Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake
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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
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- 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.
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Where is the coffee in this recipe? It looks so nice but I want coffee in it🙂
Hi Tonya, Sorry for any confusion. Coffee cake doesn’t actually contain any coffee; it’s just called that as it would be nice served with a cup of coffee. Hope that clarifies! I do have a bundt cake that has some coffee in case you’d like to give it a try.
Delicious! I made this morning as had some left over sour cream. Easy to follow recipe and tastes great.
Can I replace sour cream with sour milk? If so what’s the amount? 1:1?
Hi Laura, sour milk makes me a little nervous, but technically it will work. The cake may have a slightly different texture if you go with that over the sour cream.
This came out perfect! So moist and tasty. I will definitely make again. Thank you!
I have made this cake twice, but I had problems both times. On my first attempt, the cake stuck to the bundt pan and the top came off in pieces when I tried to get the cake out of the pan. I had followed the directions exactly as they were written. The cake was also too dry even though I did not overbake it. My pan was greased well too. On my second attempt I used a brand-new, non-stick Bundt pan, and I added a little over 1 T. of cooking oil to the recipe (I read to try that in an online article). I used my mini Ninja to chop up my chocolate pieces, and I folded them in by hand so that they wouldn’t sink to the bottom (top when inverted) of my pan. My cake came out of the Bundt pan easily, and it tasted delicious, but it was very crumbly (but not dry). So what did I do wrong the second time?
Hi Terri, I’m sorry that after all that, the cake came out crumbly for you! Did you by any chance slice the cake when it was still a bit warm? If it’s not completely cool when you slice it, it can be crumbly.
I want to make this but I don’t have a full cup of sour cream. I’m three tablespoons short. Can I add three tablespoons of butter to even it out?
Hi Abbie, I’d replace the sour cream with yogurt if you have it. If not I’d use milk. Hope that helps!
can I use egg substitute for this recipe?
Hi Sarah, I’ve never made it with egg substitute, but it should work. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Chef!
Can you tell me in grams the amount of butter needed? I think I’ve put in too much 🙈
Hi Mari, It’s 113 grams. If you look in the top right corner of the recipe, you’ll see a button that allows you to toggle between metric and cup measures. 🙂
Hi Jenn,
I am contemplating either this cake or the sour cream ricotta for Christmas Eve. I have a beautiful rose shaped tube cake pan. Do you think this recipe would work in that or get stuck in the little crevices?
Thank you,
Dawn
Hi Dawn, I’m always concerned that cakes like this will get stuck in pans that have all the detailing you’ve described. Sorry!
Incredibly delicious. Elicits a lot of OMG’s and various other yummy noises! Completely easy cake perfection. I agree with the author about Ghirardelli chips. I also think a quality bundt pan, generously buttered, makes a difference. That slight toasty crunch adds a lot to the enjoyment.
Can I add orange zest or juice to this recipe? If so, how much would you recommend? Thanks!
Sure! I’d use 1 teaspoon.
Thanks!
I made this cake today and we are really enjoying it. It’s moist and chocolatey with a little sweet crunch on the edges. I baked it in a 9 x 9 pan. It took 40 minutes to bake. The next time I make it I want to try it in a 9 x 13 pan to be more of a cookie bar.
Amazing coffee cake!!!!! I want to eat the entire thing.
Do you think this would work with milk chocolate chips? Thanks you.
Sure – enjoy!
I made this cake yesterday and my grandson who never really eats cake said it was the best cake he ever tasted, He wants me to make it for his birthday. Thanks for sharing
I followed the recipe exactly, and it came out beautifully. It’s perfectly moist but has that good bundt cake texture that makes it not crumbly like a typical coffeecake. I can’t recommend this recipe enough!
Can you substitute buttermilk for the sour cream?
Sure – buttermilk may give the cake a slightly different texture, but it should work. Hope you enjoy!
Love this recipe and your sour cream coffee cake recipe that I make all the time! For people with sinking chips – I find that the butter should not be super soft but just at room temp – still cool to touch and I cream it with the sugar for a long time. The batter is very thick and holds the chips. Love all your recipes!
I just made this. The cake is so moist it’s ridiculous. Delicious. I am VERY happy with the way it turned out. Another successful recipe.
Just about to make this cake. At the end of the recipe itself, it says the cake can be frozen for up to two months. In the freezer instructions, up to three months. I’m probably reading the recipe wrong but wanted to check.
Hi Leslie, Sorry for any confusion — it can be frozen for up to 3 months (and I’ve just updated the recipe). Hope you enjoy if you make it! 🙂
Just made the cake Jenn and it’s delicious. So good, in fact, that it will be eaten long before it has any chance of making it to the freezer. 🙂 Thank you so much for continuing to provide such amazing recipes!
I have no idea how you always do it but your recipes just do not miss. Amazing. I made this gluten free with Cup4Cup flour & it is a new favorite in my house. Absolutely delicious!
I made this recipe because I had leftover sour cream that I did not know what to do with. This recipe came out so moist and flavorful.
I made this for a dinner party when I needed a quick dessert recipe and it was DELICIOUS!!
I cut back the sugar by 1/8 of a cup and did half white sugar and half brown sugar. I doubled up the vanilla extract and added in a pinch about an eighth of a teaspoon, of almond extract . Also added in chopped walnuts ~1cup.
