Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Swirl

This coffee cake is given an extra dose of cinnamon with the swirl through the middle. It is the perfect sweet treat. The cake is very moist (due to the sour cream) so it allows for the heavier impact of all that cinnamon sugar and those delicious chocolate chips. This cake is also very easy to make, so it is great for bringing to a dinner party (plus, you are guaranteed to impress everyone with your baking skills!).

Recipe yields 24 cookies

Ingredients  

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup light brown sugar

2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp water
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and chocolate chips. Mix everything together and then set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and baking powder.

In a larger mixing bowl, cream together the butter, remaining granulated sugar and eggs.

Add in the sour cream, vanilla extract and water. Mix well so all ingredients are fully incorporated.

Slowly add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and stir to incorporate. Do not overmix, you want your batter to stay airy and soft.

Butter and flour your baking pan. I used a foil one as I was taking mine to a party, I could just leave the foil pan there and not have to worry about it. Split your batter in half and spread half the batter on the bottom of the pan.

Evenly top with half the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Repeat with the second half of the batter and the second half of the cinnamon sugar mixture so you have two layers of goodness.

Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the cake is cooked through and a tester comes out clean.

Slices into individual squares and serve for dessert with coffee or tea. You can easily cut this into 24 squares, as it is so sweet, you do not need a big piece. If there are any, store leftovers in an airtight container. The cake will stay fresh for about 5 days or so. Enjoy!

Blueberry Pecan Coffee Cake

This coffee cake is so delicious. The cake is moist and the crumble is packed with flavor from the pecans. I made this to bring with me to a birthday party for dessert. Once I took one bite, I knew I would soon be craving it alongside my morning cup of tea. This cake can also easily be altered to include chopped apples, strawberries or any other berries.

Recipe yields one cake (about 16 squares)

Ingredients
1 cup + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp canola oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup fresh blueberries

Crumble:
2 tbsp unsalted butter (cold)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Prepare an 8"x8" baking pan by lining with foil and coating in non-stick cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine 1 cup of the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk together to combine.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and oil until evenly combined.

Add in the sugar and mix until smooth and incorporated.

Add in the eggs, one at a time, the milk and the vanilla extract. Mix until all ingredients are well combined.

Slowly add in the flour mixture and continue to mix until just incorporated. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to mix in all the ingredients.

Pour your batter into the prepared baking pan.

In a separate bowl, mix together the blueberries and the remaining tablespoon of flour until all blueberries have a nice coating. This process helps the berries from sinking to the bottom of the batter and allows the berries to remain 'floating' in the cake. Drop the berries on top of the batter and gently push down with the back of a spoon.

Now we can put together our crumble for the top of the cake. In a new bowl, combine the cold butter and sugar. Using a pastry blender or a knife, cut the two together until crumbles begin to form. Add in the pecans and continue to mix together until combined.

Sprinkle the topping over the cake and gently pat down.

Place the cake in the oven and bake for 48-50 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan. Once cool, sprinkle the top with a little bit of powdered sugar. Cut into squares and serve for breakfast or dessert. Enjoy!