CREAM CHEESE STUFFED CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BREAD COFFEE CAKE

CREAM CHEESE STUFFED CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BREAD COFFEE CAKE

INGREDIENTS:

Cinnamon Walnut Streusel

  • 1/2 cup walnuts
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 4 tablespoons cold butter, cubed

Banana Cake

  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 large ripe bananas)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups sour ream (not nonfat)
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Cream Cheese Filling

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup Reserved Batter (see instructions)
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Vanilla Glaze

  • 1 cup Powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • Garnish (optional)
  • mini chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray all inside surfaces of a 16 cup nonstick tube pan with nonstick cooking spray WITH FLOUR or grease and flour the inside of your pan. Set aside.*
Cinnamon Walnut Streusel: Add walnuts to your food processor and pulse 3 times. Add flour, brown sugar and cinnamon and pulse a few times to combine. Sprinkle cold butter over top and pulse until the walnuts are chopped and the mixture resembles small pebbles. (You may also combine in a bowl and cut butter in by hand). Set aside in the refrigerator.

Cake: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
Using a stand or hand mixer, beat butter and sugar until fluffy on medium high speed, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until the yellow disappears after each egg. Mix in vanilla and bananas until just until combined.
Gradually add flour mixture to banana/butter mixture in thirds, alternately with sour cream in between each third. Beat until just combined. Measure out 1/4 cup batter and set aside for cream cheese filling. Stir chocolate chips and walnuts into remaining batter until just until combined.
Measure out 1 cup batter (to top cream cheese layer) and spoon the rest of the batter into the prepared pan.
To your now empty mixing bowl, add 1/4 cup reserved batter, cream cheese, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/4 cup sugar. Beat on medium high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Spoon Cream Cheese Filling over batter and gently smooth, but do not touch the sides of the pan. Spread reserved 1 cup batter evenly over filling (it will be very thin).
Tap pan on counter a few times to get rid of any air bubbles then sprinkle evenly with Cinnamon Walnut Streusel.
Bake for 55-60 minutes at 350 degrees F or until toothpick inserted comes out clean (without inserting in cream cheese). Let baked cake cool on wire rack for 1 hour. Gently invert cake onto a baking sheet, remove pan, and invert back onto cooling rack streusel side up. Let cool to room temperature.
When ready to serve, whisk Vanilla Glaze ingredients together in a medium bowl and drizzle over cake. Sprinkle cake with mini chocolate chips (optional)
Store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.