This triple chocolate coffee cake does chocolate for breakfast right! The cake is moist and tender and loaded with crumbs, with a smooth and delicate chocolate flavor woven throughout the cake and crumb layers.
Chocolate cake for breakfast? Yes please!
This recipe is a chocolatey version of my popular buttermilk coffee cake. I really nailed the perfect coffee cake with that recipe... a tender, not-too-sweet cake that's packed with cinnamon-spiced crumbs and stays moist for days. So naturally I had to create a chocolate version, too!
The chocolate flavor is smooth and delicate, not too rich or intense, so the cake feels at home on the breakfast table with a cup of coffee or served during weekend brunch. It's the kind of cake you can absolutely justify eating for breakfast or as an afternoon snack.
Cocoa powder flavors the cake AND crumbs, so there's chocolate throughout every layer. And there are mini chocolate chips tucked into the crumb layers, adding an extra bit of chocolate and a gentle crunch to the crumb topping.
One thing I was determined to get right was the texture. Cocoa powder can have a drying effect on baked goods, so I made a few careful tweaks, reducing the flour slightly to account for the cocoa and adding a touch of vegetable oil to keep things perfectly moist. The result is a cake that's just as soft and tender as the original, with the same irresistible crumb topping we all love.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredient list and measurements.
Butter - Unsalted butter is used in both the crumb topping and the cake batter. For the crumb topping, the butter is melted to create a wet crumb mixture. For the cake batter, the butter is softened slightly and then cut into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter.
Cocoa Powder - I recommend Dutch-processed cocoa powder for this recipe, because its smooth taste gives the cake the delicate chocolate flavor we're aiming for.
Buttermilk- Buttermilk adds moisture and fat to the cake batter and helps to create a moist and tender cake. Its acidity also activates the baking soda in the batter.
Brown Sugar - Brown sugar adds sweetness, flavor, and moisture to the crumb topping. I used a light brown flavor so the molasses flavor wouldn't compete with the chocolate.
Confectioners' Sugar- Confectioners' (or powdered) sugar is dusted over the top of the cake to accentuate the sweetness and texture of the crumb topping. You can do a dusting of cocoa powder - or skip it altogether - if your prefer.
Special Equipment
In addition to essential baking equipment (like a mixing bowl and whisk), I recommend some special tools for making this recipe.
- A pastry cutter, for cutting the butter into the flour mixture when mixing the cake batter.
- A light metal 8x8 pan, for baking the cake. I love USA Pan's seamless 8x8 metal pan!
- A small cookie scoop, for evenly portioning cake butter over the crumb filling. This tool is optional but helpful.
- A small strainer or sifter, for dusting confectioners' sugar over the top of the cake.
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for detailed recipe instructions.
Step 1: Make the chocolate crumb topping. Melt the butter. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, both sugars, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add melted butter to the flour mixture and toss with a fork until fully moistened. Set aside.
Step 2: Make the cake batter. Whisk to combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Step 3: Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it's the texture of coarse meal.
Step 4: In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, vegetable oil, and vanilla until well blended. Add the buttermilk mixture to the bowl with the flour and stir just until blended.
Step 5: Assemble the cake. Add half of the cake batter to an 8x8 pan lined with parchment paper, spreading it to the edges of the pan. Crumble half of the crumb mixture over the batter followed by half of the chocolate chips. Repeat with the remaining batter, crumb topping, and chocolate chips.
Step 6: Bake the cake at 350°F for 35 to 40 minutes or until the cake is puffed and golden brown.
Step 7: Dust the top of the cake with confectioners' sugar and let cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
Allison's Top Tips
If your cocoa powder is clumpy, sift it to avoid clumps in your cake batter.
For the best texture, be careful not to over mix the cake batter. Stop mixing as soon as the wet ingredients are fully incorporated into the dry ingredients.
Spreading the second layer of cake batter over the crumb filling can be a little bit tricky. Adding small dollops of the batter over the crumb filling rather than pouring all the batter onto one spot is helpful. Use a rubber or offset spatula to carefully and gently spread the batter over the crumbs and chocolate chips without pulling them along with the batter.
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Recipe
Chocolate Buttermilk Coffee Cake
Special Equipment
- Pastry cutter
- Small (1 Tablespoon) cookie scoop (optional)
- Small strainer or sifter (optional)
Ingredients
Chocolate Crumb Topping
- 6 Tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (120 grams) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (53 grams) light brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (11 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon (2 grams) ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- ¼ cup (43 grams) mini semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 Tablespoon (7 grams) confectioners' sugar
Chocolate Coffee Cake Batter
- 1 cup (120 grams) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (149 grams) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (21 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon (3 grams) baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (1.5 grams) baking soda
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- ¼ cup (57 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup (114 grams) buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tablespoon (12 grams) vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8x8 pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
Make the chocolate crumb topping.
- In a small, microwave safe bowl, melt the butter. Set aside.6 Tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, both sugars, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and salt.1 cup (120 grams) all-purpose flour, ¼ cup (53 grams) light brown sugar, 2 Tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon (2 grams) ground cinnamon, 1 pinch fine sea salt, 2 Tablespoons (11 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- Add melted butter to the flour mixture and toss with a fork until fully moistened.
Make the cake batter.
- In a large bowl, whisk to combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.1 cup (120 grams) all-purpose flour, ¾ cup (149 grams) granulated sugar, ¾ teaspoon (3 grams) baking powder, ¼ teaspoon (1.5 grams) baking soda, 1 pinch fine sea salt, ¼ cup (21 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- Cut the butter into squares and add it to the bowl with the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it's the texture of coarse meal.¼ cup (57 grams) unsalted butter
- In the same bowl you used to melt the butter for the crumb topping, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, vegetable oil, and vanilla until well blended.½ cup (114 grams) buttermilk, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon (5 grams) vanilla extract, 1 Tablespoon (12 grams) vegetable oil
- Add the buttermilk mixture to the bowl with the flour and stir just until blended.
Assemble and bake the coffee cake.
- Add half of the cake batter to the prepared pan. Use a rubber or offset spatula to spread the batter to the edges of the pan.
- Spread half of the crumb mixture over the batter in the pan, using your fingers to crumble it into small crumbs and ensuring the batter is evenly covered and the crumbs reach to the edges. Sprinkle half of the mini chocolate chips over the crumbs.¼ cup (43 grams) mini semisweet chocolate chips
- Add the remaining cake batter on top of the crumb layer, using the spatula to gently and carefully spread the batter over the crumbs so that they are completely covered and the batter reaches to the edges of the pan. (Adding dollops of batter evenly over the top makes spreading the batter over the crumbs much easier. A small cookie scoop is useful here.)
- Spread the remaining crumb mixture over the top of the batter, again using your fingers to crumble it into small crumbs and ensuring the batter is evenly covered and the crumbs reach to the edges. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips over the top of the crumbs.
- Bake the cake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the cake is puffed and golden brown and the top springs back when gently poked.
- As the cake cools, use a strainer or sifter to dust the top with confectioners' sugar. Let the cake cool for at least 30 minutes on a wire rack before removing from the pan, slicing, and serving. Let the cake cool completely before storing.1 Tablespoon (7 grams) confectioners' sugar
LuAnn says
This cake looks AMAZINGLY delicious. Can I double it for a 13x9 baking pan?
Allison Ferraro says
Hi LuAnn! Thanks so much. 😃 I haven't baked this coffee cake in a 9x13 pan, but I'm pretty certain it will work. You'll need to adjust the bake time slightly... I would expect it to take an extra 5 to 10 minutes to bake, but I recommend checking it after the stated recipe time.
- Allison