Banana Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake with Cream Cheese Swirl
This delicious coffee cake is great for breakfast, dessert or even just a snack. A creamy cheesecake-y vanilla filling is layered with moist banana cake and a crunchy chocolate chip pecan streusel. Give the whole thing a generous drizzling of melted chocolate and you have a decedents treat that is hard to resist.
“The cinnamon really enhances the chocolate flavor and pecans always add a great richness and crunch.”
I store my over rip bananas in the freezer. I freeze them whole, peel and all. In the freezer they will turn complete black and hold in all the great sweetness. To thaw them I just set them on the counter for a few minutes until they soften. You can also pop them in the microwave to thaw. Then, you have perfect baking banana mash ready to be add to breads, cookies, and cakes.
If you have scan through my recipes, you can tell that the flavor combination of chocolate, pecans and cinnamon is one of my favorites. Like in these Chocolate Pecan Cinnamon Rolls or Brown Butter Banana Bread with Chocolate Pecan Streusel. The cinnamon really enhances the chocolate flavor and pecans always add a great richness and crunch.
Banana Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake with Cream Cheese Swirl
Banana Cake
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 over rip bananas
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups (1 pint) sour cream (or whole milk greek yogurt)
Cream Cheese Filling
2 (8 ounces) packages of cream cheese
1 egg
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
pick of salt
Chocolate Chip Streusel
10 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup pecan pieces (optional)
1 cup mini chocolate chips
*More melted chocolate for drizzling
Preheat the over to 350 degree F and line a 9 by 13 baking pan with parchment paper.
chocolate chip streusel: In a mixing bowl combine melted butter, sugars, flour, cinnamon and salt and mix until it comes together and looks like wet sand. Then, gently mix in mini chocolate chips and pecan pieces. Set in the fridge to firm up while you prepare the rest of the batter.
cream cheese filling: Combine cream cheese, the eggs, vanilla, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix until fully combined, light and fluffy. Set aside while you prepare the banana cake.
banana cake: In a large bowl mix together flour, baking powder, soda and salt and set aside.
Add butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Then, continue to beat until the mixture has lightened and increased in volume. (at least one full minute) Mix in the banana and vanilla until fully combine. Then, add in flour mixture gradually while mixing and mix until just combined. Gently, fold in the sour cream.
Pour 1/2 of the cake batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the batter into an even layer then top with the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle with a handful of the streusel. Then, top with the remains half of the cake batter. Sprinkle the top with the streusel and then gently press into the batter.
Place the cake in the oven and bake for 50-55 minute until golden brown. Because of the cream cheese layer there will still be a little bit of a wobble to the cake when it is baked.
Let the cake cool completely before slicing. Drizzle slices with melted chocolate before serving.
**I like to keep this cake chilled in the refrigerate.
