A coffee cake to make on cozy weekends, topped with chocolate chips, cocoa and a buttery hazelnut crumble.
Here’s a coffee cake recipe to bake this weekend, ideal for a late breakfast or brunch, for all the darlings in your house.
With the exception of the dog, as much as mine would convince me otherwise (she did helpfully clean up some stepped-on hazelnuts from the floor while I made it).
It’s an all-ages-show kind of cake, neither deeply decadent like a boozy truffle or over the top chocolatey like an oozy lava cake. Although both of those sound pretty good…
It’s simple and understated, but elevated with my favorite flavor pairing of hazelnut + chocolate.
Have a warm, cozy weekend! XO
hazelnut cocoa crumb cake
Yield 1 9-inch cake, 8 -10 servings
Ingredients
- Crumb Topping:
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup stoneground whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (unsweetened)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small cubes
- 1/3 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
- Cake:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 sticks butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- Cocoa powder
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees and brush the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with melted butter.
- To prepare crumb topping, whisk together sugar, flour, chocolate chips, cocoa and salt in a small bowl. Use your fingers or a fork to blend in the butter until the mixture resembles damp sand. Stir in hazelnuts.
- To make the cake, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.
- In a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well in between.
- Lower mixer speed and add buttermilk, followed by half the flour mixture, mixing until flour is incorporated. Mix in the sour cream and the remaining flour and mix briefly to form a thick, creamy batter.
- Scrape batter into pan. Crumble the topping evenly over the batter.
- Bake 1 hour, or until center of cake feels softly springy and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan 15 minutes before releasing sides. Set on a rack to cool completely.
- Dust a little cocoa powder around the edge of the cake before slicing - totally optional but just a little extra something.
Hi there! I’m Karen, a mother of two and a professionally trained cook certified in holistic nutrition.
As the recipe developer, photographer and publisher of Familystyle Food, I share recipes and tips for making easy seasonal meals that are healthy and flavorful. Learn more about me here.
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Christina says
Looks delicious! Can I add regular milk instead of buttermilk?
Karen says
Hi Christina, Yes, you can substitute milk for the buttermilk and it should be fine. Reduce the baking soda to 1/2 teaspoon.
Christina says
Great, thank you!
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
These hazelnut cocoa crumb cake looks so incredibly delicious.. not to mention beautiful. Wish I had a slice now!
Laura (Tutti dolci) says
This cake would certainly be the way to my heart, I adore that hazelnut crumb topping!
Lisa @ Healthy Nibbles & Bits says
I love crumb cakes, and this one looks absolutely delicious!
Karen says
Thanks Lisa! It’s a good one.
dusty says
Thank you this turned out perfect, after taking the crumble cake out of the oven, I drizzled some Advocaat (egg liqueur made of eggs, creme, brandy, vanilla).