where the creamy silky texture comes in; the can (made up of just milk and sugar) makes this the kind of filling you just stir together in a bowl. Because it isn’t too sweet, it doesn’t get in the way of the tart of the fruit.
Raspberries: I’m specifying frozen here because we are going to puree them and more so because frozen will make this the kind of dish you can make year round. Frozen berries are harvested in season and have better flavor most of the time.
Lemon: The lemon zest brings a subtle, natural sweetness to the filling and the juice really enhances that tart aspect of the berries. You could use lime if you like instead.
What to do with those leftover egg whites?
Make double chocolate cookies! See Rye Brownie Cookies (you can use AP there) or small batch double chocolate cookies (make a triple batch). Alternatively, you can use them to make a meringue topping for the pie.
How do I prepare the pan to bake this?
Oil a cake pan and then press a sheet of parchment paper into it. It won’t be perfect, it doesn’t need to be. Use metal clips to hold it in place.
What should I top the pie with?
I think that a simple whipped cream and a dusting of cocoa are just perfect here. And I’m one to go all out for pie toppings. But because the bottom flavors are so intense, the whipped cream really calms and rounds it all out.
How long does the pie need to chill?
Ideally overnight but in a pinch, 4 hours.
How long does the pie keep?
In the fridge without the topping it will keep for a week! It’s a great make ahead dessert. Save the whipped cream which should be made right before serving as it can weep in the fridge.
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First off, the finished pie is absolutely delicious and the flavors go really well together. I did have some technical issues and would offer some advice to people looking to make this. First off, I found that my curd didn’t have that bright red color as seen in the photos. It didn’t look bad, but not as appealing as I hoped. I also found that the cook time on the brownie layer may have been too short. In fact, when I poured the curd on top, some of the uncooked brownie floated to the top. It also seemed a bit underdone when I sliced it. I baked the curd layer for an additional 15-20 minutes which proved to be good as the finished pie was sliceable and thick. I’d also recommend putting parchment on the sides of the cake pan as the curd can get sticky and leave you with messy edges when you try to remove it.
Just wondering if this freezes without the cream on top? Thanks
I wouldn’t freeze whipped cream – add it just before serving
Hi again! Could this recipe be doubled and baked in a 9×13 pan?
For bars? I think that could work – bake time will vary though!
I made this pie yesterday for my boyfriend’s 40th birthday along with three other cakes. It stole the show… this chocolate raspberry combination was sooo charming and super tasty. It is also such an easy recipe… a 6-stars pie
This recipe is a WOW! I made it for a group of friends and i received the praise undeservingly. Sam this pie was a star! The balance of flavour is really incredible. The fun part is that it is really easy to make and didn’t take long!
what size can of sweetened condensed milk- our store has small (5oz?) and larger (maybe 11 or 12oz)
Very tasty! I don’t have an 8 inch pan so made this in my 9 inch with some adjusted baking times/temps, and it still worked out pretty well, although the layers are on the thinner side with that adjustment of course. Still quite delicious though!
Hi! This looks amazing! I have a question about your instructions. You say: “ Melt the butter in the microwave for 1 minute. Add the sugar, salt and cocoa, whisk together and set it in the microwave for 30 seconds. If it’s hot to the touch, stop here. If not, give it another 30 seconds.”
What do you mean by “set” here? Do you mean heat the whisked combo at full setting for 30 seconds?
Thanks for clarifying.
Missy, perhaps a better suited word than ‘set’ here would be ‘return’, as in return it to the microwave for 30 seconds.
This was a fantastic dessert! Loved the brownie base combined with the tartness of the raspberry curd. I used orange zest instead of lemon zest as that is what I had on hand and it was wonderful! Another stellar recipe. Thank you for sharing, Sam!
This was fantastic! The raspberry curd is amazing…I could eat it on its own. Super easy to make and stunning when you cut it. Definitely making this one again!
Can I use strawberries instead if raspberries ?
I saw this recipe on your insta and sooo wanted to make it… and then I couldn’t find it again! I’m kicking myself, but I made my own estimated version of what I remembered you doing (ended up baking it a bit longer, and forgot one egg yolk and the lemon in the berry layer), BUT in spite of my slip ups it was still AMAZING! Definitely making it again but following the recipe next time because I bet the lemon is a nice touch, and I think one more yolk would probably set the custard better. Thanks for sharing! This is genius!
Katie, I’m amazed you recreated this without the full recipe!
This was amazing! The raspberry topping was our favorite part–we swirled the topping and whipped cream together for parfait leftovers, with the brownies crumbled on top. Thank you so much for the delicious recipe!!
So happy to hear it Ceres! You are so welcome 😀
This absolutely looks yummy!! Can‘t wait to try it.
Sorry for the silly question but do I need a springform cake pan?
Thanks,
Ann
Can I use a 9 inch round pan?
Yes, it might need a minute or two less bake time with a bigger pan.
Nope, the parchment paper will enable you to lift it out.
Thank you!! Will make it tomorrow! Super excited!
This was delicious! Made it for my husbands birthday and he adored it. Perfect combination of chocolate, tart raspberry and fluffy whip cream. Decadent but somehow still light. It was straightforward and easy to make. My bag of raspberries was 10 oz which worked just fine. Thanks for another wonderful recipe!
Ahh, happy birthday! I’m so happy it was a hit for the occasion 😀