Homemade Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake: A Deliciously Easy Breakfast Treat
There’s something truly special about waking up to the aroma of freshly baked coffee cake on a relaxed weekend morning. For me, it evokes fond memories of childhood, a cherished tradition passed down from my mom. That same delight has continued with my own son and his grandparents, making coffee cake an indispensable part of their visits. While I adore the classic recipe, I couldn’t resist a playful twist: adding a generous amount of mini chocolate chips. The result? A spectacular, crowd-pleasing dessert that everyone instantly fell in love with.
This Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake is an incredibly light and fluffy delight, featuring a decadent layer of buttery chocolate chip streusel both in the middle and sprinkled generously on top. It offers the perfect balance of sweet, tender cake and crunchy, chocolatey goodness. And for those who prefer tradition, simply omit the chocolate chips, and you’ll have the timeless coffee cake you know and cherish.
The Delightful History of Coffee Cake
The term “coffee cake” often causes a bit of confusion for those unfamiliar with American baking traditions, as the recipe itself typically contains no coffee. Its name originates from its purpose: a sweet pastry served alongside coffee, traditionally during breakfast or brunch. Originating from German sweet breads, coffee cake evolved into various forms, becoming a staple in American households.
Over the years, this humble cake has seen countless delicious variations. From Apple Coffee Cake to Pumpkin Coffee Cake, and even more decadent options like Peaches and Cream Coffee Cake, the possibilities are endless. This particular recipe is a beloved classic from my childhood, enhanced with the simple, joyful addition of mini chocolate chips. It’s the perfect way to elevate a traditional favorite into something extra special without overcomplicating the process.
Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake Recipe
- Incredibly Moist & Fluffy: This cake boasts a wonderfully tender crumb that practically melts in your mouth, thanks to the perfect balance of wet and dry ingredients.
- Irresistible Streusel Topping: The brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter streusel, studded with mini chocolate chips, creates a crispy, sweet, and deeply flavorful crust.
- Bursting with Chocolate Flavor: Mini chocolate chips are folded into both the cake batter and the streusel, ensuring a chocolatey bite in every single piece.
- Simple & Straightforward: Despite its impressive appearance, this recipe is incredibly easy to follow, making it perfect for bakers of all skill levels.
- Versatile Treat: Perfect for a weekend breakfast, a special brunch, an afternoon snack with coffee or tea, or even a simple dessert.
- Customizable: Easily adaptable! Remove the chocolate chips for a classic coffee cake or experiment with other add-ins.
Essential Ingredients for Your Coffee Cake
Creating this delightful chocolate chip coffee cake requires a few common pantry staples. Here’s a detailed look at what you’ll need to gather:
- All-Purpose Flour: The foundation of our cake, providing structure. Make sure to measure it correctly, ideally by weighing or using the spoon-and-level method to avoid a dense cake.
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the cake batter, contributing to its tender texture.
- Baking Powder: Our primary leavening agent, responsible for the cake’s light and fluffy rise. Ensure your baking powder is fresh for the best results.
- Salt: A small amount of salt enhances all the other flavors, balancing the sweetness and making the chocolate taste richer.
- Oil: Any neutral-flavored oil works beautifully here – vegetable, canola, or avocado oil are all excellent choices. Oil contributes to a wonderfully moist cake that stays fresh longer than butter-based cakes.
- Milk: Use any type of milk you prefer, whether dairy or a non-dairy alternative like almond or soy milk. The fat content can affect the richness, but generally, any milk will work well.
- Egg: A large egg binds the ingredients, adds moisture, and helps with structure and richness.
- Mini Chocolate Chips: The star of this upgraded classic! Mini chocolate chips distribute more evenly throughout the cake and streusel, ensuring chocolate in every bite.
- Brown Sugar: Used for the streusel topping. Light brown sugar adds a deep, molasses-like flavor and contributes to the streusel’s moist, crumbly texture.
- Cinnamon: The quintessential spice for coffee cake streusel, providing warmth and aromatic notes that complement the chocolate perfectly.
- Butter: I always recommend using unsalted butter for baking to control the salt content in your recipe. For the streusel, it should be cold and cut into small pieces for the best crumbly texture.
Remember, the chocolate chips are entirely optional. If you’re craving the traditional, timeless coffee cake, simply follow all the steps exactly as written, but omit the chocolate chips from both the batter and the streusel topping. You’ll still end up with a fantastic, beloved classic!
Step-by-Step Guide to Baking This Coffee Cake
Baking this chocolate chip coffee cake is a straightforward process, designed for delicious results without any fuss. Below are the easy-to-follow steps to bring this delightful treat to life.
- Prepare Your Pan and Oven: Start by preheating your oven to 375º F (190º C). Grease an 8-inch square baking dish with non-stick spray or line it with parchment paper for easy removal. This preparation ensures your cake bakes evenly and doesn’t stick.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. An important tip for chocolate chip cakes: add the mini chocolate chips to this dry mixture and toss to coat them. This simple step prevents the chocolate chips from sinking to the bottom of the cake during baking, ensuring they are evenly distributed throughout.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl or a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, combine the oil, milk, and egg. Whisk these ingredients thoroughly until the egg is completely blended with the milk and oil, creating a smooth mixture.
- Gently Combine Wet and Dry: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined, being careful not to overmix. Overmixing can develop the gluten in the flour, leading to a tougher, less tender cake. A few lumps are perfectly fine!
