Chocolate Chunk Pecan Crunch Cake

Chocolate Chunk Pecan Crunch Cake is such a beautiful cake with wonderful flavors. Serve this one most any time of day for a sweet treat!

If I were to start making a list of my favorite things to bake and my favorite baking flavors, I would probably make a fairly lengthy list. But you can be sure that near the top would be Bundt cakes, chocolate, cinnamon, and pecans. That makes my love of this Chocolate Chunk Pecan Crunch Cake a given.

This lovely cake starts with a sweet, nutty, cinnamon-y mixture that’s placed in the bottom of the pan to make a fantastic topping. That’s followed by a soft, moist cake packed with chunks of chocolate and a bit of orange zest. The total package is one really wonderful cake!

That crunchy topping is a great contrast in texture to the soft cake. Plus, you get little bites of dark chocolate scattered throughout the cake. If you don’t have chocolate chunks, you can either roughly chop some chocolate or use chocolate chips. Using chunks of chocolate is not required, but I do somehow like them better than chocolate chips in this cake. I think pairing them with that crunchy topping adds to the overall feeling of a somewhat casual, rustic cake.

The addition of orange zest to the cake gives it a more interesting taste. It doesn’t overwhelm the other flavors, but rather works alongside them to contribute to the fantastic flavor. I’m generally not a fan of chocolate and orange together, but it works really well for me in this cake. If you’re hesitant to introduce orange to these other flavors, then dial it back a bit. Or just omit it completely if you’re not a fan of orange.

This is the kind of cake that I consider an all-day cake. It’s a great choice for a special breakfast or brunch. Or how about an afternoon snack with your favorite coffee or tea? And, of course, there’s dessert time when a slice of this cake would be more than welcomed.

I just can’t get enough of this wonderful cake. From the flavor to the texture, it’s pretty perfect in my book. The chocolate, cinnamon, orange, and pecans are in just the right amounts to complement and not overpower each other. This is a cake that’s been in my recipe collection for years, and I expect it to stay there for a long, long time. And I think you’ll want to add it to your collection, too!

More Chocolate Chip Bundt Cakes

• Chocolate Chip Muffin Cake
• Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Pound Cake
• Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

Yield: 12 to 16 servings

Chocolate Chunk Pecan Crunch Cake

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Chocolate Chunk Pecan Crunch Cake's amazing flavor is great for everything from brunch to dessert!

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Ingredients

For the topping:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup (100g) firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup (90g) chopped pecans

For the cake:

• 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 & 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• zest of 1 medium orange
• 1 & 1/2 cups (340g) sour cream
• 2/3 cup (113g) chocolate chunks

Instructions

To make the topping:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour (or use a baking spray with flour) a 12-cup Bundt pan.
2. Combine 2 tablespoons butter and brown sugar until combined. Add 2 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, and pecans, and mix until combined.
3. Sprinkle the mixture evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan. Set aside while you make the cake batter.

To make the cake:

1. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla and orange zest.
3. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add the flour mixture in three portions, alternating with two portions of sour cream. Mix just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chunks.
4. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, and spread evenly.
5. Bake 65 to 75 minutes, or until the cake is browned and a pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then transfer the cake directly to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Recipe slightly adapted from Chocolate by Nick Malgieri.

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