Chocolate and Cream Cheese

The night before Easter, I decided to make lasagna for dinner, but I also needed to make the dessert for Easter. I asked Ellea if she would make it for me, and she graciously agreed. Grandma was her helper, but she did most of it herself.

I was thinking we should make "Chocolate Marble Gooey Butter Cake," and she readily agreed because it's one of her favorites. It's kind of like a cream cheese brownie, and what's not to love about that? Especially if you like chocolate. And cream cheese. And chocolate with cream cheese!

Doesn't it look delicious? I was so looking forward to eating this masterpiece since I had (sort of) given up chocolate for Lent.

Chocolate Marble Gooey Butter Cake
Crust:
1 pkg plain chocolate cake mix (the original recipe calls for yellow cake, and I'm sure that would be fine, but I've never tried it, because the more the merrier when it comes to chocolate!)
8 Tbs (1 stick) butter, melted--margarine may work, but butter's always better!
1 large egg

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place cake mix, butter and egg in large bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 2 minutes. The batter will be very stiff. With your fingertips, pat the batter evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 13-by-9 inch baking pan.

Filling:
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 stick butter, melted--yup, that's right, two sticks of butter! I didn't say it was health food!
3 3/4 c powdered sugar
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

3. In same bowl used to make crust, blend cream cheese on low speed until fluffy (30 seconds). Add eggs, vanilla and melted butter and beat on medium speed for one minute. Add powdered sugar and beat on medium speed until sugar is well-incorporated, 1 minute more.

4. Melt chocolate chips over double-boiler (or in microwave). Measure out 1 cup of cream cheese filling and fold it into the melted chocolate until well combined.

5. Pour remaining filling onto crust and spread with spatula so the filling covers entire crust. Drop spoonfuls of the chocolate batter over the top of the filling, then swirl them with a dinner knife so the batter has a marbled effect. Be careful not to cut through to the crust.

6. Bake until cake is well browned, but the center still jiggles when you shake the pan, about 45-47 minutes. Cool 30 minutes or more.

Cake can be stored at room temperature for 4 days, or in the fridge for 1 week. I like it refrigerated, but any temperature is just plain yummy!

From The Cake Doctor by Anne Byrn