Peppermint Mocha Coffee Cake

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 a streusel topping and a generous serving of chocolate espresso glaze!

If you are looking for more holiday brunch recipes, be sure to check out some of my other favorites like Frosted Gingerbread Baked Donuts, Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls, Maple Pumpkin Spice Baked Donuts, or Carrot Cake Donuts with Apple Cider Glaze.

A Quick Look At The Recipe

• Recipe Name: Peppermint Mocha Coffee Cake
• Ready In: 55 minutes
• Makes: 9-inch coffee cake
• Main Ingredients: butter, cane sugar, Dutch cocoa, espresso powder
• Flavor Profile: rich chocolate espresso with a hint of mint
• Dietary Info: no seed oils
• Difficulty: Easy!
• Why You’ll Love It: cozy coffee cake that tastes like a peppermint mocha

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 a streusel topping and finished off with chocolate espresso glaze. Elevate your seasonal gatherings with the irresistible charm of this Peppermint Mocha Coffee Cake!
• Streusel Topping: Buttery, crispy and sweet this streusel topping gives this Christmas cake a wonderful texture.
• 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

• Peppermint Extract: I use organic peppermint extract to give this Christmas cake all the holiday vibes. If using a peppermint flavor, that's okay too, just double it.
• 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. If you don't have Greek yogurt, you can use sour cream in its place.
• Heavy Whipping Cream: I use Organic Valley Heavy Whipping Cream, you can use your favorite.
• 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.
• Light Brown Sugar: I use my homemade light brown sugar, but store bought also works. Light brown sugar gives the streusel topping a rich flavor!
• Espresso Powder: I use organic espresso powder in the chocolate glaze, feel free to omit this if you don't want to use espresso.

*For a full list of ingredients and measurements, visit the recipe card below.

Baker's Tips for Peppermint Mocha Coffee Cake

• Always weigh ingredients for the best results.
• 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 should all be at room temperature. You can measure and leave these things out for an hour 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. And it ensures the cake has a tender crumb and is not dry.
• The tip for 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!
• Depending on how thick or thin you want the glaze, you can use less milk or more. Use less milk if you want a thicker glaze (like it looks in the photos), use more if you want a thinner glaze more similar to a donut glaze.
• 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 if you prefer.
• 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.
• Gluten Free — Replace the all purpose flour in the batter with 191 grams (scant 1 ¼ cups) gluten free flour blend and replace the all purpose flour in the topping with 95 grams (½ cup plus 1 tablespoon) gluten free flour blend.
• High Altitude — Bake at 375°F for 15 minutes. After the topping is added bake for 15 to 20 more minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

How to Make Peppermint Mocha Coffee Cake

1. 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. 

2. Mix on low until combined and there are no butter chunks. 

3. Add the yogurt, heavy cream, and eggs and mix on low until combined.

4. In a separate bowl, add the all purpose flour, cocoa, baking powder, and sea salt and whisk together. Add into the bowl with the butter.

5. Mix on low until combined into a smooth batter, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

6. 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.

7. Melt the butter for the streusel topping.

8. To make the topping: In a medium bowl, add the melted butter, flour, cane sugar and light brown sugar, to a medium bowl. Fold together with a spatula until you have a paste.

9. Once the timer goes off, remove the cake from the oven and using your hands, crumble the topping onto the partially baked cake batter.

10. 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.

11. To make the glaze: Add the powdered sugar, cocoa, espresso powder, and milk into a small bowl and whisk together.

12. Drizzle the glaze on top of the cake.

Recipe FAQ's

What to Serve with Peppermint Mocha Coffee Cake

• Enjoy this as a holiday brunch treat with classic breakfast recipes like Fluffy Scrambled Eggs With Sour Cream, Maple Turkey Breakfast Sausages, or Homemade Pork Breakfast Sausage Patties.
• Make this part of your Christmas brunch with other festive recipes like Hot Chocolate Sweet Rolls, Spiced Eggnog Babka Buns, or Homemade Eggnog Waffles.
• Enjoy this as a dessert with a cozy cocoa like Creamy Dark Hot Chocolate With Homemade Whipped Cream, Bone Broth Hot Cocoa, or Caramel Hot Cocoa.

More Holiday Brunch Recipes

Quick One Rise Cinnamon Rolls From Scratch

Cinnamon Honey Butter Spread Recipe

Eggless Cinnamon Pecan Babka Coffee Cake

Spiced Eggnog Babka Buns