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Close up chocolate coffee cake cut into squares feature photo.

Chocolate Coffee Cake

Lisa Flinn
This Chocolate Coffee Cake is a fun and decadent twist on a classic coffee cake! It features a super moist, and fluffy chocolate sour cream cake, studded with chunks of semi-sweet chocolate. The cake is topped with a layer of buttery cinnamon streusel and then finished with a drizzle of melted chocolate. Breakfast doesn't get any better than this!
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Breakfast, Cakes, Dessert
Cuisine American
Yields 9

INGREDIENTS

Crumb Topping

  • 1 Cup (120g) All-Purpose Flour
  • ¼ Cup (50g) White Sugar
  • ¼ Cup (50g) Light or Dark Brown Sugar
  • ¼ Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
  • ⅛ Teaspoon Fine Salt
  • 6 Tablespoons (84g) Unsalted Butter melted

Chocolate Coffee Cake 

  • 1 ½ Cups (180g) All-Purpose Flour
  • ⅓ Cup (28g) Unsweetened Dutch-Cocoa Powder
  • 1 ½ Teaspoons Instant Espresso Powder
  • 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
  • ½ Teaspoon Fine Salt
  • ¼ Teaspoon Baking Soda
  • ½ Cup (113g) Unsalted Butter softened
  • ½ Cup (100g) Granulated White Sugar
  • ⅓ Cup (67g) Light or Dark Brown Sugar
  • 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
  • 2 Whole Large Eggs room temp
  • ½ Cup (113g) Full-Fat Sour Cream or Plain Greek Yogurt room temp
  • ¼ Cup (56g) Buttermilk (I used 2%) room temp
  • 4 Ounces (113g) Semi-Sweet or Dark Chocolate Bar, roughly chopped (you can also use ¾ cup of chocolate chips)

Chocolate Drizzle (Optional)

  • 3 Ounces (84g) Melted Chocolate

Instructions
 

  • Preheat Oven - Set a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 350ºF (180ºC).
  • Prep Pan - Butter an 8x8 inch (20x20 cm) square baking pan and then line it with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch (2.5 cm) overhang for easy removal.
  • Make Crumb Topping - In a small bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Drizzle in melted butter and toss the mixture together with a fork until crumbs form. Place in the fridge until needed.
    1 Cup (120g) All-Purpose Flour, ¼ Cup (50g) White Sugar, ¼ Cup (50g) Light or Dark Brown Sugar, ¼ Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon, ⅛ Teaspoon Fine Salt
    6 Tablespoons (84g) Unsalted Butter
  • Combine Dry Ingredients - In a separate bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
    1 ½ Cups (180g) All-Purpose Flour, ⅓ Cup (28g) Unsweetened Dutch-Cocoa Powder, 1 ½ Teaspoons Instant Espresso Powder, 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder, ½ Teaspoon Fine Salt, ½ Teaspoon Fine Salt
  • Cream Butter & Sugars - In a large mixing bowl, beat softened butter, white sugar, brown sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. About 2 minutes with an electric mixer.
    ½ Cup (113g) Unsalted Butter, ½ Cup (100g) Granulated White Sugar, ⅓ Cup (67g) Light or Dark Brown Sugar, 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
  • Combine Wet Ingredients - Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape the bowl down and then add the sour cream and buttermilk. Mix on low speed until combined. 
    2 Whole Large Eggs
    ½ Cup (113g) Full-Fat Sour Cream or Plain Greek Yogurt, ¼ Cup (56g) Buttermilk (I used 2%)
  • Combine Wet & Dry Ingredients - Sift in the dry ingredients and with a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until there are very few flour streaks left. Batter will be fairly thick. Then gently fold in the chopped chocolate.
    4 Ounces (113g) Semi-Sweet or Dark Chocolate Bar, roughly chopped
  • Bake - Spread the chocolate batter in your prepared baking pan. Remove the crumble from the fridge and sprinkle an even layer over the cake batter. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. The cake is ready when the top if firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not overbake.
  • Cool & Serve - Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool. If desired, drizzle the top of the cake with melted chocolate. Serve slightly warm and enjoy! 
    3 Ounces (84g) Melted Chocolate

Notes

Softened Butter - During the colder months, it may be nearly impossible to soften your butter no matter how long you let it sit on the counter. I recommend microwaving cubed butter in 7 to 8 second intervals until softened, flipping after each interval. Be careful not to melt it.
Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder - Droste, Ghiradelli and Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder are all great choices.
Cinnamon in Crumb Topping - I found that ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon was perfect amount to balance all the flavors of chocolate and espresso. Feel free to add more if you'd like.
Storage - Store chocolate coffee cake in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days.
Keyword 8x8 pan, chocolate cake with streusel, chocolate coffee cake, chocolate crumb cake, coffee chocolate cake, crumb cake, single layer cake, streusel cake
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