CHOCOLATE PECAN COFFEE CAKE
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Super-moist, tender, and easy-to-make chocolate pecan coffee cake layered with pecans, cinnamon, brown sugar, and chocolate chunks.
Happy National Coffee Cake Day! Or Belated. I told you i’m always late for these sort of things!
The fact that there is still a whole fourth of a chocolate pecan coffee cake sitting on my kitchen counter as I type this is so completely distracting. Write. Focus. No more coffee cake. Until i’m done.
Once you’ve experienced a piece of this delicious crumb coffee cake, it’s hard to get your mind to go anywhere else. I can barely string together coherent sentences! The texture of this chocolate pecan crumb cake is out of this world! It’s a slightly rich and super-moist cake with a chocolate and pecan swirled streusel in the center. The best part about this coffee cake? A crunchy chocolate pecan and cinnamon scented crumbly topping. And coffee is totally optional. I’m having this cake for breakfast. Lunch dessert. Because there is such a thing. Dinner dessert. And there may or may not have been a piece devoured as a snack.
Confession: I totally just caved and had myself a piece of this cake. No lie.
The best part about this recipe is that the crumbly chocolate and pecan topping as well as the center streusel all start in the same food processor. Start by pulsing the light brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans until they break down into coarsely chopped pieces. Remove 3/4 cup of this pecan/cinnamon mixture to a small bowl and set aside. With the remaining pecan mixture in the food processor combine cake flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and butter and pulse until mixture is crumbly for topping. That 3/4 of a cup of pecan mixture you set aside, gets combined with 2 oz of chopped up semi sweet chocolate. The more chocolate the better, I always say! 
This recipe calls for both buttermilk and greek yogurt. I used a vanilla greek yogurt but regular greek yogurt works just as well. The combination of the two dairy ingredients leaves this cake super moist and soft. for. days. Seriously. So don’t leave it out! I didn’t have buttermilk on hand so I poured 1 teaspoon on vinegar into a measuring cup and added enough milk to make 1/3 of a cup. Let it sit for 5 minutes. It will be a little curdled when it’s done.
Pour half the batter into a 9 inch springform pan. A 9x9x2 (square) pan will work as well. Sprinkle the chunky chocolate and pecan mixture. Pour the rest of the batter on top. Top the batter with chocolate and pecan crumble.
This chocolatey coffee cake is a wonderful option to make ahead the night before a brunch or even a holiday breakfast. Like Mother’s Day coming up soon. If busy mornings are the norm in your house, make this coffee cake ahead of time. That’s exactly what I did. I made it on Friday morning and on Sunday, it still tasted incredibly fresh. The chocolatey pecan crunchy crumb on top, the cake hidden underneath was moist and tender, the chocolate pecan swirl in the center and the taste? In.Cred.Ible.
Recipe slightly adapted from Godiva
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7 Comments on “CHOCOLATE PECAN COFFEE CAKE”
Love love love this coffee cake. I’ve made it several times with and without chocolate. I’ve also omitted the chocolate, doubled the cake flour for the topping and added an apple to the batter. Every time I made it, it was a hit. Thanks for the versatile awesome recipe.
This looks amazing! Brunch is my favorite, and I think this will definitely need to be a new addition to the menu! Pinned!
Thanks! Brunch is the perfect meal! There are so many possibilities! I’m sure you’re going to love it! Thanks! =)
OH! We love coffee cake in our house! This reminds me of a cake I had at my grandparents when I was little, it had chocolate and cinnamon too. This looks so good!
We’re huge fans of coffee cake as well. I actually hadn’t tried the chocolate/cinnamon combination until just a few years ago and I would never go back. Thanks!
I did not know coffee cake day was a thing! Amazing recipe, lovely pictures!
I actually didn’t know either until I saw people posting recipes on April 7th. And I checked my go to source (aka Google) and apparently it is! Needless to say, I’m pleased there’s a day dedicated to this deliciousness. Thank you!