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Easy Italian Cappuccino Cake

This Easy Italian Cappuccino Cake is a simple cake recipe made with coffee and chocolate chips. Nothing better than the combination of chocolate and coffee. Serve as a breakfast cake or afternoon snack cake.

cake on a black board with 2 slices and a silver cake server

In my opinion there is nothing like an Italian Cappuccino and trying to find one as good as they make in Italy is pretty darn hard! But this recipe gives you that taste in a cake. And combine it with chocolate and it’s perfect.

This is the perfect cake for a breakfast treat with a coffee or tea or even an afternoon snack.

Recipe Ingredients

  • Flour – all purpose flour or cake/pastry flour
  • Baking powder
  • Salt
  • Chocolate chips – semi sweet mini or regular chips
  • Eggs – room temperature
  • Egg yolk – room temperature
  • Sugar
  • Vegetable oil – or you can use melted butter
  • Coffee – decaf will work also

How to Make Cake/Pastry Flour

For every cup of all purpose flour, remove two tablespoons and replace with two tablespoons of corn starch. Be sure to sift the flour and cornstarch together a couple of times, this way it is sure to be properly combined and lump free. Cake flour in cakes will give you a very tender texture and fine crumb, it will also help the cake to rise.

Why use room temperature ingredients?

When at room temperature, eggs, butter, and other dairy ingredients form an emulsion which traps air. While baking in the oven, that trapped air expands and produces a fluffy baked good. So be sure to remove the ingredients from the fridge 45-60 minutes before baking, sooner if you have a cool house

How to make Cappuccino Cake

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl mix the chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon of flour.

Beats eggs, yolk and sugar until light and fluffy, then add the oil and coffee beat to combine, then add the whisked flour mixture and beat to combine. add a little more than half of the chips to the batter and fold in.

mixing the batter in a silver mixing bowl and adding the chips to the batter


 

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Sprinkle with remaining chips and bake in the pre-heated oven.

the cake before and after baking in a tube pan

What size pan can I use for the cake?

I used a 9 1/2 inch bundt pan but you could also use a 9 inch square cake pan or tube pan. Two 8 inch loaf pans would also work.

What makes a cake fall?

  • There are a lot a reasons a cake may fall, but the most common ones are, your oven temperature is off, you can always check it with an oven  thermometer to check this. You open the oven door too early.
  • Once the batter is mixed it should be baked, letting a cake batter sit too long can cause it to fall. The baking powder or baking soda usually start acting immediately and will only last for a very short period of time, therefore if the cake batter is left to stand before baking then there is always a risk that the baking powder or soda will have expired by the time that the cake goes into the oven.
  • Your baking powder or soda has expired and is no long active.
  • The pan size might not be the correct size, sometimes using a bundt pan will help.
cappuccino cake on a black cake stand

What is a Cappuccino?

It is a hot drink made with Italian coffee and steamed milk. It originated in Italy and is consumed in the morning usually for breakfast, but never during meals or in the evening.

This is a typical Italian cake that has no frosting or icing but just a simple dusting of powdered sugar. I like the addition of chocolate chips, but you could easily substitute with chopped nuts if you prefer.

How to store a Homemade Cake

The cake should be stored in an airtight container or a covered cake dish. It will keep at room temperature for approximately 4-5 days. The cake can also be frozen. Wrap the cooled cake tightly in plastic and place in a freezer safe  bag or container. It will keep for up to three months in the freezer.

More delicious Italian Cakes

So if you are looking for an easy Italian cake to try why not give this Easy Italian Cappuccino Cake a try and let me know. Enjoy!

2 slices of cake on a black board
Bundt cake on a black plate stand.

Easy Italian Cappuccino Cake

Rosemary Molloy
This Easy Italian Cappuccino Cake is a simple cake recipe made with coffee and chocolate chips. Serve as a breakfast cake or afternoon snack cake. 
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine Italian
Servings 10 servings
Calories 343 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups all purpose flour or cake/pastry flour (260 grams)
  • teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 pinch salt
  • cup mini chocolate chips (120 grams)
  • 2 large eggs (room temperature)
  • 1 large egg yolk (room temperature)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
  • ½ cup vegetable oil or butter melted (cooled to room temperature) (100 grams)
  • ½ cup brewed coffee (room temperature) (118 grams)

*Room Temperature – remove from the fridge 45-60 minutes before using.

