This dark chocolate raspberry coffee cake is soft and moist with a buttery almond streusel on top. Dotted with juicy raspberries and filled with chocolate chips, this breakfast cake is a treat! We love it on Christmas morning, but it’s welcome year-round. There’s plenty of different size baking pans you can use, so review my recipe notes before beginning.
I’m so excited to bring my dark chocolate raspberry coffee cake back into the spotlight! Originally published a few years ago and one of my favorite recipes, this breakfast cake has been a Christmas morning tradition for over a decade.
Whoever is hosting, we have a large Christmas brunch after spending the morning opening gifts. We sip coffee and snack on this fabulous cake to tide us over. Gift opening takes longer these days with a toddler, so we’re especially hungry as we unwrap. 🙂
Though enjoyed throughout the year (who can resist this all the time), it tastes most special on December 25th. Have you had the chance to try it yet?
This Dark Chocolate Raspberry Coffee Cake Is:
- Soft, buttery, + moist
- Simple to make
- Studded with juicy raspberries
- Filled with chocolate chips
- Topped with sweet almond streusel
- Perfect for making ahead or freezing
Before I forget. (Because I get this question a lot!) The term “coffee cake” refers to a breakfast cake here in the US. There can be coffee IN the cake, but it’s really just our way of saying cake to enjoy with coffee. There’s no coffee in this recipe…or in my classic coffee cake either!
My original instructions were from 2013 and a little confusing to read. Though I haven’t changed the recipe, I simplified the method. We’re using the traditional creaming method as the base of this cake, so you’re automatically guaranteed a fluffy foundation.
How to Make Dark Chocolate Raspberry Coffee Cake
- Mix the streusel ingredients together. Like my traditional New York-style crumb cake, I make the streusel first so it’s ready to go. For the streusel you need flour, sugar, butter, and sliced or slivered almonds. Make sure the butter is cold and work it in with a fork or pastry cutter.
- Mix the cake’s dry ingredients together. You need flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Beat the wet ingredient’s together. You need butter, sugar, 1 egg, and vanilla extract. This cake is so buttery, but there’s only 1/4 cup in the base recipe. We get a lot of that buttery goodness from the streusel and buttermilk.
- Mix in the buttermilk. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, then slowly mix in the buttermilk. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can use whole milk instead. Since we’re lifting the cake with baking powder and not baking soda, you don’t need the acidity from buttermilk—it’s really more for the tang. (More on the science of baking with buttermilk here, if you’re interested!)
- Fold in the extras. Add the chocolate chips, then fold in the raspberries. You can use fresh or frozen raspberries. The raspberries will break, so mix them in slowly and carefully.
- Transfer to a greased baking pan and bake.
It’s incredible served warm, but you can let it cool to room temperature before serving if needed. It’s also excellent as a breakfast cake, snack cake, dessert cake, or midnight snack cake. Don’t limit yourself to only enjoying this in the morning; I love it as a quick & easy dessert. This is definitely a low maintenance treat, especially if you skip the streusel and just add the sliced almonds right on top of the batter.
(I make it that way when I don’t feel like making the streusel!)
Which Size Baking Pan?
The options are endless. This cake is NOT picky!
You can bake it in a standard 9-inch square baking pan or 9-inch pie dish. An 11×7-inch baking pan works as well and if you have an oval baker that’s about 9-10 inches long, that works too. I’ve made this cake as a quick bread in a loaf pan and as muffins, too. These days, I use my 11×7-inch casserole dish. (Pictured—it’s from Crate & Barrel a few years ago, but I can’t find it on their site anymore!)
For a larger 9×13-inch cake, double the recipe.
Anything that holds 8-10 cups of batter works, which is extra convenient if you’re using specific pans for other recipes at the time. The bake time obviously changes, so it’s best to have a toothpick handy to check for doneness.
With the almonds, dark chocolate, and raspberries, there is no shortage of flavor or texture! It reminds me of my raspberry almond crumb cake, but today’s recipe swaps cinnamon and brown sugar for chocolate.
Everyone NEEDS to try this. But let me warn you—you will keep slicing off slivers of this cake. Cutting into pieces to serve? Slice off a sliver for yourself. Walking by? Slice off a sliver for yourself. In bed? Go into the kitchen and slice off a sliver for yourself.
If you can’t get enough of those sweet raspberries, try my raspberry sweet rolls next!
Print
Dark Chocolate Raspberry Coffee Cake
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Yield: serves 12
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This dark chocolate raspberry coffee cake is soft and moist with a buttery almond streusel on top. There’s plenty of different size baking pans you can use, so review my recipe notes before beginning.
Ingredients
Streusel
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (31g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter, cold
- 1/2 cup (64g) sliced or slivered almonds
Cake
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk or whole milk
- 1 cup (180g) dark chocolate chips*
- 1 and 1/2 cups fresh or frozen (do not thaw) raspberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9-inch baking pan* (see recipe note) with nonstick spray.
- Make the streusel first: Mix the sugar and flour together. Using a pastry cutter or fork, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. This takes a few minutes. Fold in the almonds. Set aside to use in step 4.
