Valentine’s Day is often about flowers and fancy dinners. Why not start the day off with a delicious breakfast treat? I don’t know about you but I am a big fan of crumb cake. I’ve made several different types but I think I’ve finally found my favorite. At least until I create a new favorite recipe! I was experimenting and came up with Chocolate Strawberry Crumb Cake and thought it would make the perfect Valentine’s Day breakfast. A piece of this and a cup of coffee would be a very sweet way to start the day.

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Chocolate Strawberry Crumb Cake

Adapted from The Perfect Cake by America’s Test Kitchen

Serves 9

Crumb Topping

8 TBS unsalted butter melted, kept warm
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups cake flour

For the Cake

1 1/4 cups cake flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
6 TBS unsalted butter at room temperature, cut into pieces
1/3 cup buttermilk or sour cream mixed with milk
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup strawberries, sliced (can be frozen)
1.5 oz semi sweet chocolate
confectioner’s sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 325°
Line an 8 x 8″ pan with foil. Grease or use cooking spray on the foil.

Make the Crumb Topping

Add the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom to a medium bowl. Stir to combine. Pour in the melted butter and stir until crumbs form. Set aside

Make the Cake

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attached add the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Mis together on low speed until combined.
Continuing on low, add the butter, one piece at a time, mixing until it looks like wet sand.
Add the buttermilk (or sour cream/milk), vanilla, egg, egg yolk and mix on medium high for one minute until light and fluffy. Batter will be thick.

Add the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly with an offset spatula.
Evenly sprinkle the sliced strawberries over the top of the batter.

Either grate or finely chop the chocolate. Evenly cover the strawberries with the chocolate.

Cover the chocolate layer with the crumb mixture, squeezing to make larger crumbs if desired.
Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through baking.
The cake is done when a tester comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then remove from the pan to cool completely.
Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar.

How Was the Chocolate Strawberry Crumb Cake?

DE-licious! This is my best iteration yet of crumb cake. Prior I was happiest with the Crumb Cake with Apricot Filling and Chocolate Drizzle but now I have a new favorite. The strawberries and chocolate both come through quite well flavor wise.

The crumbs are delightful in this recipe. The different spices make for a really flavorful topping. I used berries from our garden this summer. Freezing fruit for future use is so easy and I love having home grown fruit on hand to use in the dead of winter.