Go Back
Chocolate coffee cake cut into large wedges and set on a piece of parchment paper.

Chocolate Coffee Cake Recipe

Print Recipe Pin
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield 8 servings
Category Dessert
Cuisine American
Author Lauren Grant

Description

This Chocolate Coffee Cake is super soft, moist, and full of rich flavor. It's a chocolatey version of the classic breakfast treat and absolutely decadent with a spiced streusel filling. Serve this sweet treat for a quick and impressive breakfast or dessert, anytime.

Video

Save This Recipe!

We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later.

Ingredients

Filling and Streusel

Cake

Instructions

Filling and Streusel

  • Heat oven to 350ºF (177ºC) with rack set in middle position. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan then line bottom of pan with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Measure out and reserve a packed ¼ cup of brown sugar mixture (50g); set aside. 
  • Add flour, cocoa powder and espresso powder to remaining brown sugar mixture and mix to combine. Add melted butter and mix until no dry spots remain and mixture forms clumps (I find using your hands is best here); set aside.

Cake

  • In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  • Stir in milk, melted butter, egg, egg yolk and vanilla just until combined. 
  • Pour 2¼ cups batter into prepared pan and spread into even layer. Sprinkle reserved brown sugar-cinnamon mixture evenly over batter. Dollop and spread remaining batter over filling using an offset spatula. Crumble streusel into small–medium sized (pea to lima bean in size) crumbs evenly over batter. Sprinkle chopped chocolate (or chips) over top,. 
  • Bake until center of cake springs back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 42–45 minutes. 
  • Let cake cool in pan on wire rack for 30 minutes. Run an offset spatula or paring knife around edges of pan then invert cake onto wire rack. Invert again onto serving platter.

Notes

Storing in the Fridge: You can store the coffee cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. But we recommend storing it in the refrigerator if you plan on keeping in any longer than that.
Storing in the Freezer: You can also freeze this cake. Simply place it in an airtight container wrapped in plastic wrap; it can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Then thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
Serving: this cake is best served slightly warm. So if you baked this ahead of time, I recommend reheating it lightly in the microwave (or a low oven—200ºF) until warmed through. When warm, the butterfat will loosen up, making the cake more tender and the flavors more prominent.
Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Allow your ingredients to come to room temperature before using, including the eggs and milk. This ensures the ingredients incorporate properly and the cake bakes evenly.
Avoid Over-Mixing: Over-mixing the batter can lead to a dense, heavy cake. Mix the dry and wet ingredients together until just combined, and then stop; the batter should be smooth with a few small clumps.
Measuring Tips: Measuring the ingredients accurately is key in baking. I strongly suggest investing in a kitchen scale; they're reasonably priced and extremely useful. If you're measuring by cup, lightly fluff the flour before scooping it into your cup and leveling off with a flat edge.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/10 recipeCalories: 464kcalCarbohydrates: 67gProtein: 5.6gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 91mgSodium: 193mgFiber: 2gSugar: 41g
Like this? Leave a comment below!I love hearing from you and I want to hear how it went with this recipe! Leave a comment and rating below, then share on social media @zestfulkitchen and #zestfulkitchen!