Based on one of my grandmother’s classic recipes, this moist and tender sour cream chocolate chip coffee cake is studded with chocolate chips and features a crunchy cinnamon sugar topping that’s a delight to behold (and even more so to eat!)

Grandma’s famous coffee cake is back… now with chocolate chips! Sure the apple version is good and all, but let’s be honest with ourselves here: chocolate chips are so much better.

The cake itself is moist and tender, slightly more dense and rustic-crumbed than a standard white layer cake. It falls somewhere in between the texture of a cake and a muffin. And we’ll go ahead and go all in on that muffin influence as excuse to eat this cake for breakfast (that IS why they call it coffee cake, after all).

Whoever decided to call it coffee cake was a freaking genius I tell you. One, because cake and coffee were clearly meant to be enjoyed together, and two, because cake for breakfast is always a good idea.

Knowing my grandma and her enormous sweet tooth, I’m sure she would have approved of such behavior (and would likely join in on the fun).

But the best part of this coffee cake, aside from the chocolate chips of course, is the crispy sugar topping. There’s really no need for a complicated crumb here (or anywhere, really), as simply sprinkling and swirling some cinnamon sugar inside and on top of the cake batter results in a delicately crispy topping that’s simply divine. With a few extra chocolate chips and some crispy cacao nibs, it’s practically perfect in every way.

I opted out of the nuts this time (but my all means, go nuts if you like!) and sprinkled the top with a few cacao nibs for some added crunch.

(more…)