- Make the cake: Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside. In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until combined and creamy, about 3 minutes. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Add the dry ingredients and begin beating on low speed. With the mixer running, slowly pour in the buttermilk. Finally, add the chocolate chips. Beat on low until everything is combined. Avoid over-mixing. Using a large spoon or silicone spatula, gently fold in the raspberries. They’ll break a little bit, but try to be extra careful.
- Spread the batter into the prepared baking pan. Top with the streusel. If you have any extras, dot the top of the cake with a few raspberries and chocolate chips.
- Bake for about 45-46 minutes if using an 8-inch or 9-inch baking pan, though that time changes if you used a different size baking pan. That time is a guideline; the cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. If the cake is browning too quickly on top, loosely tent with aluminum foil as it bakes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving. You can also let the cake cool completely before slicing and serving.
- Cover leftovers tightly and store at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Freeze baked and cooled cake for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9-inch Square Baking Pan, 9-inch Pie Dish, 11×7-inch Baking Pan, or any similar 8- to 10-cup capacity baking dish | Glass Mixing Bowls | Pastry Cutter | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula
- Cake Pan Sizes: You can bake this cake in a 9-inch square baking pan, a 9-inch pie dish, an 11×7-inch baking pan, or an oval baker that’s about 9-10 inches long. Anything that holds 8-10 cups of batter works. The bake time slightly changes, so keep your eye on the cake after about 42 minutes and have a toothpick handy to check for doneness. For a 9×5-inch loaf pan, bake for at least 60-65 minutes. For muffins, follow the same baking instructions as my blueberry streusel muffins. For a larger 9×13-inch cake, double the recipe. The bake time will be a little longer, but use a toothpick to test for doneness.
- Chocolate Chips: You can use milk chocolate, white chocolate, semi-sweet, or dark/bittersweet chocolate chips.
- Buttermilk: You can substitute whole milk for buttermilk if desired. Acidic buttermilk isn’t needed in order for the cake to rise since we’re using baking powder. However if you’d like the tangy flavor, you can make your own buttermilk substitute. Add 2 teaspoons of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough whole milk to the same measuring cup until it reaches 1 cup. (In a pinch, lower fat or nondairy milks work for this soured milk, but the cake won’t taste as rich.) Stir it around and let sit for 5 minutes. The homemade “buttermilk” will be somewhat curdled and ready to use in the recipe.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I made this yesterday. It is absolutely amazing . I’m not a fan of almonds, so I left those out of the streusel and used brown sugar in the streusel instead of granulated. Do yourself a favor and top it with Sally’s vanilla icing. You will not be disappointed. Another amazing recipe!! Thank you, Sally!!!!!
Can you make this with cherries
I substituted espresso chips for the regular chips. I absolutely love them. I also used chopped pecans instead of almonds because that’s what I had on hand.
Wow, this Dark Chocolate Raspberry Coffee Cake is amazing! I happened to have ingredients on hand that fit the profile and decided to bake this. I am so glad I did! I am a lover of both dark chocolate and raspberries – this recipe takes them to a whole new level. I will use this recipe in the future as go-to for celebrations or when hosting guests.
This is one of the best cakes I’ve ever made! I subbed frozen strawberries (chopped a bit) for the raspberries and cooked in a deep dish pie plate. Thanks for the recipe, Sally!
Wow, your recipes and the website are just so great! This cake was my second attempt at baking, and it went so smooth (I definitely did not expect that)! I reduced the sugar a little bit and used less chocolate chips to get more of the berries’ flavor. I made this cake yet another time, using both raspberries and strawberries that time. I found that strawberries need to be cut in rather big pieces, otherwise they sort of shrink in baking. For the rest – great! Also, mixer is definitely not required. I managed to mix everything just using a small spoon (this does take some time, but with enough patience is result is virtually the same).
I intended to make it for Christmas (but lacked time), then for New Year’s morning (lacked time), and got it made on New Year’s for the second day of the New Year! My husband deemed it “superior”, and I would agree!
This is a really good recipe!
The only change I made was to decrease the sugar in the cake by 2 T, and it was plenty sweet for us, as there are a lot of chocolate chips (used Guittard extra dark for a chocolate-loving spouse). Next time, I might reduce the chocolate chips to 3/4 cup, as the extra dark chips are rich and strong in flavor, but that is personal preference.
Excellent recipe, Sally! Thank you.
This is quite a delicious coffee cake! I added pecans because that is what I had on hand. I’m thinking I might add some almond extract next time. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank You so Much! Have a great Holiday season!
Hi, can I make this in a spring form pan and if so, should it be doubled or will the amounts listed in recipe rise high enough? I want to make this! It sounds amazing! Thank You.
Hi Ruth, We haven’t used a springform pan but any pan size that holds 8-10 cups of batter works. See recipe note #2 on cake pan sizes for details on every size we have tested and their bake times.
Hi is there a 6” for this.?
Would fresh cranberries work as a substitute for the raspberries?
