High Altitude Red Velvet Bars
These easy to make, red velvet bars are dense, thick, soft and chewy like a fudge brownie, with a tangy flavor and hints of cocoa powder, and fluffy cream cheese frosting.
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment
Ingredients
Bars
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ tsp "super red" gel food coloring
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- 5 tbsp unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
Buttercream
- 4 oz block cream cheese, cold
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- ⅛ tsp coarse Kosher salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Red Velvet Bars
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line a 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, to make it easier to lift out and cut the cooled bars.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter with the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and red food coloring, until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, corn starch, baking powder, cream of tartar and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the liquid mixture, and stir just until the flour is incorporated and you have a soft dough.
- Use an offset spatula to spread the dough evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 20-22 minutes, until the bars have risen slightly, and the center is set. If you bake them for longer, they may end up too dry.
- Set the pan on a cooling rack. Cool completely, at least 4-6 hours, before cutting. You can even make these the night before, cover the pan with plastic wrap and cool overnight, before frosting the next day.
Buttercream
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cold cream cheese for about 1 minute, until smooth. Add the butter and beat together until well combined.
- With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar by spoonfuls, the corn starch, salt and vanilla.
- Beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Spread the frosting over the cooled bars, or pipe it on using tip 1M for a more decorative finish.
- Cut into 16 squares.
Notes
Store leftover frosted bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3-6 months. Let come to room temperature before serving.
For a deeper chocolate flavor, you can increase the cocoa powder by 2 more tbsp, and decrease the flour by 2 tbsp. This will also darken the color, and the red will not be quite so pronounced.
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