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Cinnamon Chocolate Chunk Coffee Cake is the perfect spring treat
You never know what the weather is going to be when spring rolls around. It could be nice and warm and sunny, with birds singing and daffodils blooming. Or – it could be snowing and cold the first few days of spring. Either way, Cinnamon Chocolate Chunk Coffee Cake will make everything better. I promise.
Nothing fancy here
This is a standard coffee cake recipe. Three simple elements are layered together and then baked into a moist, delectable cake. It has moist, lightly sweet cake, a generous ribbon of cinnamon filling and chopped dark chocolate, and ending with an equally generous topping.
Chocolate and cinnamon go together beautifully
I’ve been toying with chocolate and cinnamon lately. How to best combine them, and what vehicle would best serve to highlight how they complement one another. I worked my way through blondies and scones, then finally coffee cake. The blondies and scones weren’t bad, mind you, so there is every chance I’ll revisit them at some point. This coffee cake though! I had to share it.
WHAT IS A COFFEE CAKE?
Despite the name, there is no coffee in Coffee Cake. Rather, it is meant to be eaten with perhaps a cup of coffee or tea. Typically, coffee cake is a moist, lightly sweet cake. I like to use part of the streusel that goes on top in the center of the cake, but sometimes the streusel is only spread on top. This cake is leavened with both baking powder and soda, but sometimes yeast is used. My Rhubarb Kuchen is a sort of coffee cake that uses yeast. I like a drizzle of icing on coffee cake, so I used some on this one.
Can I use chocolate chips in this coffee cake?
You absolutely can use chocolate chips instead of chocolate chunks. I like the bigger bits of bittersweet chocolate in this recipe, but I would definitely use chocolate chips if I didn’t have any bars to chop. I suggest using bittersweet or dark chocolate chips, however. Sweeter chips are not going to have the same impact on flavor.
What kind of pan is best for a coffee cake?
You have several choices when it comes to pans. I use a 10-inch springform pan because it is so easy to remove the cake. I like how the layers look when you take the cake out of the pan in one piece. You could use a bundt pan – I think a 12-cup bundt would do nicely. For this Cinnamon Chocolate Chunk Coffee Cake, see the recipe for how to do that variation. A tube pan with a removable bottom is also a good option. If all you have is a flat pan, don’t worry, because that will also work. A couple of bread pans, or a 9 x 11 pan will be fine, though the cake will be thinner and thus, baked more quickly.
Cinnamon Chocolate Chunk Coffee Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Topping/Filling
- 4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into cubes
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar, well packed
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt
- 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped [or chocolate chips]
Cake
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 6 ounces [1 & 1/2 sticks] softened butter
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar well packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt or sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º
- Prepare a 9 or 10 in springform pan by buttering generously. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom, place in the bottom, and then butter that as well.
Topping/Filling
- Roughly chop the dark chocolate and set aside
- In a small bowl, use a pastry cutter or two knives to combine all of the topping/filling ingredients, and set aside.
Cake
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
- I the bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer, beat the butter until smooth.
- Beat in the sugars until fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients alternately with the yogurt, beginning and ending with the flour: 1/3 of the flour, 1/2 of the yogurt, 1/3 of the flour, second half of the yogurt, final 1/3 of the flour.
- Spread half of the batter in the prepared pan.
- Sprinkle with half of the chopped chocolate, followed by half of the topping/ filling mixture.
- Dot on the second half of the batter in smallish blobs which will make it easier to spread out evenly without disturbing the filling layer too much, and spread that evenly.
- Top with the remaining chocolate and then the topping mixture.
- Bake for about 50 minutes, turning twice to ensure even baking. A toothpick inserted near the center should come out with just a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter - if you hit chocolate, try a different spot. If you want to be more precise, the internal temperature should be right around 200º.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Use an offset spatula or table knife to loosen cake from sides of the pan, and unhook side ring, then remove it. You can probably just slide the cake onto a cooling rack - leave the parchment until it is a little cooler.
- You can mix up a glaze of 1 cup confectionery sugar and 2 -3 tablespoons of half & half and drizzle over right before serving. Or serve with whipped cream or a bit of soft butter.
Notes
If you prefer, you can serve this Cinnamon Chocolate Chunk Coffee Cake without any icing.
If you’re not planning for all of it to be eaten at one time, as it might be at a party, you can cut it and drizzle icing on each piece as it is served.
It is going to make you forget all about any troublesome weather – or any other troubles.
If you like this recipe, you might want to check out some other recipes for brunches and breakfasts.
Sweet Potato Coffee Cake is delicious, and for the savory part, a Veggie Frittata is always good. If it’s chocolate you crave, Dark Chocolate Brownies might be what you’re looking for.
Summer Fruit Galette
Leftover Candy Cane Brownies
Pumpkin Raisin Yeast Bread
Sour Cherry Almond Bars
Brown Butter Rhubarb Cake
Coconut Milk Fudgesicles
Upside Down Grapefruit Cake
Chocolate Chip Pound Cake
Triple Threat Peanut Butter Blondies
Summer Squash Gingerbread Loaf
Your wonderful coffeecake will warm up anyone’s day even if we have lots of snow on the ground.
Thanks Karen – and it looks like the snow isn’t done with us yet!
Pinned this because of its awesome powers. I love chocolate and cinnamon together.
Only use the powers for good though Kate 🙂
this looks killer!
thanks Katya!
This is crazy! I have never commented on a blog before, in fact I’m not sure I’ve ever been on a blog before, but your husband gave my boyfriend a piece of this coffee cake at work, and he said I had to come and check out the recipe. So, hello and I am going to make this soon!
Welcome Renee – I’m always glad to get some of these fattening things out of my house, so I’m glad that he liked it. I hope you enjoy the recipe.
My husband told me about that – I hope you got the chance to try it! Thanks!
Donalyn,
Wow, this looks delicious. When I started reading I was thinking I’d transmogrify this flavor combo into a muffin, but now I don’t know . . . it looks perfect just the way it is.
Thank you.
Thanks Kirsten -it actually would make a pretty good muffin I think!
This looks so amazing – your photos make me want to lick the screen!
Thanks Barb- your comment made me laugh!
What a gorgeous coffee cake! I have a cinnamon and sugar streusel coffee cake I make but yours with cinnamon and chocolate sounds like such a winner! And I love the top of yours…that’s a lovely wall of cinnamon goodness!
Thanks Averie!
What a delicious cake!
I LOOVE coffee cakes, BUT! Most of the ones that I buy (esp Starbucks etc) are so dry and I do not enjoy it. Yours look like a dream coffee cake and look so delicious! I’d love to have it with or without a glaze… I want to make this one day. It will make my morning so special with a cup of good coffee…
Thanks so much, Nami – I agree that it’s worlds better than any purchased coffee cake!
My sweet tooth needs to be satisfied and your cake is exactly what I need! Wow, what a great recipe Donalyn. Thank you for being a part of the YBR this month:)
This coffee cake is to die for. With the addition of chocolate, I will have a piece any time of year.
Thank you Marlene – me too!
This coffee cake is so good. Pretty easy to make as well. I signed up for your newsletter and I can’t wait to start getting it!
Thank you Cecelia – I hope that you will enjoy it too!
Thank you Cecelia and thanks for subscribing too!
a freind sent me htis and now i can’t wait to try it myself
Amazing!!!!
Thanks, Randa!
My brother suggested I might like this recipe and he is right!
It always makes me happy to hear that – thank you 👍
This coffee cake is just amazing – we all LOVED ot!
Thanks Michaela!