Chocolate Chip Crumb Cake

If I ask my husband what he would like me to make for him, he always asks for chocolate chip cookies. Now I don’t mind making chocolate chip cookies once in a while, but I really like to make different things. In reading through all the great food blogs that I follow, I came across this recipe for chocolate chip crumb cake. I figured that I would try it and hopefully it would satisfy my husband’s request for chocolate chip cookies.

This recipe calls for mini chocolate chips in the cake and then as a topping. I decided not to use the chips as a topping. And since my grocery store doesn’t seem to carry mini chocolate chips, I used regular chocolate chips. I don’t know why I couldn’t find the mini chocolate chips, usually my grocery store is well stocked!

This turned out well. My husband said that it was good and an acceptable substitute for chocolate chip cookies. I didn’t end up using all of the topping, and I think that I would use less next time. The topping was a little thick on the top and made it more difficult to cut the cake. I would also use the mini chocolate chips if possible. The regular chocolate chips were a bit too heavy and sank a bit, a problem that wouldn’t be an issue with the mini chips.

¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup light brown sugar
¾ cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup cake flour
½ cup unsalted butter
¾ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
¾ cup mini chocolate chips
¾ cup sugar
½ cup buttermilk
2 eggs
½ tbsp. vanilla extract
confectioners’ sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly grease a 9×5” loaf pan.

To make the topping, mix the flour and sugar together, add the butter. Using a pastry blender (or your hands), cut the butter into the flour until the dough is in chunks the size of peas. Sprinkle vanilla extract over the top, and knead into the mixture using your fingertips, until moist, clumpy lumps form. Set aside.

To bake the cake, sift the plain flour, cake flour, baking powder and baking soda into a bowl. In a small bowl, toss the chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon of the dry ingredient mixture. Set aside.

In a large mixer bowl, cream the butter. Mix in sugar in two additions, beating for 1 minute after each portion is added. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract. Alternately add in the dry ingredient mixture in 3 additions with the buttermilk in 2 additions. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure even mixing. Stir in chocolate chips.

Spread the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Spread evenly and smooth the top. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the cake batter, making sure that the whole surface is covered. (I didn’t end up using all of the topping.) Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow the cake to cool in the pans for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen, then transfer to a wire cooling rack. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar just before slicing and serving.

Adapted from Annie’s Eats who adapted the recipe from Piggy’s Cooking Journal