Chocolate Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

I love stand-up comedy. I find it most funny when they joke about something you can relate to. One night, when I should have gone to bed early I was distracted by some comedy special and the comedian was making me literally laugh out loud. It was probably 2 AM and I was alone, in my full bed and fuzzy brightly colored cupcake pajama bottoms giggling like a little girl.

The comedian brought up how when you buy clothes there is always an extra button or two attached to the tag. He brought to my attention "why do they give you buttons? why can't they just sew the (bleep!) shirt well enough so that I don't need an extra button!?"

It was funnier when he said it.

But seriously, why is that? Whenever I do happen to lose a button I can never find that extra one anyway. It's quite annoying.

What possessed me to write about this on my blog? I just found some spare buttons in my desk drawer...and yes, I chuckled to myself.

This dessert is another thing I love. I mean really really love. I have declared my love countless times for chocolate and cream cheese and this beauty pairs the two. It's delicious, and yes, I made it for myself...and only myself.

This, I never do. I tend to bake for others...if I were always baking for myself I would be immobile...if you catch my drift....

But this here was a treat to myself...for those endless days of gym, class work, sleep, gym, class, work, sleep...repeat...repeat...repeat....

This got me through my days. This had me salivating in class...salivating at the bar in fact...salivating in my sleep. This will forever be that special treat I will make myself whenever I need it...because we all need that little "me" treat. 

Chocolate Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
Adapted from ConfessionsofaCookbookQueen.com

Ingredients:

Chocolate Velvet Cake Batter:
3/4 cups dark chocolate chocolate morsels
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 egg white
1 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup hot water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Toppings:
3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup cold butter, cut up
4 oz neufchatel cream cheese (1/2 package), softened
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 tablespoon flour
1 egg white
1/2 tsp vanilla extract, divided
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon skim milk

Directions:

For Chocolate Velvet Cake Batter:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour 1 9 inch springform pan.

Melt dark chocolate in a microwave safe bowl at HIGH for 30 second intervals until melted. Stir until smooth.

Beat butter and brown sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer, beating about 5 minutes or until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until just blended after each addition. Add melted chocolate, beating until just blended.

Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to chocolate mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until just blended after each addition. Gradually add 1/2 cup hot water in a slow, steady stream, beating at low speed until blended. Stir in vanilla. Spoon evenly into springform pans.

For toppings:
Stir together 3/4 cups flour and brown sugar in a small bowl. Cut butter into flour mixture until crumbly. Set aside.

Beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth; add granulated sugar and 1/2 tablespoon flour, beating until blended. Add egg and 1/4 tsp vanilla, beating until blended.

Dollop cream cheese mixture over cake batter, and gently swirl through cake batter with a knife. Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture evenly over cakes.

Bake for 45 minutes or until set. Let cool on a wire rack.

Whisk together powdered sugar, milk and remaining 1/4 teaspoon vanilla. Drizzle evenly over tops of coffee cake.