Served with maple syrup sweetened whipped cream. I didn’t top it w anything but certainly could — a light dusting of powdered sugar.
Guests and neighbors and work LOVED IT. thank you for sharing ❤️❤️
Hi, just wondering if i could substitute plain yogurt for the sour cream and if there are any changes you’d make to the recipe. Thanks.
Plain yogurt would be fine with no modifications. Hope you enjoy!
This cake is really moist with a great flavor. I will definitely make this again.
It came out exactly as shown, I have 2 small tricks I have found that I would like to share. The first is put chips in a bowl, throw a big pinch of flour on them and make sure all coated before adding to batter – it ensures they do not “drop” to the bottom. The second is if you want a glaze but do not feel like making one, take vanilla or chocolate frosting (premade), half a container and put in a microwave safe bowl for 20 seconds – instant glaze. I used a rainbow sprinkle vanilla one for this cake. Delicious recipe -thank you will make again.
Using mini chocolate chips, no flour required, also ensures an even distribution of chips throughout the cake.
Simply delicious! I did have to cook it 5 minutes longer than the stated 40 minutes, but my Bundt pan may have been a different size. This would be a great cake to bring to a brunch. The final touch of cinnamon and a dusting of confectioner’s sugar really completes both the look and taste. Another winner, Jenn, so thank you again!
Made this last night and it was a hit with everyone in my family. I loved how moist and perfectly sweet it is. Very good with a cup of strong black coffee.
This is a beautiful and moist cake! The chocolate chips do not sink, and it has a great flavour. I also made it as a coffee cake, and baked it in a springform pan (I omitted the choc chips). I put a pecan streusel in the center, and on top. Delicious!
You could make the cake and fold in blueberries or raspberries too. I’m going to do that next with some lemon zest! Thank you Jenn!!
I’ve made this cake several times now. It’s a great cake for when guests come over. Easy to make, delicious, and pairs well with coffee.
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!
You say a stick of butter, but how many grams exactly is this? Thanks Jen
Hi Iram, it’s the equivalent of 110 grams. And this recipe has conversions to metric/weight. To view them, scroll down to the recipe and immediately under the recipe title on the right side, you’ll see a little toggle. If you move it from “cup measures” to metric, you’ll see measurements that will work for you. Hope that helps!
Hi
I am planning to make this cake tomorrow and checked the ingredients twice – but I can’t find any specs on coffee type or weight to be used – can you pl explain? Thanks in advance
Devaki
Hi Devaki, Sorry for any confusion. Coffee cake doesn’t actually contain any coffee; it’s just called that as it would be nice served with a cup of coffee. Hope that clarifies! 🙂
Hi Jen, I’m sorry but I did my best. I did twice and both are fails. I’m hopeless. I did exactly what you said in the recipe, but unfortunately it didn’t work out for me. I wonder what I did wrong with it.
I’m so sorry you had a problem with this (twice)! When you say it was a fail, what was the problem with the cake? Maybe with a little more info, I can help you troubleshoot.
Very simple and delicious cake!
Made it last night and already half gone this morning!
Kids and hubby are eating it up!
Thank you for sharing such a simple and delicious recipe ❣️
I made this cake and it came out perfect. Not too sweet and so moist. I used mini chocolate chips. I plan on making it again. It’s a lovely cake to make just because I feel like baking. Thank you!
Hi, how do you think it might turn out to add fresh raspberries to the recipe, while perhaps also reducing the number of chocolate chips somewhat ?
Hi Todd, If that’s a flavor combination you enjoy, I think it will work. I’d go easy on the berries though, as they will make the cake tart.
Hi Jenn,
I love your recipes. Always a success. I would like to bake this cake, but with dried fruits instead of chocolate chips. Would this work?
Thanks
Hi Berna, So glad you like the recipes! I’ve never tried it, but I suspect this will work with dried fruits. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Wonderful! With dried raisins and apricots, turned out great, as always. Many thanks for all these nice recipes.
So glad it turned out nicely — thanks for reporting back!
Thanks Jenn! Tried the cinnamon walnut cake and it turned out delicious – I’ll be making the choco chips one today!
👍
Could I make this in a loaf pan since I don’t have a bundt pan? Or an 8×8 pan? What adjustments should I make to temperature and time? Thanks!
Hi T, Yes– I think you’d 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!
This sour cream chocolate chip coffee cake recipe is really, really good. I have already made it 3 times and always comes out perfect.
I am learning to bake with your fabulous recipes. Thanks Jen!
Hi, I made this at my lunch break today and it turned out great. Wish I could send you a picture to show you how it looks.
Will definitely be making this again. Very easy to follow and I love the step by step look … thank you…
So glad you enjoyed this! Unfortunately, the blog isn’t set up to receive pictures but if you’re on Instagram, you can share it there; be sure to tag me @onceuponachef! 🙂
This is perfect. It turned out beautifully and is sort of terrifyingly delicious. I prepared my bundt pan with butter and brown sugar. I used a full 11.5-ounce bag of Guittard dark chocolate.
Hi Jenn,
I don’t have a Bundt pan here at my vacation home. Can I use an 8 or 9 in round? Thanks!
Hi Camille, I don’t think all of the batter will fit into an 8 or 9-inch round pan, but you could fill it up about halfway with batter and put make muffins with the remaining batter. If you have muffin tins where you are, you may want to check out this recipe — it’s very similar.