    To make homemade cake/pastry flour, for every cup of all purpose remove 2 tablespoons and substitute with corn starch, be sure to sift together to remove any lumps.

      Instructions
       

      • Pre-heat oven to 350F / 180C. Grease, flour or spray a 9 1/2 inch (24cm) bundt pan.
      • In a bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.
      • In a small bowl mix the chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon of flour, set aside.
      • In a medium bowl, beats the eggs, yolk and sugar until light and fluffy, for about 2-3 minutes. Add the oil and coffee beat to combine, then add the whisked flour mixture and beat to combine, fold in a little more than half of the chips to the batter. Pour into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the remaining chips and bake for approximately 30-40 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely, then dust with powdered / icing sugar if desired. Enjoy!

      Notes

      For vegetable oil I use corn or sunflower oil.
      The cake should be stored in an airtight container or a covered cake dish. It will keep at room temperature for approximately 4-5 days. The cake can also be frozen. Wrap the cooled cake tightly in plastic and place in a freezer safe  bag or container. It will keep for up to three months in the freezer.

      Nutrition

      Calories: 343kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 29mg | Potassium: 107mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 105IU | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 2mg
      Did You Make This Recipe?Please leave a comment below or pin it to your Pinterest account!

      Updated from May 5, 2020.

      20 Comments

      1. Is the half cup coffee just coffee powder or would it be coffee with water? Thanks!! Am trying to bake it this weekend!

      2. 5 stars
        Hi dear Rosemary ,
        I made this cake an hour ago and now I tested it. Very very delicious and perfect , as always, all your recipes are great. I am so glad I found your page. I hope you are always healthy and successful in work and life .

      3. Super good recipe, the batter was smooth and really nice so at this point i’ve knew that this will turn out great! And i wasnt wrong! It was soft, spongy and delicious!<3

      4. 5 stars
        I baked this cake this morning and it was absolutely scrumptious. Beautiful texture and a very delicate taste! Next time, I’ll try making it in a muffin tin 🙂 I highly recommend this recipe

      5. 5 stars
        Great tasting cake and as the title suggests, easy to make. i used espresso as the coffee ingredient. It added a nice strong coffee flavor offset by the chocolate chips.
        This is definitely a cake I will make again. In fact, I think I’ll make it next week to share with my volunteer school garden group before we get to work on weeding! It will go well with a nice cup of coffee in the garden!

      6. 5 stars
        Used pecans in addition to chocolate chips and even more delicious if that’s possible! Also added ground fine espresso to the coffee!

      7. 5 stars
        I made this 2 days ago for some landscapers doing work out back but really just looking for an excuse to make another one of your amazing recipes! I have your dessert book, I’ve tried many! This is truly a very good one! I had some chopped pecans in the cupboard so I added some along with the chocolate chips. I also added a few teaspoons of ground espresso to the 1/2 cup of coffee! We share the same first name, Rosemary! Thanks for everything you do for your fans!

      8. HI BELLA.Love your recipes.Question the coffee is espresso? Also do you add sugar in that coffee?💞💞💞

      9. 5 stars
        Hello Rosemary,

        Your Easy Italian Cappuccino Cake made someone very happy yesterday! I am writing from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and my Bologna-born Italian teacher lives nearby with his 90-year old father, Rolando. Since we are still in corona virus lock down here, most bakeries are closed and it has been hard for Rolando to get his morning pastries. I made your cake and drove it over to his house yesterday — even though I’d never made this particular cake before, I’ve made more than a few of your recipes, so I knew that it would be good and that I’d have no problems with the process. And here’s the text they sent me last night: “Abbiamo mangiato la ciambella. È deliziosa. Sembra fatta da una pasticceria. Grazie ancora.”

        So thank you very much for this recipe. Rolando finally had a good breakfast!

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