Chocolate Streusel-Ribboned Cake

The Chocolate Streusel-Ribboned Cake from the book Coffee Cakes: Simple, Sweet and Savory by Lou Seibert Pappas is the next bake for the members of The Home Bakers. The Home Bakers  is hosted by Joyce from Kitchen Flavours. If you are keen to join us, please contact Joyce. 

This is a beautiful fine butter cake and layered (on top and inside) with a delicious cinnamon-chocolate streusel. The streusel is supposed to appear like ribbons weaving through the cake. Mine didn't look that much like ribbons which didn't matter because it was such a delicious cake. The cake texture was moist and fine while the chocolate walnut streusel was crunchy and fragrant/ The contrasting textures went well together. The streusel wasn't exactly very chocolate-y but my whole family enjoyed the cake very much. It  also stayed moist for a few days. According to Pappas, this cake was popular several decades ago and I can certainly understand why - it's definitely a perfect tea time treat!

I baked half the recipe in a six inch tin and regretted that I did not make the full recipe after the first bite. Here is my list of scaled down ingredients. Please go to Louanne's Kitchen for the full recipe.

Chocolate Streusel-Ribboned Cake (6 inch)

Chocolate Streusel

• 1 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
• 1 1/2 tbs unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/6 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 plus 2 tbsp chopped pecans or walnuts

Cake

• 62 g of unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp of granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 large eggs (I weighed one beaten egg and took out half to get 1/2 an egg)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/8 tsp almond extract (omitted)
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp (a pinch) of salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream (replace with low fat yoghurt)