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    Home » Cakes » Chocolate Crumb Cake

    Chocolate Crumb Cake

    Published: Jul 11, 2022 · Modified: Jul 2, 2022 by Amanda With 6 Comments

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    This Chocolate Crumb Cake recipe is the best of two delicious desserts combined into one. With a decadent moist chocolate cake layer, Crunchy chocolate crumble topping with added pockets of gooey chocolate chips. Amazing served warm with a scoop of cold ice cream.

    A slice of chocolate crumb cake on a white plate with a fork.

    Chocolate cake usually makes an appearance in my kitchen at least once a month, What can I say we do like dessert! Developing this chocolate crumble cake was the combination of adapting my recipe from my chocolate sprinkle cake and turning the crumble mixture that I have used in a few recipes like my apple and blueberry crumble into a chocolate crumble. As always I made mine gluten free!

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Variations
    • Equipment
    • Recipe Tips
    • Recipe FAQs
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Ingredients

    labeled ingredients for chocolate crumb cake.
    • Gluten free all purpose flour - AKA Plain flour in the UK. See baking tips for the flour blend I used when making the chocolate crumble cake.
    • Cocoa powder - Using a good quality cocoa powder will make all the difference in the outcome of the flavor of the chocolate crumb cake. Dutch-processed cocoa powder is what I recommend.
    • Xanthan Gum - Prevents ingredients from separating as it is a stabilizer. Essentially acting as gluten would gelling everything together. You can omit if your flour blend already contains xanthan gum.
    • Butter - For the crumble use cold butter straight from the fridge. For the cake I find it easiest to melt the butter in the microwave.
    • Chocolate chips - I love double chocolate and used milk chocolate chips but dark chocolate chips will also be delicious. See my gluten free chocolate information if you are unsure what chocolate is gluten free.
    • Sugar - Makes the cake light, gives moisture, and adds sweetness to the cake. I used white sugar in the chocolate cake batter and brown sugar in the chocolate crumble mix. If you only have white sugar available you can substitute the brown sugar for white sugar in the crumb topping.
    • Baking powder & Baking soda - AKA bicarbonate of soda. Acts as a leavening and rising agent by reacting to heat. Making the cake light and rise well.
    • Salt - Helps balance out the sweetness of the chocolate cake.
    • Eggs - Room temperature
    • Whole Milk - I like to take the milk out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before making the cake to allow the milk to come to room temperature.
    • Hot water - Don't skip this step as adding hot water will add moisture to the chocolate cake and prevent it from becoming too dry.

    See the recipe card for quantities.

    Instructions

    Chocolate crumble mixture in a clear bowl.

    1.In a large bowl mix together the flour, cocoa powder, and xanthan gum. Mix in the sugar, and half the chocolate chips until evenly combined then place in the fridge to chill while you make the filling.

    Chocolate cake dry ingredients in a clear bowl.

    2. In a large bowl mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, xanthan gum, and salt. In a separate bowl combine the eggs, milk, melted butter, and hot water. Mix well.

    chocolate cake batter in a clear bowl with a whisk.

    3. Add the wet ingredients into the larger bowl that contains the dry ingredient mix and whisk until fully combined and resembles a smooth chocolate cake batter. Pour the chocolate cake batter into the prepared baking tin and spread evenly within the tin.

    Chocolate cake batter topped with chocolate chips in a baking tin.

    4. With the remaining chocolate chips sprinkle evenly over the top of the chocolate cake batter.

    Chocolate crumble mixture on top of cake batter in a baking tin.

    5. Remove the crumble mixture from the fridge and spoon the chocolate crumb topping over the chocolate cake layer. Place in the oven and bake for 40-50 minutes.

    Chocolate crumb cake sliced into even sized squares on a cooling rack.

    6. You can check if it is ready by inserting a wooden skewer and when it comes out clean with only a few crumbs on the skewer it is ready to remove from the oven.

    See the recipe card for more detailed instructions.

