Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
Rich and tender from the addition of sour cream, and jam-packed with chocolate chips, this coffee cake is loved by all.
This old-fashioned coffee cake is rich, tender, and jam-packed with chocolate chips. It’s the kind of cake that appeals to just about everyone, and it’s super-simple to make. I was initially hesitant to share the recipe because it seemed so basic, but in the short time that I was contemplating that idea, half the cake disappeared from my countertop. Michael and the kids practically inhaled it. The cake is wonderful with a cup of coffee morning, noon, or night. It also travels well, so go ahead and pack it up for a picnic or wrap individual slices for the kids’ lunches. The recipe calls for a 10-cup Bundt pan but don’t stress if you don’t have one; you can easily bake the cake in a 12-cup Bundt pan (it’ll just be a little shorter) or a 9-inch square pan.
What you’ll need to make Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake
How to make Chocolate chip Coffee cake
To begin, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy (use medium speed for a stand mixer or high speed for a hand-held mixer).
Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla.
Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Mix in half of the sour cream, followed by another 1/3 of the dry ingredients, until just combined.
Mix in the remaining sour cream, followed by the remaining dry ingredients, scraping down the bowl as necessary and mixing until just combined.
Gently mix in the chocolate chips.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan – it will come about halfway up the sides of the pan.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then invert onto the rack and allow to cool completely.
Carefully transfer the cooled cake to a plate; dust with cinnamon first, then Confectioners’ sugar, if desired. To slice the cake, use a serrated knife and sawing motion for best results. Enjoy!
You may also like
- Chocolate Chip Scones
- Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Cinnamon-Walnut Swirl
- Chocolate Chip Ricotta Cake
- Kentucky Butter Cake
- Marble Cake
- Chocolate Chip Muffins
Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake
Rich and tender from the addition of sour cream, and jam-packed with chocolate chips, this coffee cake is loved by all.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled off with a knife
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 (12 oz) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips, best quality such as Ghirardelli
- Cinnamon and Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Generously grease a 10-cup Bundt pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray. (A 12-cup Bundt pan will work as well with no adjustments; it'll just make a shorter cake.)
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy (use medium speed for a stand mixer or high speed for a hand-held mixer). Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla. Add ⅓ of the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Mix in half of the sour cream, followed by another ⅓ of the dry ingredients, until just combined. Mix in the remaining sour cream, followed by the remaining dry ingredients, scraping down the bowl as necessary and mixing until just combined. Gently mix in the chocolate chips.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan – it will come about halfway up the sides of the pan (or a little less than halfway in a 12-cup pan). Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then invert onto the rack and allow to cool completely. Carefully transfer the cooled cake to a plate; dust with cinnamon first, then Confectioners’ sugar, if desired. To slice the cake, use a serrated knife and sawing motion for best results. The cake keeps well for several days stored in a cake dome or covered tightly with aluminum foil.
- Note: If using a pan other than a Bundt, baking time may need to be increased.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, double-wrap it securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place it in heavy-duty freezer bag. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving.
Nutrition Information
Powered by 
- Per serving (14 servings)
- Serving size: 1 slice
- Calories: 336
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated fat: 11 g
- Carbohydrates: 44 g
- Sugar: 28 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Sodium: 178 mg
- Cholesterol: 49 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Absolutely amazing and beautiful cake! The batter is nice and thick which helps support the chocolate chips; no problem with them sinking. It is incredibly moist and perfect in every way. I coated my old Bundt pan with Crisco and a dusting of flour as my mom and grandmother always taught me. It slipped out of the pan perfectly and my 10 year old son flipped over it when he finally got a slice! 😀
This is the BEST cake. My 12-year-old son adores it. It gets eaten in a day in our family. Good for breakfast or as dessert. It’s perfect with a hot cup of tea or coffee. I’m so glad I found this recipe – I’ve made it several times already. It’s also so pretty to bring to an event or give as a gift! Thanks, Jenn!
PS: You don’t taste the sour cream, it’s just one of those secret ingredients that makes it extra delicious 🙂
I’d love to do this as mini Bundt cakes – how long do you think they would need to bake (6 cakes)? I assume the oven temp would stay the same? Thanks!
Hi Erin, Yes, I’d keep the oven temp the same. I’m honestly not sure how long they’ll take — I’d start checking at 20 to 25 minutes, but keep a close eye on them. Please LMK how they turn out!
Hi Jen! Love all your recipes (even bought your book)! I’m hoping to try this for the holiday but all I have is 8×8 or 9×13 pans. Would either work? Any adjustment to baking time?
I do think it’d work but I’m not sure about the pan size — 8 inches seems too small but 9×13 seems too big. I might try a 9-inch square. You could also check out my chocolate chip muffin recipe, which is very similar.
Hi! Is it possible to replace eggs with something else in this coffee cake recipe to make it allergy friendly? What do you suggest? Thanks!
Two of the best substitutes I’ve heard about (I haven’t personally tried either of them) are a combination of water, oil, and baking powder, and carbonated water. Scroll down to the bottom of this article for more information about both. I would assume many recipes would also work with some kind of store-bought egg substitute. Hope that helps!
This is so delicious!! It’s actually even better a few days after baking! So moist and flavourful….a big hit in our family! Thank you Jenn for never disappointing!
Help Jenn,
I rechecked the ingredients 3x plus. I can’t get the cake to be baked in full. It’s very wet. I put it in again, a lot more time. Still waiting. What could I have done wrong?
Thanks,
Erica.
I’m sorry you had such a problem with this! I would think you made a measuring error, but you mentioned you triple checked the ingredients. Did you bake this in a bundt pan? Also, you may want to check your oven temperature for accuracy. Here are some tips on how to do that.
This cake is delicious. I opted to skip the cinnamon on top and used chocolate ganache instead. So good!
How long would it bake if I used a loaf pan?
Hi Kimberly, you’ll need either two 8 x 4-inch pans or one 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. The bake time should be about the same. Enjoy!
Hi,
I’ve made this recipe before for my boyfriend and his family; they loved it! I’m planning on making it for a 4th of July party and I was wondering if I would be able to use a 9×13 pan? I will most likely double the recipe since it’s a huge hit! Thank you!
Sure, Katy – that should work.
I can’t find what I need for the ingredients.. the actual amounts !!
Hi Nancy, It sounds like you are just looking at the portion of the page that has the pictures with some instructions underneath. If you scroll down a bit to under the pictures, you’ll find the full recipe. Alternatively, at the very top of the page, under the recipe name, you’ll see an orange/red button that says Jump to Recipe – if you click on that, it will take you directly to the recipe. Hope that clarifies!