This rich and moist chocolate coffee cake is a delicious twist on a classic! Made with simple ingredients, it features a tender chocolate cake base layered with a cinnamon and brown sugar swirl, then topped with a buttery, crunchy crumble.
This Chocolate Coffee Cake is rich, moist, and comforting, with deep cocoa flavor and a classic cinnamon-brown sugar swirl.
My Favorite Kitchen Tools To Make This Recipe
From trusty pots and pans to handy gadgets, I’ve curated a list of products I use and love.
Made with pantry staples, this cake is easy to make, stays tender for days, and has a cozy hint of cinnamon that pairs perfectly with coffee, milk, or tea.
Whether you’re serving it at a weekend brunch, enjoying a slice as a late-morning snack, or sneaking a piece for dessert, this chocolate coffee cake hits all the right notes—rich but not too sweet, familiar but with a twist.
What to Serve with Coffee Cake
Ingredients
- Yellow cake mix – I like Duncan Hines
- Eggs
- Canola or vegetable oil
- Water
- Instant vanilla pudding mix
- Vanilla
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon
What is Coffee Cake?
Coffee cake is a super-soft, moist cake that’s made to enjoy with your coffee or tea (even though it doesn’t usually contain coffee). It’s got a tender crumb, a yummy cinnamon-sugar swirl, and a buttery, crunchy topping that makes every bite extra cozy.
Some have nuts, fruit, or chocolate mixed in as well. It’s a feel-good treat that’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, or snacking anytime!
Coffee Cake Tips
Just a quick reminder: use the dry cake mix as-is—no need to make the cake first. Just add the dry mix to your batter. The same applies to the pudding mix—add it dry and mix until well combined. It helps make the coffee cake extra soft and tasty.
I like to swirl the cinnamon sugar into the batter with a dinner knife for a pretty marbled look, but you can also just sprinkle it on top and leave it as is.
You can also add chocolate chips to this chocolate coffee cake—about ½ to ¾ cup works great!
More coffee Cake Recipes
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Chocolate Coffee Cake
Ingredients
- 1 chocolate cake mix
- 4 eggs
- ¾ cup canola or vegetable oil
- ¾ cup water
- ½ cup instant chocolate pudding mix
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Cinnamon and Sugar Swirl
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon of cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350; grease 9×13 metal pan.
- Mix all the ingredients for the cake in a mixer for 7 minutes (this is key to make the pudding set). I love to use my Kitchen Aid mixer for this!
- Meanwhile, mix together brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
- Once the cake is done mixing for 7 minutes, pour half of the batter in the greased 9×13 metal pan. Sprinkle ½ of the brown sugar mix over the cake in the pan.
- Pour the remaining batter on and sprinkle with remaining sugar.
- Place in oven and bake 30-35 minutes. Or until the cake is set and is pulling away from the edges. Let it completely cool so it does crumble when you cut and serve it.
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