This simple chocolate chip crumb coffee cake is studded with chocolate chips and topped with an addictive crumb topping–this is one delicious breakfast!
Do you love coffee cake the way I love coffee cake? I’m not entirely sure when you’re supposed to eat coffee cake—is it supposed to go with your morning coffee or is it more of an afternoon thing? Does it even need to go with coffee?
(Monday mornings are surely the right time for life’s burning questions, right?)
I like to pretend it’s breakfast (or brunch!!!), because if I have coffee after about 10 a.m. I get a massive headache. And of course I can’t have coffee cake without a cup of coffee.
And double of course, I love any excuse to have cake for breakfast.
I’ve been talking a lot about moving lately, because I’m involved in the most protracted move ever. The last two weeks were full of bubble wrapping and packing, then I drove a car full of boxes over to PHX so I could meet the cable guy and the window guy and make sure the roof of my house had been repaired properly—not that I could tell but I tried. Then I drove back to San Diego, hoping all the while my remaining possessions had packed themselves.
Spoiler alert: they had not.
So instead of packing the rest—the movers are scheduled, Kels!—I’ve been spending the weekend reading about ways to cope with the stress of moving. This is despite the fact that I know the best way to cope is to throw myself into packing and just get it over with.
Seriously, my apartment is hardly bigger than a child-size-9 shoebox; packing should take all of 20 minutes. But no. I have to drag it out and make it as painful as possible.
The other thing I’ve been doing instead of packing is trying to find ways to use up ingredients in my pantry. I tell myself it’s better to use them up because it’s one less thing to pack. And we all know how much space chocolate chips take up in boxes. . .
So this is a pantry-ingredient recipe! You probably have everything you need for this crumb coffee cake with chocolate chips on hand already.
Oh yeah, and the crumb topping? It’s as thick as the cake itself. Extra-thick crumb toppings are so, sooooo necessary.
With hints of cinnamon, globs of chocolate, and just a touch of almond extract, this is a coffee cake to wake up for. Enjoy!
(P.S., don’t worry. At some point I’ll get the move over with and stop writing posts that are really just rants about how much I despise moving. Promise.)
Chocolate chip crumb coffee cake is simple to make and studded with chocolate chips, then topped with an addictive crumb topping.
- Crumb:
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips you can use semisweet or milk chocolate
- powdered sugar for dusting (if desired)
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper. Spray the paper with cooking spray and set pan aside.
- Combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Add the melted butter, vanilla extract, and almond extract and stir until the mixture is well combined and forms crumbs that are mostly the same size. Set aside.
- Whisk the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt together in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Combine the sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat well. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then beat in the vanilla, almond extract, and sour cream. Turn mixer to low speed and add the dry ingredients. Mix until flour is just incorporated. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Crumble the crumb mixture over the top of the cake to cover the batter completely. Bake for 27 to 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack, then dust with powdered sugar. Serve and enjoy.
Adapted from The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion
Miriam @londonkitchendiaries says
Completely agree with you – chocolate chips take up way too much space in moving boxes, so glad you managed to find good use for them 😉 Would love to start my day with a slice of your chocolate chip crumb coffee cake! Have a nice weekend!
dancing for donuts says
HOW am i just finding your blog right now?!?! omg this (and ALL of your other recipes) look and sound so delicious!!! i’ve been getting the urge to bake lately, i miss it so much, and i’m turning to something on your blog first! can’t wait to make one of your recipes 🙂
Kelsie says
Hahaha! You’re so sweet! Thank you so much. Be sure to let me know what you think of whatever you make 🙂
Carlee says
Packing is THE. WORST. I did it far too many times over a ten year stretch. Now we’ve been in this house for 4 1/2 years and I’m hoping to stay for many more. Packing the odds and ends is the worst, I’d much rather eat coffee cake. Though, I’d rather do that than most other things anyway. Eat all the food, it will lighten the load.
Kelsie says
Ugh! Yes, finding spots for all those little things is killing me right now. The movers come on Tuesday so I just NEED TO FINISH! Have a great rest of your week, Carlee!
Megan says
This looks SO amazing!!! Yum!!
Kelsie says
Thank you so much, Megan!
Alyssa @ A Bite of Inspiration says
My fiance, Mateo, adores coffee cake! I’ll have to make this for him! It looks sooo good! Love the addition of the chocolate chips! In answer to your Monday morning “burning” question, Mateo always eats his coffee cake alongside coffee. Not sure, if this is helpful to you or not, but I thought I would throw it out there. 😉
Kelsie says
That IS helpful! If Mateo loves coffee cake he probably knows the best way to eat it :). Don’t chocolate chips make everything better? Happy Wednesday Alyssa!
kitchenriffs says
Coffee cake is good stuff. Although I don’t think I’ve ever had it with, you know, coffee! Coffee tends to be a morning thing for me, and I’m not up for sweets first thing in the morning. I have to wait until at least 10 AM. 🙂 Anyway, really like this — thanks.
