Chocolate Cream Cheese Cake

This makes one of those luscious "tunnel" cakes.

• Ready In: 1 hr 25 mins
• Serves: 16

Ingredients

• 2  cups sugar
• 1  cup  oil
• 2  large eggs, beaten lightly
• 2  teaspoons vanilla
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 2 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 3⁄4 cup  cocoa, measured then sifted
• 3  cups flour
• 1  cup  sour milk or 1  cup buttermilk
• 1  cup  warm, brewed coffee

• Filling

• 1⁄4 cup sugar
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 1  egg
• 1  cup  miniature semisweet chocolate chips

• Glaze

• 1  cup confectioners' sugar
• 3  unsweetened chocolate squares, melted and cooled
• 2  tablespoons unsalted butter
•  hot water (to thin if needed)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Generously grease a 10 inch Bundt or tube pan (Bundt is best for this recipe).
3. Combine sugar, oil and eggs.
4. Beat for one minute until smooth.
5. Add remaining cake ingredients and beat (mix on medium) for two to three minutes (use a whisk of doing by hand).
6. Set batter aside.
7. For filling, cream sugar with cream cheese.
8. Add vanilla, egg and chocolate chips.
9. Blend until smooth.
10. Ladle half of batter into pan.
11. Spoon filling evenly over this layer.
12. Cover with remaining batter.
13. Bake for 70 minutes or until cake tests done.
14. Top should spring back when touched.
15. Let cake cool at least 30 minutes before removing from pan.
16. If cake sticks, place on a warm burner to loosen up and help release cake.
17. Cake will firm up as it comes to room temperature.
18. For glaze, combine all ingredients to form a pourable liquid.
19. Thin with hot water if necessary.
20. Pour over cooled cake.
21. This cake freezes well and keeps for several days covered at room temperature.