Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake
Submitted by tommcvey
Yeast-risen chocolate chip coffee cake baked in a tube pan with a crunchy coffee-walnut-chocolate streusel topping. A rich, bakery-style breakfast cake with real coffee flavor in the crumble.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
40 minREADY
60 minThis coffee cake is yeast-risen, not quick-bread style, which gives it a tender, pull-apart crumb that’s closer to brioche than a standard cake. Chocolate chips are folded into the dough and scattered through the streusel topping, so you get pockets of melted chocolate from top to bottom.
The coffee topping is where this recipe really shines. Butter rubbed into flour and sugar to make coarse crumbs, then mixed with instant coffee, walnuts, more chocolate chips, and vanilla. That hit of real coffee flavor in the streusel adds a roasted bitterness that balances the sweetness beautifully.
The dough rises in the greased tube pan for about an hour until doubled. Don’t rush this step. A full rise gives the cake its light, airy structure. Underprocured dough bakes dense and heavy.
Pro Tips
- Heat the milk and butter until just warm, not hot. Too much heat kills the yeast before the dough can rise.
- Beat the batter vigorously at each stage. Two minutes on medium, then two minutes on high builds the gluten that gives this cake structure.
- Turn the cake out of the pan immediately after baking. Leaving it in the pan steams the bottom and makes it soggy.
- The streusel stays crunchier if you make the crumbs coarse. Don’t over-rub the butter or you’ll get a paste instead of crumbs.
Variations
- Skip the walnuts in the topping for a nut-free version.
- Add a teaspoon of cinnamon to both the dough and the streusel for a mocha-cinnamon twist.
- Drizzle cooled cake with a simple coffee glaze (powdered sugar, instant coffee, and a splash of milk).
Ingredients
Directions
Generously grease a 10-inch tube pan; set aside.
Measure milk and butter into saucepan; heat until warm.
Meanwhile mix sugar, salt, yeast, and 1 cup flour.
Add liquid to dry ingredients. Beat for 2 minutes at medium speed of elec. mixer, scraping bowl occasionally.
Add 1 cup of flour and eggs.
Beat on high speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.
Stir in remaining 1½ cups of flour and chocolate chips.
Turn dough into prepared pan; sprinkle with coffee topping (recipe below).
Cover pan and let dough rise in a warm place until doubled, approximately 1 hour.
Bake in 400 oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until done.
Turn out of pan immediately.
Coffee topping: ½ cup siften flour ½ cup sugar ½ cup butter or margarine ½ cup chopped walnuts (optional) ⅓ cup chocolate chips 1 teaspoon instant coffee 1 teaspoon vanilla Combine flour, sugar, and butter.
Rub together with the fingers, to make coarse crumbs.
Add and blend in the nuts, chocolate chips, instant coffee, and vanilla.
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