Updated 06.18.26
Building the cake means a layer of batter, then the nut and cinnamon mixture, then more batter on top, and it always looks like there will not be enough batter to cover everything, right up until it does. The result is a cake with a hidden dark seam running through the center, crumbly on the outside and dense with nuts in the middle. The chocolate glaze on top is simple and drizzled so it travels down the sides rather than sitting flat on top.
This is a small bundt, which is more cake than two people need in one sitting, but it is small enough that the coffee cake is gone in 3-4 days, depending on the sizes you cut.
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Key Ingredients in This Recipe
You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities in the recipe below.
FOR THE CAKE
- Butter
- Granulated sugar
- Egg
- Self-rising flour
- Sour cream
- Vanilla extract
FOR THE NUT MIXTURE
- Brown sugar – light brown and dark brown will both work
- Mixed nuts – I have used almonds, pecans
- Cinnamon
FOR THE CHOCOLATE GLAZE
- Confectioner’s sugar
- Cocoa powder
- Milk
- Vanilla extract
How to Make a Coffee Cake with Chocolate Glaze
Step 1 – In a large bow, cream butter and granulated sugar until fluffy and light.
Step 2 – Add the egg and the vanilla extract and mix.
Step 3 – Mix salt with self-rising flour. Add the flour and the sour cream alternately to the batter and mix just until combined after each addition.
Step 4 – Grease a small bundt cake with baking spray or butter and dust with flour. Fill it with half of the cake batter.
Step 5 – Grind the mixed nuts, brown sugar and cinnamon fine and divide it over the cake batter. Cover the ground nuts with the remaining cake batter.
Place the bundt pan in the oven (300°F) and bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Step 6 – Take the cake out of the bundt pan and allow to cool completely.
Make the chocolate glaze by mixing powdered sugar with cocoa powder, vanilla extract and milk.
Drizzle this over the cooled cake and allow the glaze to run down the inner and outer side of the cake for maximum effect.
The time to bake this cake is significant shorter than a traditional large bundt cake would need. The size is the bundt pan is the reason. The smaller the form the shorter the baking time. The small bundt pan I used is about 6 inches in diameter and holds 3 cups.
Most traditional bundt cakes have a volume of 12 cups and there are ones that are 15 cups. A 3-cup-bundt pan is a great size for small households and yields about 6-8 pieces.
Bundt cakes are so much better looking than a loaf cake, even without a glaze. But, there are a few hurdles that you could encounter. In the FAQ below I will try to touch on all of them.
Frequently Asked Questions
After all the work you put in, you Bundt cake refuses to come out cleanly, in one piece. Most of the time the reason is the preparation of the bundt pan itself. Use shortening, butter or a baking spray and then use a pastry brush (even when you use a spray) to spread it in each nook and cranny, and along with the inner tube (often forgotten).
When you spray the pan ahead of time, the spray can slowly been drizzle down the pan and settle into the bottom of the pan. To keep that from happening, wait to spray the pan until just before you add the batter.
YES, please don’t forget this step. You can use flour (use the flour you use in the cake itself), cocoa powder for chocolate cakes or sugar for a crunchy finish. Make sure all sides are covered (including the inner tube) and then shake out the excess.
Yes, most of the times. When all the batter is in the pan, gently tap the pan on your counter to dislodge any air bubbles that may have formed. Do this especially when you have a bundt pan with a beautiful design and a lot of nooks and crannies. Also never forget to do this when you have a batter with a thick batter or when you make a fruit cake.
When your cake batter is like a sponge cake, DON’T tap the pan as it may deflate the batter.
Traditional large bundt cakes (12-15 cups) need to bake for 45-60 minutes. My recipes are tailored for two and thus I use a much smaller bundt cake pan (3 cups) and that reduces the baking time dramatically. My small bundt cake bakes for about 30 minutes.
I always check a cake towards the end of the set baking time by inserting a toothpick in the thick part of the cake. It is done when it comes out clean, withe a few crumbs attached, but without any wet batter.
Allow the cake cool in the pan for about 10–15 minutes before inverting it onto a wire rack. When you remove it too early, the cake may crack, while leaving it in too long, may cause the sugar in the cake to sweat and stick. Tap the pan a few times to loosen the cake.
Yes you can, but I suggest you shouldn’t. Bundt pans do not have smooth edges, so using a knife will most likely scratch your pan, which you will regret the next time you use it. If you have to use something, find a silicone utensil.
A glaze is about the only option to decorate a bundt cake, as the shape itself seems beautiful enough. Allow your cake cool completely, it should not feel warm to the touch at all. If you apply it too early it will simply run down the cake and pool at the bottom. Give you cake time to cool and then you can drizzle the glaze and create a stunning dessert.
Two notes up front. 1. You’re not alone, I’ve seen, I’ve done it. It sucks, but it’s not the end of the world. 2. DON’T throw out the cake, when the cake tastes wonderful, it’s a waste throwing it away. Instead use your creativity to cover the damage, like
a thick frosting or ganache on the top of your cake may fill in the gaps. Alternatively or additionally, use fruit, like strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or orange slices; cut them, and pile them up on top of the frosting or ganache.
Coffee Cake with Chocolate Glaze
Pin Recipe FacebookIngredients
For the cake
- 2 ounces butter
- 2 ounces granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 3 ounces self-rising flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 ounces sour cream
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the nut mixture.
- 2 ounces brown sugar
- 1 1/2 ounces mixed nuts, ground
- 1/4 tablespoon cinnamon
Chocolate Glaze
- 5 tablespoons confectioner's sugar
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 2 1/2 teaspoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Spray a bundt pan with baking spray or grease with butter. When using butter, dust the pan with flour. (NOTE 1)
For the cake
- In a bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy and light.
- Add the egg and the vanilla extract and mix.
- Mix self-rising flour with salt. (NOTE 2)
- Add the flour and the sour cream alternately to the batter and mix just until combined after each addition.
- Fill the bundt pan with half of the cake batter.
- Mix the brown sugar, nuts and cinnamon and grind until fine.
- Divide the ground nuts over the first layer of batter and top off with the remaining batter.
- Place the bundt pan in the bottom half of the oven and bake for approx. 30 minutes.
- Cake is done when a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool completely. (NOTE 3)
For the chocolate glaze
- Mix all the ingredients until you have a uniform mixture.
- Drizzle this over the cake, once the cake is cool.
Notes
- Instead of dusting with flour, you can dust with cocoa powder or sugar.
- If you don’t have self-rising flour you can use all-purpose flour or cake flour and add 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
- Before you apply the glaze, make sure the cake is cooled completely.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Oh my goodness! This looks so good! And the glaze seems so unexpected but amazing!! Def gonna try.
Oh goood heavens, I am definitely going to try this recipe. My mouth is watering, so perfect.
I would bing eat this!!! It would be great with my coffee in the morning.
Oh wow this cake looks great. I am trying this .
This looks delicious! I haven’t made a coffee cake in quite a while and am tempted to change that now.