cocoa streusel pumpkin bread

It's hard to imagine Fall without Pumpkin Bread.

It's a staple in our home late September through November. It's so good warmed up with a dab of butter  . . . studded with chocolate chips . . . or even topped with streusel.

  

Last year, it was all about pumpkin and chocolate chip muffins with toffee streusel! 

And this year, it's all about cocoa streusel. Since discovering this chocolate, brown sugar, and cinnamon mixture a few months ago, I thought it would be delicious to add multiple layers of cocoa streusel to moist, tender pumpkin bread. Oh . . . and a chocolaty brown streusel on top is quite yummy, too!

I love this pumpkin bread recipe! It's been my favorite for several years. It's moist and flavorful . . . and calls for a whole can of pumpkin!

     And the best part . . . it tastes even better the day AFTER you bake it, and the day after that.

Cheers to Fall baking! I hope you treat your family to this delightful season treat.

moist & flavorful
pumpkin bread
3 ½ cups flour, sifted
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup sugar
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup water
1 15-ounce can of pumpkin
2 cups mini chocolate chips, optional

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare pans with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine oil, sugar, pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, and water in a large bowl.  Mix until well combined
Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and pumpkin pie spice; add to wet mixture and stir until well combined. Do not over mix.

Fold chocolate chips into batter.

You can make two or three batter/streusel layers. I prefer to make three!
Here's how . . . spoon a layer of batter into the pan(s). Sprinkle a few tablespoons of streusel evenly over the batter. Top with more batter, and then sprinkle with a few more tablespoons of streusel mixture evenly over the batter. Spoon more batter on top. Sprinkle streusel topping mixture evenly over the batter. 

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 45-50 minutes for large loafs, 20-25 minutes for mini loafs, and 15-18 minutes for muffins, and 12 minutes for mini muffins
.
Allow to cool 10 minutes;  remove and let cool on rack.

cocoa streusel 
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3/4 cup packed brown sugar

6 Tablespoons all purpose flour

4 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
3 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed
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In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. 

Using a pastry blender or fork, cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

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cocoa streusel mini cakes

Have you heard of cocoa streusel? If you're a big fan of chocolate, then you'll love it, too.

Brown sugar streusel was my favorite, that is, until I discovered cocoa streusel.

And the best part, it's a combination of cocoa AND brown sugar. Yum!

The cake that accompanies this streusel is a light version, as it calls for yogurt in the place of sour cream or oil.  It's quite moist and delicious!

There's something humble and satisfying about this combination of a light and tender crumb vanilla cake with thick ribbons of cocoa streusel running through it . . . and then topped with a chocolate glaze . . . or ganache, if you prefer something a little more rich.

This is a recipe that I keep in my 'fast and favorites' file. I hope you enjoy, too!

A wonderful Saturday or Sunday morning treat . . .

cocoa streusel

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6 Tablespoons packed brown sugar

3 Tablespoons all purpose flour

2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1/ 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

4 Tablespoons cold stick unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

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Mix brown sugar, flour, cocoa, and cinnamon in a small bowl.

Cut in butter with fork, or pastry cutter, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

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Cake
1/ 1/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg, plus one large egg white
6 Tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup non-fat vanilla yogurt
2 Tablespoons mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray cavities of 1 (12 cavity) mini fluted cake pan with baking spray.

Whisk flour, baking soda and powder, in a medium bowl. 

With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat brown sugar and butter until creamy. Add eggs and mix until blended. Reduce speed to low.  Alternately add flour mixture and yogurt, beginning and ending with flour mixture, just until combined.

Divide scant 2/3 cup batter by rounded Tablespoonfuls into each cavity; spread evenly with finger.

Top evenly with 1 Tablespoon chocolate chips and half streusel.

Repeat with half of remaining batter, remaining 1 Tablespoon chocolate chips and remaining streusel.

Top evenly with remaining batter.

Bake until toothpick inserted near edge of each cake comes out clean, about 20 minute.

Cool cakes in pan on rack 5 minutes.

Unmold cakes onto rack and cool completely.

chocolate glaze

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2/3 cup confectioners' sugar

3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1 1/2 Tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon light corn syrup

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Whisk confectioners' sugar, cocoa, milk and corn syrup in bowl until smooth. 

Set cakes on rack over sheet wax paper. 

Top cakes evenly with glaze, letting it drip down the sides.

Let stand until glaze sets, 1 hour.

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OR

chocolate ganache glaze

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1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 teaspoon light corn syrup

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Pour chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl.
Place bowl in microwave for 30 seconds. Take out and stir.
Place back into microwave for 30 second intervals until the chocolate melts.
Stir in corn syrup until smooth and shiny.

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