Kelsie says
Thank you! I think the best thing about coffee cake is how it works at any time of day :). Happy Wednesday!
thatskinnychickcanbake says
Yup, I have everything to make this in my kitchen!!! Hooray! We’re doing a big remodel this summer and I’m dreading boxing everything up. Maybe you’d like a trip to Indy to help? I’ll pay you in desserts 😉
Kelsie says
Excellent! You’ll have to let me know what you think :). I’m pretty much a packing expert at this point so I’m more than happy to help you, Liz!
Julia Mueller says
Oh, yes, I’m on team coffee as well, and coffee cake is always a favorite! This recipe looks amazing! I’ve never made coffee cake with chocolate chips, and now I’m itching to try. P.S. They should invent houses that pack and unpack themselves 😉
Kelsie says
Thank you Julia! And YES! Can we get someone on the self-packing houses? I’d be forever grateful!
Tandy | Lavender and Lime says
I think it is a brilliant idea to use up your pantry ingredients! Especially when this is the result 🙂
Kelsie says
Thank you Tandy! I’d definitely rather bake with them than eat them by the handful 🙂
dawnyucuiscooking says
I hate moving. To tell the truth I haven’t myself that often, but my hubby and I have helped moved our kids so many times that I can’t count any more. I love this coffee cake. It would make me forget anything that I stressing about.
Kelsie says
Thank you Dawn! Moving is the worst. Coffee cake is the best though :). It really does help with stress levels!
Abbe@This is How I Cook says
Crumb cake makes everything better, does it not? Good luck with the move. They are never fun!
Kelsie says
It really does. Thank you Abbe!
evolvewithmary says
I have never had coffee with my coffee cake, lol. does anyone eat coffee with coffee cake? I think it’s a very low percentage of people if they do. I can drink coffee all day long, but only one medium cup, anything more than that and I can’t sleep. I’ve never had chocolate chip crumb coffee cake, it looks divine and totally worth my time. Darn it why hadn’t the remaining items packed themselves?? I promised myself the next time I move I’m hiring movers. I just can’t deal with moving to another place. its so much work.
Kelsie says
Haha! I really don’t know if it’s meant to be consumed with coffee. . .it’s a mystery :). I KNOW! When will someone invent self-packing possessions? Let’s get on this!
Stacey @ The Sugar Coated Cottage says
I could eat coffee cake anytime and this one is no exception, coffee or water I will take two slices 🙂 . YAY chocolate chips!!
Kelsie says
Haha! Chocolate chips for life! Have a great week, Stacey!
Jessica @ A Kitchen Addiction says
Love that thick layer of crumb topping! My morning coffee needs a big slice of this coffee cake!
Kelsie says
Thank you Jessica!
Maria Doss says
Coffee cakes are so wonderful for a break. You’ve got to sit down with a plate and fork (and probably some coffee) and that forces you to relax – something that you totally need right now!!! The cake looks so soft and the crumb topping….YUM:)
Kelsie says
Yes! Coffee cake is the perfect excuse to sit down in the middle of the day and take a break :). Thank you, Maria! Have a great week!
grace says
moving is awful and i don’t envy you one bit! i’m so glad i’m done with the nomad portion of my life! meanwhile, cake for breakfast is always a good thing, especially when chocolate is involved. great bake!
Kelsie says
Every time I move I say NEVER AGAIN. Someday I’ll listen to myself :). Thank you Grace! Have a great week!
Marie @ Yay! For Food says
Rant away! Moving is stressful! The coffee cakes looks so delicious!I love the amount of crumb you put on top of the cake; my fav part!
Kelsie says
Thank you Marie! The crumbs are always the best right?
Kelly @ Kelly Lynn's Sweets and Treats says
This coffee cake looks so yummy!! Pinned! And I am totally with you on procrastinating on stuff I don’t want to do to go bake instead hehehehe. I hope you get your packing done as painlessly as possible girl! Xoxo 🙂
Kelsie says
Baking is the best way to procrastinate because you’re still being productive, right? Thank you Kelly! Happy Tuesday!
Love In My Oven says
Uuugh poor you!! It’s ok to rant – I totally feel you. I HATE moving! I hope the worst is over for you and you can just take your time unpacking in your new digs! This amazing looking coffee cake HAS to help. I think it would be perfect for any time of day, by the way! XOXO
Kelsie says
Haha! Thank you Katherine! Moving really is the worst. I’m through with most everything at this point; I’m just cleaning and waiting for the movers to come next week. (Waiting impatiently, I should add.) Have a great week, my friend!