Cream Cheese-Filled Crumb Cake

princessbride029's Note:

I adore Entenamann's cheese filled coffee cake and wanted to try my own. Original recipe from Teriskitchen.com. I halved the crumbs/batter for my square pan, but not the filling, as I like mine loaded. :)

• Total Time: 1 hrs
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 18 cake sq ...

For the crumbs

• 1 cup butter
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk

For the filling

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Grease a 13x9x2-inch cake pan.
3. In a large bowl, combine the butter, flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Mix with your hands to form crumbs (I used a small handheld pastry blender).
4. Take out just enough for crumbs on top of cake, about 3/4 cup. Set aside. To the remaining crumbs add the eggs and milk; beat well.
5. Place all filling ingredients into a medium bowl and beat with a whisk or mixer until smooth.
6. Spread half the batter into the cake pan (batter is very thick and sticky).
7. Pour the cream cheese mixture on top to within about 1/2-inch of the edges.
8. Gently spread the remaining batter on top of the cream cheese (I dropped little dollops of it all across the top, as it was so thick it didn't spread well, especially on top of liquid cream cheese).
9. Sprinkle the top with the reserved crumbs.
10. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.
11. Remove from oven and set on a rack to cool.
12. To serve, cut into squares.
13. Leftover cake should be refrigerated after a day.