Irresistibly chocolatey chocolate crumb cake – it’s a chocolate lovers dream. All the soft cake and crunchy crumb you want from a classic NY coffee crumb cake but with an added bonus – CHOCOLATE!
This chocolate crumb cake starts with an ultra-soft, fluffy and moist chocolate cake base, there’s a hidden layer of chocolate chips in there, then ends with a gloriously thick layer of chocolate crumb topping (and a few more chocolate chips for good measure). And, like this pistachio chocolate snack cake, it also keeps it’s perfect texture for days after it’s baked.
Love a crumb cake? Try this strawberry crumb cake and this beautiful almond cherry crumb cake.
This recipe was first published here in 2018 and has been updated with new information and images.
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What is crumb cake?
A New York-style crumb cake is a coffee cake or afternoon tea cake with a crumb or streusel topping almost as thick as the cake itself. As a general rule, they are not iced or filled, but sometimes have a very light drizzle of icing over the top.
Coffee cake does not generally contain coffee, or at least it does not require it to be called coffee cake. This is a US term equivalent to a tea cake but it must have a crumb topping.
Ingredients and substitutions
Using oil and buttermilk, you know this cake is going to be tender. It also makes it incredibly quick and easy to make.
Jump to the recipe card below for detailed quantities and instructions.
- Flour: You just need plain flour / all-purpose flour. Please make sure to weigh it to get a perfect result.
- Cocoa powder: Use dutched process cocoa powder for this cake. It gives it a lovely dark colour and rounded flavour.
- Sugar: There are two types of sugar in this crumb cake – white granulated sugar and brown sugar. I generally use caster sugar (superfine sugar) in place of white but both work.
- Cinnamon: Just a little hint of cinnamon harks back to the classic crumb cake flavours.
- Butter: Use salted or unsalted butter in the crumb topping.
- Baking powder + baking soda: For the perfect rise, this cake requires both baking powder and baking soda (some may know the latter as bicarbonate of soda).
- Salt: Just a touch of salt to intensify flavours.
- Oil: You’ll want a neutral flavoured vegetable oil and it helps give the cake it’s moistness.
- Buttermilk: Full-fat buttermilk gives the cake flavour and keeps it tender and soft.
- Instant coffee powder: You can’t taste it in the baked cake but instant coffee powder or espresso powder dissolved in boiling water, or even a strong brewed coffee, actually increases it’s chocolatey-ness.
- Eggs: I use large eggs in all my baking. Try to get free-range if it’s within your means.
- Pure vanilla extra: Just 1 tsp vanilla adds balance and warmth to the chocolate flavor.
- Chocolate chips: I find the contrast of milk chocolate chips to the dark chocolate cake here perfect.
If you aren’t a coffee lover, never fear. The cake will not taste of coffee and I don’t recommend substituting it. If you really don’t want to add it, the cake won’t taste the same, but make sure to still add the boiling water
How to make chocolate crumb cake
There are 3 layers to this cake, however, all are very quick and simple and they all get combined and baked at the same time.
- Cake batter
- Chocolate chips
- Crumb topping
Jump to the recipe card below for detailed quantities and instructions.
- Make the chocolate crumble: In a mixing bowl, combine flour, cocoa, sugar, cinnamon and butter, using your fingertips to press and blend it together until it forms large clumps (photo 1).
- Make the batter: Start by combining the dry ingredients, then stir together with a whisk to disperse and aerate. Make a well in the centre and add the wet ingredients (photo 2), then simply mix it all together until combined (photo 3).
- Layer it up: Grease and line a 9 inch square cake pan, then pour in a little over half the batter. Top with most of the chocolate chips (photo 4), then drizzle over the remaining batter. Now crumble over the chocolate crumb topping evenly, leaving some larger chunks in there (photo 5).
- Bake: Bake for around 45 minutes until a toothpick comes out with a crumb or two attached.
- Serving: Let the chocolate crumb cake cool in the tin for about 10 minutes before using the baking paper to lift it out and transfer to a wire cooling rack. This cake is perfect at room temperature but you can also serve it warm with ice cream – swoon!
Can you freeze crumb cake?
You can freeze this chocolate crumble cake with great results. Store it in an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. If you want to go the extra mile, wrap it well in plastic wrap before adding it into the container.
To thaw crumb cake, leave it covered in a cool place for around 45 minutes or until it gets to room temperature.
I literally count 300 reasons this cake is awesome, how about you? Ok, so my maths may be off but chocolate crumble cake is really, really good you guys!
The world can never have enough coffee crumb cake in my opinion. I love the crunch and the softness and the ease of making this crumb cake recipe and I know there are more in my future.