    Variations

    • Chocolate Coffee Crumb cake - add a shot of coffee in place of the hot water to add further depth to the chocolate flavor and make a chocolate coffee cake.
    • Double chocolate crumb cake - add a mix of dark and chocolate chips because who doesn't love double the chocolate!
    • Chocolate fudge drizzle - why not go all in with the ultimate chocolate experience and add a drizzle of hot chocolate fudge sauce and serve with cold ice cream. You can use store bought fudge sauce or make your own as I have previously used in my Billy miner pie recipe.

    Equipment

    This recipe doesn't require any specialist kitchen equipment. A hand held whisk, two large bowls and a baking tin. I used 9x13 baking tin You could use an 9x9 baking tin but will take slightly longer to bake.

    Chocolate crumb cake stacked together on a cooling rack.

    Recipe Tips

    • Gluten Free Flour – I used a shop bought Gluten free flour blend from Doves Farm Freee from range. Which is a flour blend of Rice, Potato, Tapioca, Maize and Buckwheat flour. I have had reports that others have used Bob’s Red Mill and other Gluten free All purpose blends with my recipes that have worked well. I would love to know what flour blends worked for you so feel free to get in touch by leaving a comment below or you can contact me directly.
    • Kitchen Scales - Using digital scales is recommended when baking. I always measure using scales and in grams as baking is a science. When baking gluten free it is essential to weigh out ingredients to get the best results! There is no need to purchase expensive digital scales and you can find them available cheaply online. (Although for small amounts I will use spoon measurements)
    • Oven Temperatures - Your oven temperature may be slightly different. As all ovens vary in temperature and the baking time is used as a guide. Some ovens run hotter than others. You could invest in an oven thermometer to be more accurate.

    Recipe FAQs

    Can I make the Chocolate crumb cake in advance?

    Yes, The cake can be stored in an airtight container for you to enjoy for up to 3-4 days.

    Can I reheat the chocolate crumble cake?

    Yes of course. I often reheat a slice in the microwave for a few seconds and then top the warm cake with a scoop of cold ice cream, Delicious!

    Can I make chocolate crumb cake gluten free?

    Yes, This recipe is gluten free! Just be sure all ingredients used are safe and don't have any may contain gluten warning on the ingredients labels.

    Other recipes you might like

    • Chocolate Crunch Cake
    • Millionaire's Cheesecake
    • Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes
    • Gluten Free Fudge Brownie

    📖 Recipe

    A slice of chocolate crumb cake on a white plate with a fork.

    Chocolate Crumb Cake

    This Chocolate Crumb Cake is the best of two delicious desserts combined into one. With a decadent moist chocolate cake layer, a crunchy chocolate crumble topping with added pockets of gooey chocolate chips. Amazing served warm with a scoop of cold ice cream.
    4.92 from 12 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: chocolate crumb cake, chocolate crumble cake, gluten free
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Servings: 12 Servings
    Calories: 280kcal

    Nutritional information is meant as a guideline and all information is approximate.

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    Equipment

    • 9x13 baking tin You could use an 9x9 baking tin but will take slightly longer to bake.

    Ingredients

    Ingredients for the chocolate crumble layer

    • 150 grams Gluten free all purpose flour AKA Plain flour in the UK
    • 4 tablespoons Cocoa powder
    • ¼ teaspoon Xanthan Gum You can omit if your flour blend already contains xanthan gum.
    • 75 grams Butter
    • 50 grams Brown sugar
    • 100 grams Chocolate chips

    Ingredients for the chocolate cake layer

    • 200 grams Gluten free all purpose flour AKA Plain flour in UK
    • 200 grams Sugar
    • 50 grams Cocoa powder
    • 1 teaspoon Baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon Baking soda AKA bicarbonate of soda
    • ¼ teaspoon Xanthan Gum You can omit if your flour blend already contains xanthan gum.
    • ¼ teaspoon Salt
    • 200 grams Butter Melted, I find it easy to melt butter in the microwave.
    • 2 large Eggs Room temperature
    • 200 ml whole milk
    • 60 ml Hot water

    Instructions

    How to make the chocolate crumb

    • In a large bowl mix together the flour, cocoa powder, and xanthan gum.
    • Mix in the sugar, and half the chocolate chips until evenly combined then place in the fridge to chill while you make the filling.

