Special Feature: Products Sally Recommends

Chocolate Swirl Coffee Cake

by Pat Sinclair

The high butter and sugar content of this coffee cake results in such a tender cake that you could even serve it for dessert. The mini chocolate chips carry the chocolate flavor into every bite, and the unsweetened cocoa creates chocolate stripes throughout.

Makes 12 to 16 servings

Filling
3 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
1 tablespoon butter

Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate mini chips
Powdered sugar
Unsweetened cocoa

Heat oven to 350°F with oven rack in middle. Spray a nonstick 10-cup Bundt pan generously with nonstick cooking spray.

Mix brown sugar and cocoa for filling in a small bowl and cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces. Reserve.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

Beat butter and sugar in bowl of a heavy-duty mixer on Medium speed until creamy, scraping down bowl once or twice. Add sour cream, vanilla, and eggs and beat until smooth. Scrape down sides of bowl.

Reduce mixer speed to Low, add the flour mixture, and beat just until the flour disappears. Stir in chocolate chips.

Spoon half of the batter into prepared pan and sprinkle with filling. Cover with remaining batter, spreading evenly to cover the filling. Keep filling away from sides of pan to prevent sticking.

Bake 35 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes on wire cooling rack. Remove cake from pan (see Baker’s Notes below) and cool completely. Sprinkle a little powdered sugar and cocoa over coffee cake.

Baker’s Notes: Spray the Bundt pan generously with nonstick cooking spray or grease with vegetable shortening and coat with flour. Make sure the ridges are coated so the cake will come out completely.

Use a metal spatula to release the center and loosen the sides of the cake from the pan. With the cake side up, gently shake the pan to loosen the bottom, rotating as you shake. If it doesn’t release, use the spatula to lift from the bottom. Carefully remove the cake from the pan by inverting it onto a cooling rack.

Secrets to Success: Don’t use regular-size semisweet chocolate chips because they will sink to the bottom of the cake.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the businesses in question before making your plans.