DARK CHOCOLATE CINNAMON PECAN COFFEE CAKE

DARK CHOCOLATE-CINNAMON PECAN COFFEE CAKE by NancyCreative, adapted from Bon Appetit

http://nancycreative.com/2014/02/19/dark-chocolate-cinnamon-pecan-coffee-cake/

We all really liked this.  Went great with eggs, fruit and sausage.  The only thing I would like to try is coconut in it.

Makes 9-12 servings in an 8 x 8″ pan

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for greasing pan
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• 1 cup (6 ounces) dark chocolate chips (would be good to try rough cut up chocolate too)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup granulated sugar, divided (I used sugar that had been sitting in discarded vanilla beans)
• 2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup plain whole Greek yogurt

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter 8” square baking pan; set aside. (cooked in round stoneware - coated in butter)

Toss pecans, chocolate chips, cinnamon, and ¼ cup of the sugar in a small bowl; set aside.

In medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In large bowl, using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter and remaining ¾ cup sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend between additions and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. With mixer on low speed, add dry flour mixture ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with yogurt in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. You’ll end up with a nice thick batter. 

Spoon half of the batter into prepared pan and smooth top; top with half of the chocolate/pecan mixture. Spoon remaining batter over this and smooth top; top with remaining chocolate/pecan mixture. Bake cake until top of cake is golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes (be careful not to overbake, or it will be dry! I recommend checking it after it has baked about 35 to 37 minutes). Transfer pan to a wire rack; let cake cool in pan before cutting into squares, and serve (if you want to eat it warm, let it cool about 10 minutes before cutting). I think this coffee cake tastes best warm myself!