I love this Chocolate Party theme (buttermilk and chocolate). I adore tangy, rich buttermilk and the flavor and texture it brings to baked goods. There are many great chocolate cakes made with buttermilk, but I wanted to really be able to taste the buttermilk, so I chose this crumb cake, studded with miniature chocolate chips. Neither the chocolate nor the buttermilk dominate, instead complementing one another in perfect harmony. This is a fantastic cake, equally at home in the morning, at afternoon tea and/or after dinner for dessert. In other words, you won’t be able to stop eating it.
I found the recipe in what is one of my holy texts of baking, Lisa Yockelson’s ChocolateChocolate
. I got this book what feels like an age ago, when I first joined The Good Cook. It was one of those deals where you choose a gazillion books for a penny each, so toward the end I was just choosing anything that sounded even vaguely interesting. I had never heard of Lisa Yockelson (this was before my serious cookbook collecting days), but I love chocolate, so I threw the book in. 7 years plus later, it is one of my most used cookbooks. With 200 recipes, I am not nearly done exploring it either. It is worth every single penny–however many pennies that turns out to be.
- 1 1/2 cups AP flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
- hefty pinch of kosher salt
- 12 T (3/4 cup or 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted cold butter, cubed
- 2 t vanilla
- 2 1/2 cups (315 g) AP flour
- 1/2 cup cake flour
- 1 1/2 t baking powder
- 1/2 t baking soda
- 1 t fine sea salt
- 1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips
- 1/2 lb (1 cup or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 T vanilla
- 1 cup full fat buttermilk
- 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
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Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a 9X13 baking pan with parchment paper.* Set aside.
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Make the topping: Whisk together the flour, sugars and salt. Cut the cold butter into the flour mix--I used cold hands to rub it in. You should end up with what looks like gravel and chunks of butter no larger than a pea.
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Drizzle the vanilla over this mixture. Use your hands to toss it and clump it together. Do not worry about over mixing--and when you sprinkle it on top you will break the clumps back up.
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Next make the cake batter: whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Remove 1 tablespoon of this mixture to toss with the 1 1/2 cups of mini chocolate chips.
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Using a mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar slowly, beating on a high speed, until all sugar has been added and the mixture is light and fluffy.
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Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla.
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On low speed, add the flour mixture and buttermilk, in 3 and 2 additions, respectively, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the bottom frequently.
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Fold in the mini chocolate chips.
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Scrape the cake batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the cake batter evenly, clumping and crumbling as you sprinkle. The topping should be evenly distributed over all of the cake, including the corners.
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Bake the cake for about 60 minutes, until the topping is golden and a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with only a few crumbs attached.
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When you remove the cake from the oven, immediately sprinkle the 3/4 cup of mini chocolate chips over the cake.
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*If you are using a glass or ceramic casserole dish, do not line with parchment paper and let the cake cool completely before slicing in the pan. I use a non stick metal pan, however, which I prefer not to use a knife on. So when the cake has cooled for about 15 minutes, quickly and carefully remove the cake by the edges of the parchment paper to a platter or cake keeper. You can then either use a large cake spatula to life the cake and slide the paper out from under it, or you can just cut the edges away and leave the paper under the cake.
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Either way, let cool completely before slicing.
I love crumb cakes with the addition of chocolate chips makes it extra yummy. So glad you are with us on this #chocolateparty journey!
I have the feeling I’m going to have a hard time stopping myself after one piece. I love coffee cakes and the crumb topping makes it even more irresistible.
Thanks for sharing Laura and thank you for bringing it to this month chocolate party
Packed with all the goodness of both breakfast and dessert cakes, your creation is a winner anytime of day =) Thank you for sharing the recipe, Laura.
I love a crumb cake, this is perfect for the Chocolate Party!
Want!
Oh yum, your cake looks and sounds so good!
I love chocolate and buttermilk together, especially in cakes! One never ceases to compliment the other! This is a serious crumb cake…love that topping and how thick the cake looks! The perfect midday treat.
Laura…this cake looks absolutely scrumptious! I don’t know if you intended this to be a snack cake or dessert…..but all I can think about when I look at it is how perfect it would be for breakfast with a cup of coffee! I love the brown sugar in that beautiful crumb topping! What a great choice for this month’s chocolate party! : )
I intended it to be an “all of the above” cake lol!
Such a spectacular crumb cake, Laura! My whole family would love this…I think I’d have to bake two!!!
Hi lovely Laura! This crumb cake looks absolutely divine… I love anything that has crumble, streusel or any other crunchy topping, especially when combined with chocolate chips! Definitely looks like something perfect for coffee mornings at work… have bookmarked your recipe for next week. Thanks so much xx
Oooh I just love your first pic!!Your cake looks and sounds divine!My daughter is a huge fan of crumb cakes and I think I’ve got to make this for her 🙂
Oh I couldn’t stop eating this cake if it were at my house, the crumb looks perfect and the topping irresistible. This is a winning recipe, great job!
This looks so amazing! I love baking with buttermilk, so I know I’d love this recipe!
Wow, this crumb cake looks incredible! This would be dangerous to have lying around – so deceptively simple and humble, the perfect cake to eat in big slabs with hot steaming cups of tea or coffee. Love this!
Delicious looking cake, buttermilk, chocolate & the wonderful crumb topping make this my type of cake…
A beautiful cake for anytime of day or occasion…
Know that I shall love this, a must bake… Many thanks for sharing, Odelle (U.K.)
Agreed… chocolate and buttermilk are a perfect combo! While I’d like to say I’d bake this for my kids… I don’t think it would last till they got home from school. I think I’d just call this lunch!
Love love love crumb cakes! And all those mini chocolate chips are going to be a big hit with my favorite–year-old who loves to bake with me. 🙂
Crumb cakes are amazing. With the addition of chocolate, this is the perfect thing to party with 😉
What a great snack cake — and perfect for after school treats. I do love the tang and texture that buttermilk adds to cakes.
I simply adore crumb cakes. My mouth waters at the thought of this one. The tang of the buttermilk and the chocolate chips? Mmm… I must order this book!!
Crumb cakes are so good…this just looks mouthwatering. I love cooking with buttermilk and haven’t done it in the longest time. I need to try this recipe…some baking might be in order this weekend. 🙂
Reminds me of a childhood favorite–Entemann’s Sour Cream Chip and Nut Loaf. The chocolate chips and crumb topping were irresistible to me!
I love a good crumb cake!