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Ingredients
FOR THE CRUMBLE TOPPING:
- 130 g plain flour (all-purpose flour) (1 cup / ~4½oz)
- ¼ cup dutched process cocoa powder (30g / 1oz)
- ⅔ cup brown sugar (140g / 5oz)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 113 g unsalted butter, grated and chilled (½ cup / 1 stick / 4oz)
FOR THE CAKE
- 195 g plain flour (all-purpose flour) (1 ½ cups / ~7oz)
- 60 g dutch cocoa powder (½ cup / 2oz)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- ¾ cup brown sugar, packed (150g / 5¼oz)
- ⅓ cup white sugar (70g / 2½oz)
- 1 tablespoon instant coffee powder (notes 1)
- ⅓ cup boiling water (80ml)
- ½ cup neutral-flavoured vegetable oil (125ml)
- ½ cup full-fat buttermilk (125ml)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cups milk chocolate chips (225g / 8oz)
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
- A balloon whisk and a silicone spatula
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / 160C fan forced. Grease and line a 9 inch square pan with baking paper.
- MAKE THE CHOCOLATE CRUMBLE: In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, sugar and cinnamon. Whisk together to remove any lumps.
- Add the butter, using your fingertips (or a pastry blender) to press and blend it together until it forms large clumps. Set aside.
- MAKE THE BATTER: In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, brown sugar and white sugar. Stir together with a whisk to disperse and aerate.
- Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture. Combine the coffee powder and boiling water and add it to the well, followed by the oil, buttermilk, vanilla and finally the eggs. Whisk it all together until well combined.
- LAYER IT UP: Pour it a little over half the batter into your prepared pan. Hold back a small handful of chocolate chips and sprinkle the rest over the batter. Now drizzle over the remaining batter.
- Scatter the crumb mixture over the batter evenly, leaving some larger chunks in there. Finally, sprinkle over the reserved chocolate chips.
- BAKE: Bake for around 45 minutes (notes 3) or until a toothpick comes out with a crumb or two attached.
- SERVING: Let the cake cool in the tin for about 10 minutes before using the baking paper to lift it out and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- This cake is perfect at room temperature but you can also serve it warm with vanilla ice cream – swoon!
- Please take a moment to rate this recipe. I really appreciate it and it helps me create more recipes.
Notes
- Tablespoons: I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (equal to 4 teaspoons). Many other countries use a 15ml tablespoon. Check yours before measuring.
- Weigh the flour & cocoa: For best results, always weigh the flour and cocoa. Too much and you could end up with a dry cake. If you don’t have kitchen scales (first order one, then) spoon the flour into a cup measure and scrape it off with the back of a knife without patting it down.
- All ovens vary: Check your bake 5-7 minutes before the recipe suggests. I recommend keeping an oven thermometer in your oven at all times as thermostats are often out of whack.
- Buttermilk: You can use Greek yogurt or sour cream in place of the buttermilk still with great results.
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14 Comments on “Chocolate Crumb Cake”
Fantastic recipe, very yummy and moist! Love the mix of the crunchy crumble and the soft cake.
So happy you love it, George. Thanks so much for dropping back to leave a review.
Great recipe! I’m curious, does the instant coffee powder really make that much of a difference in enhancing the chocolate flavor? I’ve never tried adding coffee to a chocolate cake before.
So happy you love it, Livia. Yes, it does. It intensifies the chocolate flavour. I don’t like to have recipes with long lists of ingredients so I only put it in because it makes a difference. That said, if you don’t want to put it in, you’ll still have a lovely, chocolatey crumb cake 🙂
I made this on a hot day when I couldn’t be bothered with frosting a cake. It is SO good! I followed the recipe as written, using sour cream instead of buttermilk, and it is a big hit. My partner loves it, my neighbor asked for another piece, and there’s less than half the pan left after one day! Will definitely make it again – a great use of my dutch cocoa powder.
Oh, in case others are in the same boat, I ended up baking in an 8”x8” instead of 9”x9” because it’s what I had available. Cake didn’t overflow the pan, and it took about an hour and five minutes to bake.
I’m so happy you love it, Leslie. Thanks for the added tips as well 🙂
I’ve never had a crumb cake before and I really enjoyed the different textures. This is lovely and chocolatey and the cinnamon adds an interesting flavour. Thank you
So happy you love it, Sarah. Thanks so much for trying my recipe.
This looks so fluffy and crumbly, all the makings of an delightful coffee cake, yum! Take care.
Thanks so much Stacey 🙂
This is so delicious with a cuppa in the morning, but I also like it for an afternoon snack as well.
Soft with a lovely crunchy top 🙂
Marie, this coffee cake looks fabulous! Love the chocolate ribbon and the streusel topping. Cakes that aren’t too sweet are so perfect for breakfast, coffee, dessert, and pretty much all day snacking!
I only just found out that Australia’s tablespoon is different than the US! Measuring by weight is a great tip. It’s so much more precise, especially when it comes to baking. I don’t even take my measuring cups out any more – it’s kitchen scale all the way!
It’s really quite silly that we have a different sized tablespoon as all the others are the same. I’d prefer a worldwide standardised system.