Hi Marguerite, Yes you can try this with cranberries. Enjoy!
Hi Sally, can I use frozen cranberries instead- or will it be too tart of a cake? Thanks!
Hi Sara, They should work! Let us know if you try it 🙂
Hi Sally,
I was wondering if I could use a parchment paper with sides hanging out on either sides so that once the cake is baked,I can pull it out from the pan to another serving plate and then slice? Would that be okay?
Absolutely! I usually do that for brownies and bar cookies, but it also works for a cake like this.
I made this, which a slightly different oatmeal instead of almond crumble (just because I didn’t have almonds on hand), and the cake was delicious and turned out perfectly. The recipe is great. It is probably the best coffee cake I’ve ever had, moist with great flavors!
This is delicious! I made it to have for breakfast tomorrow and had to sample it tonight, of course! The cake is so moist- a great breakfast treat!
Delicious! Mine came out quite dense so a little goes a long way. My hubs is a chocoholic and we grow raspberries is the garden so this will become a frequent dessert. Thanks for the recipe Sally!
I made this recipe on a whim a month ago for my family and they loved it! Going to try making a double batch in a 9×13 pan with half raspberries and half strawberries next time. Thanks for the great recipe!
Hi Sally!
I love all your recipes and it is now raspberry season here in BC, Canada! I’d like to give this recipe a try but I am wondering if I could sub the buttermilk out for sour cream and milk or all sour cream? I just love all your sour cream recipes! Thank you so much again for giving us such yummy recipes!
Hi Trish, thank you! You can use sour cream instead of buttermilk in this coffee cake recipe, but the cake will be denser since sour cream is heavier than buttermilk. The cake may not take quite as long to bake, either. Also to note– the batter will be very thick.
Thanks for your reply and yes, it was a thick batter and a little bit of a struggle to mix the raspberries but it all turned out. The cake was moist and super delicious! Just love this recipe and the combo of chocolate and raspberries! Thanks for another amazing recipe!
Hi Sally,
Thaks for the great recipe.
What else I can replace berries with, please?
Which fruits?
Necessarily frozen fruits?
Hi Maryam, You can use just about any fresh or frozen fruit to replace the raspberries. If frozen, do not thaw.
Hi Sally,
Thanks for the reply.
Can you inform what exactly the sour cream is and how we can make it at home? (As here we don’t have any product called sour cream in our dairies).
Adding a tblspoon of lime juice to cream, we can make it?
Any substitution for it in your recipes?
Delicious Recipe! Thank you!
My husband is allergic to almonds and all nuts. Can I leave it out? Or add something else to the streusel? (Sad… it sounds so good!)
Yes, you can leave them out. Enjoy!
It’s fantastic! The almonds would have been wonderful but I did not feel the cake missed a thing. It’s perfect for Spring. The berry and dark chocolate combo are amazing and the cake portion is perfect texture and taste. The streusel makes it even better. We are in love with it!
Thank you sooo much.
hi Sally, can i replace berries with frozen strawberries in the recipe?
Yes, you can use strawberries instead.
Hi Sally,
Thank you for sharing the recipe. I used the frozen raspberries and it was great. I also used one third of the sugar – for those who are considering cutting it, and it turned out absolutely beautiful and tasty.
And indeed – perfect with coffee 🙂
Another gem of a recipe. Thanks so much for sharing Sally. Loved the combination of the tart raspberries, dark chocolate and crunchy almonds! Its impossible to stop at just one slice 🙂 I will definitely be making this one again.
Hi! Could I substitute whole wheat flour? Hard to find all purpose flour right now.
You definitely could, but the coffee cake will taste dense and the flavor will change.
Any chance you can substitute raspberry jam instead of fresh/frozen berries – trying to stay home and not go out to the store.
Hi Kelly, I don’t recommend using jam for this cake. You can leave the berries out or substitute with a different type of berry. If you want to use your jam I recommend my Raspberry Streusel Bars.
One of my favorite recipes! I made it once and now I make it almost every week. A hit with my family too!
Hello -thanks for the great coffee cake recipe. At first i thought about trying to bake it in a bundt cake pan and putting the streusel on the bottom but decided against it. I used frozen cherries in place of raspberries bc thats what i had. I have some frozen peach slices here I will try next. I have a feeling this may be a recipe I bake over and over again. But before i bake it again, your bread recipe is next on my list. Glad i found your site!
Hi Sally, I can’t wait to try this recipe – looks like a real winner. Just a question about the raspberries: they’re not in season so I’ll use frozen ones. Why do you recommend they be thawed first? I expect they’ll be quite mushy… normally I put berries in frozen, tossed in a bit of flour beforehand so they don’t sink. Just curious as to your thoughts on this, perhaps I’m missing something.
Thanks so much.
Hi Kathy! That should read “do not thaw.” Thanks for checking and sorry about that!
Thanks Sally. Made this last night with frozen, unthawed raspberries and it came out amazing. So decadent and moist.
I’m really having success with your recipes, thank you so much for sharing your talent!