Peppermint Mocha Coffee Cake
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Indulge in the flavors of the season with this Peppermint Mocha Coffee Cake — a delectable fluffy, rich chocolate cake that’s infused with peppermint. I top this festive coffee cake with an espresso streusel topping and a generous serving of chocolate glaze!
If you are looking for more coffee cake recipes, be sure to check out some of my other favorites like my Cinnamon Pecan Babka Coffee Cake, Coffee Cake Muffins, or my Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake.
This is the ultimate Christmas cake that is perfect for baking ahead of time for Christmas morning! This easy coffee cake combines chocolate, peppermint, and espresso powder for a Peppermint Mocha Coffee Cake that is sure to become a holiday tradition!
This organic cake is so much better than something you'd buy from a store. Using simple organic ingredients to make a homemade coffee cake really shows your loved ones you care about them and the ingredients they eat. This organic cake is free of preservatives, seeds oils, and flavorings that you would find in traditional store bought coffee cake!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Festive: This Peppermint Mocha Coffee Cake is perfect for any holiday occasion! It doesn’t have to be brunch to enjoy this Christmas cake. It also makes a wonderful dessert too!
Peppermint Mocha: Do I need to say more? This Peppermint Mocha Coffee Cake turns your favorite holiday latte into a cake! A light chocolate cake sponge cake with a hint of peppermint is topped with an espresso streusel and finished off with chocolate glaze. Elevate your seasonal gatherings with the irresistible charm of this Peppermint Mocha Coffee Cake!
Streusel Topping: The best coffee cake always has a streusel toppings! This one is especially delicious as the espresso powder is inside the topping and it’s also topped with a chocolate glaze.
Christmas Cake: You can enjoy this organic cake for breakfast or for dessert. The holiday flavors of this coffee cake can be enjoyed anytime of day!
Ingredients
- Butter: I use Organic Valley Salted Butter for both the coffee cake and the streusel topping.
- Cane Sugar: I use organic cane sugar it's less processed than granulated white sugar.
- Peppermint Extract: I use organic peppermint extract to give this Christmas cake all the holiday vibes.
- Greek Yogurt: This makes this coffee cake extra moist, especially with the addition of cocoa which can dry out cake sometimes. So, this really helps.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: I use Organic Valley Heavy Whipping Cream, you can use your favorite.
- Eggs: Use large eggs.
- All Purpose Flour: My favorite is Cairnspring Mills.
- Dutch Cocoa Powder: I use organic Dutch cocoa powder in both the coffee cake and the glaze. This is a sweeter cocoa powder than natural, so I don't recommend swapping it.
- Baking Powder: Use baking powder, not soda. Be sure to check out my post the Difference Between Baking Soda and Baking Powder for more info on leavening agents.
- Salt: Use fine sea salt.
- Light Brown Sugar: I use my homemade light brown sugar recipe, but store bought also works.
- Espresso Powder: I use organic espresso powder in the streusel topping. This ensures bold flavor in a small amount.
- Powdered Sugar: Make sure to sift powdered sugar for the glaze so it's nice and smooth.
- Milk: Use whole milk for the best flavor.
Tools Needed
- Scale: Always use a digital food scale for the best results.
- Stand Mixer: I use my stand mixer for ease, but if you prefer to make the cake batter with a hand mixer, you can also do that.
- 9-inch Cake Pan: You'll need one 9-inch cake pan to bake this coffee cake.
- Parchment Paper: I always use nontoxic parchment paper cake rounds so the cake can easily be removed from the pan.
- Mixing Bowl: You'll need a mixing bowl to mix up the streusel topping.
- Spatula: I use a spatula to mix up the topping.
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Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
Step 2
To make the batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, cane sugar, and peppermint extract. Mix on low until combined and there are no butter chunks. Add the yogurt, heavy cream, and eggs and mix on low until combined.
In a separate bowl, add the all purpose flour, cocoa, baking powder, and sea salt and whisk together. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and continue to mix on low until combined into a smooth batter, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and spread out evenly. Bake for 20 minutes. Set a timer. While the cake is baking, prepare the topping.