    How to make the chocolate cake layer

    • Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.
    • Line the baking tin with parchment paper. I recommend having extra parchment paper overlap the sides of the baking tin as this will make the cake easier to remove when cooled.
    • In a large bowl mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, xanthan gum, and salt.
    • In a separate bowl combine the eggs, milk, melted butter, and hot water. Mix well.
    • Add the wet ingredients into the larger bowl that contains the dry ingredient mix and whisk until fully combined and resembles a smooth chocolate cake batter.
    • Pour the chocolate cake batter into the prepared baking tin and spread evenly within the tin.

    Assembling the chocolate crumb cake.

    • With the remaining chocolate chips sprinkle evenly over the top of the chocolate cake batter.
    • Remove the crumble mixture from the fridge and spoon the crumble mixture on top of the chocolate cake layer.
    • Place in the oven and bake for 40-50 minutes. You can check if it is ready by inserting a wooden skewer and when it comes out clean with only a few crumbs on the skewer it is ready to remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before carefully removing the chocolate crumble cake onto a cooling rack.
    • Slice into even-sized squares serve and enjoy.

    Notes

    Serving suggestion :
    • Chocolate fudge drizzle - why not go all-in with the ultimate chocolate experience and add a drizzle of hot chocolate fudge sauce and serve with cold ice cream. You can use store-bought fudge sauce or make your own as I have previously used in my Billy miner pie recipe.
    Can I make the Chocolate crumb cake in advance?
    Yes, The cake can be stored in an airtight container for you to enjoy for up to 3-4 days.
    Can I reheat the chocolate crumble cake?
    Yes of course. I often reheat a slice in the microwave for a few seconds and then top the warm cake with a scoop of cold ice cream, Delicious!
     

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 280kcal | Carbohydrates: 33.5g | Protein: 10.3g | Fat: 14.8g | Saturated Fat: 9.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 246mg | Potassium: 68mg | Fiber: 1.5g | Sugar: 17.5g

    Disclaimer

    Nutritional information is meant as a guideline and is always an approximate calculation. Recipes may include information of various products used. It is your responsibility to check that ingredients you use when making a recipe are gluten free.

    I hope you enjoyed this Chocolate Crumb Cake recipe.

    I would love your feedback.  Please rate this recipe and leave a comment below. You can also tag me in any photos taken when trying this recipe over on my Instagram.

    « Millionaire's Cheesecake
    Chocolate Sprinkle Cake »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nina

      July 17, 2022 at 3:55 pm

      Can I omit xantham gum?

      Reply
      • Amanda

        July 17, 2022 at 4:00 pm

        Hi Nina, Yes if your flour blend already contains xanthan gum then you don't need to add it to the recipe.

        Reply
    2. Rhonda

      July 23, 2022 at 1:51 am

      How much sugar in the crumb mix?

      Reply
      • Amanda

        July 23, 2022 at 10:38 am

        Hi Rhonda, Sorry I seemed to have missed that out in the ingredients. Thank you so much for catching that and letting me know. I have now updated the recipe to include 50 grams of sugar needed for the crumb mix.

        Reply
    3. Jen

      July 23, 2022 at 5:48 pm

      Such a perfect cake!! Yummy!5 stars

      Reply
      • Amanda

        July 23, 2022 at 6:37 pm

        Thank you, Jen, I am so glad you enjoyed the cake.

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Amanda! I am passionate about creating gluten free versions of all the foods that I enjoy. I love sharing them with others looking for easy but delicious gluten free recipes.

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