- Prepare the Irresistible Topping (Streusel): In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Add the cold butter, cut into small pieces. Use your fingertips or a pastry blender to work the butter into the sugar and cinnamon until the mixture resembles coarse sand. The cold butter is key to achieving that perfectly crumbly streusel texture. Finally, stir in the remaining mini chocolate chips for an extra burst of flavor and texture.
- Assemble Your Coffee Cake: Spread half of the prepared cake batter evenly into the bottom of your greased 8-inch baking dish. This forms the first layer of cake. Next, sprinkle half of your delicious streusel topping evenly over this batter. Then, carefully spoon the remaining cake batter over the streusel layer and gently spread it to cover. Finish by sprinkling the remaining streusel topping over the top of the cake batter. This layering creates a beautiful, textured cake.
- Bake to Golden Perfection: Place the baking dish in your preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown on top and a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. A few moist crumbs are acceptable, but you shouldn’t see any wet batter.
Storage and Reheating Tips for Leftovers
If you’re lucky enough to have any leftovers of this delectable chocolate chip coffee cake, proper storage will help maintain its freshness and flavor. To store, simply cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. You can keep it at room temperature for 1-2 days. For longer storage, or if your kitchen is particularly warm, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.
When you’re ready to enjoy a slice of leftover coffee cake, I highly recommend reheating it. A quick warm-up in the microwave for about 15-30 seconds (depending on the slice size and your microwave’s power) will bring back that fresh-baked warmth and soften the chocolate chips, making it taste almost as good as it did fresh from the oven. You can also warm it gently in a toaster oven for a few minutes to crisp up the streusel again.
Expert Tips for the Best Coffee Cake
- Go Classic or Chocolatey: As mentioned, this recipe is incredibly versatile. If you’re in the mood for a traditional coffee cake without chocolate for breakfast, simply omit the chocolate chips from both the batter and the streusel. The base recipe remains the same, delivering a perfectly delicious classic.
- Achieving Perfect Streusel: For the best, crispiest streusel topping, always use cold butter cut into small cubes. This ensures the butter doesn’t melt too quickly, allowing the streusel to form beautiful, crumbly pieces that get delightfully crisp during baking. Work the butter into the brown sugar and cinnamon quickly with your fingers or a pastry blender.
- Serve it Warm: While delicious at room temperature, this coffee cake truly shines when served warm. Let it cool for about 5-10 minutes after it comes out of the oven before slicing and serving. This short cooling period allows the cake to set slightly, making it easier to cut, but still retains that inviting warmth.
- Prevent Chocolate Chips from Sinking: To ensure your mini chocolate chips are evenly distributed throughout the cake and don’t all sink to the bottom, lightly toss them with a tablespoon or two of the all-purpose flour before adding them to the wet ingredients. This light coating helps them suspend in the batter.
- Avoid Overmixing the Batter: Just like with muffins or quick breads, overmixing the cake batter can lead to a tough and dry cake. Mix until the wet and dry ingredients are just combined, and no streaks of flour remain. A few small lumps are perfectly acceptable and actually indicate you haven’t overmixed.
- Don’t Skimp on the Pan Prep: Properly greasing and flouring your baking pan, or lining it with parchment paper, is essential for easy release and a clean presentation of your coffee cake.
- Test for Doneness: Use the toothpick test. Insert a wooden toothpick or thin skewer into the center of the cake. It should come out with moist crumbs attached, but not wet batter. If it comes out clean, it might be slightly overbaked, but a few crumbs indicate perfect doneness.
Delicious Variations to Try
While this Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake is perfect as is, it’s also a fantastic base for creativity! Here are a few ideas to customize your next batch:
- Nutty Crunch: Add 1/2 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts to the streusel topping for an extra layer of crunch and flavor.
- Fruity Twist: Incorporate 1/2 cup of fresh or frozen berries (like blueberries or raspberries) into the cake batter along with the chocolate chips, or as a standalone addition.
- Spiced Perfection: Enhance the warm flavors by adding 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg or a pinch of cardamom to the streusel mixture.
- Citrus Zest: A tablespoon of orange or lemon zest in the cake batter can add a bright, fresh counterpoint to the sweetness.
- Glaze it Up: For an extra touch of sweetness and moisture, drizzle a simple powdered sugar glaze over the cooled cake. Whisk 1 cup powdered sugar with 2-3 tablespoons milk until smooth.
More Delicious Breakfast Recipes to Explore
If you loved this coffee cake, you’ll surely enjoy these other breakfast and brunch favorites:
- Blueberry Breakfast Cake
- Classic Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Fluffy Lemon Pancakes
- Decadent Chocolate Pancakes
- Hearty Crockpot Breakfast Casserole
- Healthy Sous Vide Egg Bites
Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake
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Ingredients
Cake
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
- 2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1 whole large egg
Topping/Filling
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 3 Tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces
- 3 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375º F. Spray an 8-inch baking pan with non-stick spray or line with parchment paper. Set aside.
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In a bowl mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and chocolate chips.1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 3/4 cups granulated sugar, 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, 2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt
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In a 2 cup liquid measuring cup, mix together oil, milk and egg. Add to flour mixture, mixing until just combined.3/4 cup milk, 1/4 cup canola oil, 1 whole large egg
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For the topping, use your fingers to combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter until the texture of coarse sand. Mix in chocolate chips.3/4 cup light brown sugar, 3 Tablespoon butter, 3 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
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Spread half cake batter in pan. Sprinkle with half topping/filling. Top with remaining cake batter and then remaining topping/filling.
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Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and a tester comes out mostly clean
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Additional Info
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