Step 3
To make the topping: In a medium bowl, add the melted butter, flour, cane sugar, light brown sugar, and espresso powder to a medium bowl. Fold together with a spatula until you have a paste.
Step 4
Once the timer goes off, remove the cake from the oven and using your hands, crumble the topping onto the partially baked cake batter. Return the cake to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before removing from the pan.
Step 5
To make the glaze: Add the powdered sugar, cocoa, and milk into a small bowl and whisk together. Drizzle the glaze on top of the cake.
Baker's Tips
- Make sure your butter is soft. This is key! I prefer leaving butter out on the counter overnight to soften naturally, especially in the cooler months. If you must microwave it, then only do 10 second intervals per ½ cup, even if you have to do that two times.
- The eggs, yogurt, and heavy whipping cream all say to be room temperature. You can measure and leave these things out for an our or so before baking. Having room temperature eggs, yogurt, and heavy whipping cream will make your batter incredibly smooth and prevent butter chunks. When cold ingredients (like eggs or dairy) are added into creamed butter, it can easily clump. So, this prevents that from happening.
- The tip to the best streusel topping that doesn’t sink into your cake is to put it on halfway through baking. This ensures that the cake is partially baked, which will prevent the topping from falling into the cake! So, this step is super important!
- Make sure the coffee cake has cooled completely before adding the glaze. If you are baking this the night before, then you can even glaze it in the morning right before serving.
- This is a great Christmas cake to bake the night before as the streusel topping seals in the cake, keeping it super moist. So, if you need to prep ahead of time, you can bake this the day before. Just leave it out on the counter and it will be just fine!
- Once the cake is removed from the cake pan and cut, be sure to store extra cake in a cake dome or in an airtight container so it stays moist and fluffy.
FAQ's
Yes, I include gluten free baking instructions in the Notes at the bottom of the recipe. I also include a link to the gluten free flour used to test this recipe!
Yes, all my recipes can be made at high altitude with just one simple adjustment! Be sure to look at the Notes at the bottom of the recipe for high altitude baking instructions if you live above 5,000 feet.
Yes, this is a perfect cake to make ahead of time which makes it a wonderful choice for Christmas morning! If you make the cake ahead of time, you can leave it in the baking pan and just let it sit out on the counter overnight as the crumb topping will seal in the cake, preventing it from drying out. If you remove the cake from the pan and glaze it, then be sure to store it in a cake dome so it stays moist.
Craving More?
Peppermint Mocha Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Batter
- 113 grams salted butter (softened)
- 170 grams cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 113 grams Greek yogurt (room temperature)
- 113 grams heavy whipping cream (room temperature)
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 191 grams all purpose flour
- 43 grams Dutch cocoa powder (sifted)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Topping
- 85 grams salted butter (melted)
- 95 grams all purpose flour
- 57 grams cane sugar
- 57 grams light brown sugar (packed)
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
Glaze
- 142 grams powdered sugar (sifted)
- 15 grams Dutch cocoa powder (sifted)
- 3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
- To make the batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, cane sugar, and peppermint extract. Mix on low until combined and there are no butter chunks. Add the yogurt, heavy cream, and eggs and mix on low until combined.
- In a separate bowl, add the all purpose flour, cocoa, baking powder, and sea salt and whisk together. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and continue to mix on low until combined into a smooth batter, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and spread out evenly. Bake for 20 minutes. Set a timer. While the cake is baking, prepare the topping.
- To make the topping: In a medium bowl, add the melted butter, flour, cane sugar, light brown sugar, and espresso powder to a medium bowl. Fold together with a spatula until you have a paste.
- Once the timer goes off, remove the cake from the oven and using your hands, crumble the topping onto the partially baked cake batter. Return the cake to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before removing from the pan.
- To make the glaze: Add the powdered sugar, cocoa, and milk into a small bowl and whisk together. Drizzle the glaze on top of the cake.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
Notes
Nutrition
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The ultimate breakfast for Christmas morning!