Chocolate Chip Crumb Cake

This one goes out to all the fruit dessert haters out there, and you know who you are. You’re the ones who can take a perfectly beautiful apple pie, lemon cake or fruit tart and say something like, “This would be so much better if there was chocolate in it.” I have a few such haters in my very own house. While there are admittedly a few exceptions, I’d still say that the majority of good desserts are wasted on them if they don’t have chocolate in them. It’s tough to blame them. After all, chocolate is awesome. And so is this Chocolate Chip Crumb Cake.

What makes this Chocolate Chip Crumb Cake special?

I really couldn’t love this cake any more – and it’s got me wondering why I don’t combine chocolate and cinnamon more often. Anyone who’s followed my blog for any length of time knows that I am a cinnamon fanatic from about October through December, and I’ll take it any way I can get it. But when I started dreaming up the recipe for this Chocolate Chip Crumb Cake, I looked back on my seasonal cinnamony recipes and realized that I rarely, if ever, combine cinnamon with chocolate. Like, what’s wrong with me?! Cinnamon and chocolate together are amazing! And the cinnamony crumb topping that sits nice and thick on top of this super moist and spongey cake is simply perfect with the miniature chocolate chips that run throughout.

What is the difference between crumb cake and coffee cake?

I found myself pondering this question, because I really wasn’t sure what to call this thing. Apparently, it’s all about that streusel topping. Coffee cake has less crumb topping, and crumb cake has more. And this Chocolate Chip Crumb Cake is all about that topping. You get that crumbly, buttery goodness going on in every bite. In fact, when I first made this cake and started sprinkling the crumb topping over the batter, I wondered if it was too much? Noooo. Not too much. Too perfect.

How to make the perfect crumb topping

The key to that nice, thick layer of streusel is melted butter. I’ve tried making it with cold butter, working it into the flour and sugar mixture with my fingers and sprinkling it on top. But if you do it that way, the topping will sink into the cake during baking. If you start with melted butter and work it into the flour and sugar the same way, when you sprinkle it over the cake batter it will stay put. I’m not a scientist, but I know a lot of bloggers and bakers could tell you the exact science behind why melted butter won’t sink but cold butter will. I just know I’ve tried it both ways and melted is the right way.

How easy is it to make this cake?

I also love how uncomplicated this Chocolate Chip Crumb Cake is. It doesn’t require any special equipment or decorations. And it uses my favorite, easy two-bowl method – wet ingredients in one bowl, dry ingredients in another. Put them together and you’ve got cake!

Bake it up in a 9×13 dish and then cut it into squares. It’s amazing with a cup of coffee in the morning or for dessert at night. The 9×13 size means you can feed a crowd. I recently made this cake when my parents visited from Florida. Our family is a total of 10 when my parents are here, so this cake was the perfect thing to set out on the counter for everyone to help themselves.

Make this cake the next time you’re feeding a crowd. You won’t regret it! Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Crumb Cake

Moist and delicious, this cake is studded with chocolate chips and topped with a buttery streusel crumb

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Prep Time 25 mins

Cook Time 45 mins

Total Time 1 hr 10 mins

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 15

Ingredients

  

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The Cake

• 2 cups all purpose or gluten free flour
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt
• 1 1/2 cups miniature chocolate chips
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. cinnamon

The Crumb Topping

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 stick unsalted butter melted
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt

The Chocolate Glaze

• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
• 2 tsp. cocoa powder
• 3 tsp. milk

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars together until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until smooth.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
• With the mixer on low speed, add half of the flour mixture to the creamed mixture until combined. Add the Greek yogurt and mix until combined. Beat in the remaining flour mixture. Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour the prepared batter into the baking dish.
• To make the crumb topping, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and work together with a fork or your fingers. Sprinkle evenly over the cake batter. Bake 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Keyword chocolate, dessert, gluten free

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