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.