Cinnamon Streusel Chocolate Bread

My blog turns three this week, you guys. I can hardly believe it. It certainly doesn’t feel like three years have passed since I first started blogging. Even after having lived in Maine, St. Croix, a short stint in Minnesota, and now in Oregon…it just doesn’t seem like it’s been three whole years.

I’ve been contemplating this week for a while, and thinking about what makes the most sense for my blogiversary celebratory week, and what I came up with was that I needed three days of three chocolate recipes to celebrate my three years.

There just happens to be three reasons why, too. Mainly, because I think we’re all well aware of my love of chocolate. Second, what’s more celebratory than decadent chocolate for dessert? And third, because chocolate.

So. Chocolate. And today’s chocolate isn’t just dessert, it’s also breakfast, because I say so.

Plus, who’s gonna tell you that you can’t have bread for breakfast. No one, that’s who.

I was really nervous that this was going to turn out with a weird texture, or no flavor, or…I don’t know, something, but it turned out wonderful. The bread has a perfect dense, moist texture, and it’s perfectly sweet and chocolaty, without being completely overpowering.

I think the crunchy, sweet and sugary streusel is my favorite part. I mean, it’s streuselit if anything could be my favorite over chocolate…it’s streusel. And this streusel actually has a smidgen on chocolate in it…so it’s double awesome.

This is my new favorite quick bread. It has edged out my pumpkin bread, which I’ve been having a torrid love affair with for almost eight years. It was hard to admit, but, I mean, chocolate. The pumpkin bread and I were amicable, though. We’ll still see each other for holidays, I’m sure.

Meanwhile, this chocolate bread is a new breakfast staple. I don’t even care that I might as well be eating candy.

We had these for breakfast pretty much everyday for four days, so yeah, it keeps really nicely in an airtight container. And also, best. breakfast. ever.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Cinnamon Bread
Makes 3   7×3-inch loaves

Ingredients

FOR THE BREAD
1 cup semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
3 cups (grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick or 113 grams) unsalted butter or margarine
3/4 cups (300 grams) sugar
1/2 cup (127 grams) brown sugar, packed
3 eggs (or 3 tablespoons ground flaxseeds combined with 1/2 cup water, for vegan/dairy free)
2 cups unsweetened apple sauce
2/3 cup (167 ml) water

FOR THE STREUSEL (optional, this bread is still amazing without it)
1/2 cup ( 127 grams) brown sugar
1/2 cup (63 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
1/4 cup (half a stick or 56 grams) unsalted butter, melted (or margarine for vegan/dairy free*)

*when buying margarine for vegan/dairy free usage, be sure it’s actually vegan. I prefer Earth Balance

To make the bread: Preheat oven to 350 degrees (165 C). Lightly spray 6 mini or 3 7×3-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray with flour, or grease and flour each one; set aside.

In a medium bowl, melt the chocolate until smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer, mix the butter and both sugars until combined, then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Stir in the apple sauce until thoroughly combined. Stir in the water. With the mixer on low, add the cooled chocolate and mix until combined. Sprinkle about half of the flour mixture over the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the remaining flour mixture, and mix just until no streaks of flour remain. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and set aside while you mix the streusel topping.

To make the streusel: In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and cocoa together, whisking until thoroughly combined. Drizzle the melted butter over the mixture and stir with a fork until you have a mixture that resembles lumpy wet sand. Do not break up the clumps too much.

Divide the streusel evenly between the pans, sprinkling it over the top of the bread batter to cover it completely.

Bake mini loaves, three at a time on a rimmed baking sheet, for 20 minutes. Rotate the pans, front to back, and bake for another 20 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If making large loaves, bake all 3 7×3-inch loaves on a rimmed baking sheet for 25 minutes. Rotate the pans, front to back, and bake for another 25 to 27 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool at least 10 minutes before serving, preferably longer, if you can.

Recipe by Darla

Tagged as: Bread, Chocolate, Chocolate Cinnamon Bread, Cinnamon, Quick Bread, Recipes