Chocolate loaf cake for all the chocolate lovers who would love to make a chocolate cake in a hurry.

A chocolate loaf cake recipe that will give you a dense and moist yet full-flavored easy chocolate loaf cake.

You might think using only cocoa powder might turn this cake less chocolatey, no, the chocolate flavor is still intense and the texture of the cake is dense which makes this loaf cake extra moist as well.

Made in a loaf pan using baking pantry ingredients, it’s a one-bowl moist chocolate cake recipe even your kids can help with.

Make this best dark chocolate loaf cake a weekend baking project for them.

Not only is it easy to make but you can use the delicious cake made in a loaf pan, to make quick desserts for the family as well.

How to serve this chocolate loaf cake

• Serve with some Vanilla ice cream, the dense texture of the loaf cake allows it to be the perfect sweet partner.
• You can also use it to make your favorite trifle.
• Dust it with a little icing sugar and simply serve it at tea time.
• Make the cake a day before and you have your picnic, tailgating dessert all done.
• Serve them like chocolate bread by cutting them into thick slices, a few fresh slices of strawberries, whipping cream, and serve.
• You can also make an easy chocolate glaze to top this loaf cake to make it extra decadent.

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Tips to make the easy chocolate loaf cake.

• Line the baking pan with a piece of foil or parchment for easy removal of the cake from the loaf pan(instructions given below).

• Read the recipe once and follow the steps as directed in the recipe. pay special attention on how to add the flour as well as details on how to bake the cake.

• Have all the ingredients at room temperature, especially the eggs, butter and milk.

• If your sugar grains are large make sure to pulse them for a few seconds in a very dry blender.

• Check the expiry date on the baking powder before using it to make this cocoa powder chocolate loaf.

• Make sure to completely cream the sugar and butter before following the next step.

• Combine flour and baking powder, use a small whisk or spoon to then stir the dry ingredients together for a few seconds for even distribution, then sift the flour directly to the batter.

• To avoid flour clumps in the batter, the flour is directly sifted into the batter in small amounts, combined and repeated until all the flour is added.

• Oven temperature varies due to weather, altitude. This can alter the last minutes of baking time so make sure to read the baking instructions to avoid baking the loaf cake too long or burning the top.

• Once you’ve made the chocolate loaf batter, don’t let it rest but immediately transfer to the baking tin and bake on a preheated oven.

Utensils and appliances needed.

4-5 bowls to keep the ingredients ready.

Handheld mixer.

Large bowl to mix in the batter.

8-inch loaf pan to make the cake.

More recipes with chocolate

Chocolate breakfast muffins

No-bake chocolate marine biscuit pudding

Microwave chocolate mug cake

Chocolate covered strawberries

Chocolate crinkle cookies

Storing- once cool, cut them into slices and store them in an airtight container, and refrigerate, that is, if it makes it to the fridge before the kids get to them.

Freezing- I have not frozen a cake before but the thickness of the cake makes me think it can be frozen.

Here’s what I will do if I want to freeze this loaf cake, let it cool, wrap it with foil, and freeze. Not more than a week.

Heating- remove from freezer, let it reach room temperature, and then microwave for 5-8 seconds or until slightly warm.

Stop food wastage– serve with ice cream or make a chocolate trifle with the loaf cake.

RECIPE DIFFICULTY-LITTLE CARE NEEDED

How to make a Chocolate loaf cake

Please make sure to read the recipe instructions carefully to avoid mistakes.

Ingredients

The ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons.

1/2 cup of butter

1 and 1/2 cup of granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon of salt

2 teaspoon of vanilla

2 teaspoons of baking powder

2/3 cup cocoa powder

3 eggs

1 and a 1/4 cup flour

1/2 a cup of milk

Method

Preparing the baking pan for the loaf cake.

Place the loaf pan facing down, cut a piece of foil to shape the bottom of the pan.

Gently fold and mold the foil to take the measurements of the pan.

Before placing the foil in the pan, brush a little butter to stick the foil to the bottom of the pan.

Fold foil in a way that would fit the bottom of the pan.

Once this is done, make sure to butter the whole loaf pan.

Brush butter inside the pan, especially the corners as they are in sharp angles, the loaf cake tends to stick to these sides more.

The foil makes it easy to remove the chocolate loaf off the pan.

To make the chocolate loaf.

Have all the ingredients ready.

Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature, they need to be taken out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before you make the cake loaf.

Look at the sugar you’ll be using, if the sugar grains are large, granulate them by blitzing in a very dry blender using the pulse mode.

Steps to make the cake loaf.

In a separate bowl, add flour(1 and 1/4 cup) and baking powder(2 tsp).

Use a spoon to incorporate both ingredients well, at least a minute. 

Cream the butter(1/2 cup) for a few minutes(2 minutes)to soften it before adding the sugar.

Add sugar(1 and 1/2 cup)to the bowl and begin creaming both the ingredients at low speed.

Using the mixer, first, bring the sugar and butter to a crumbly mix. Use speed 2-3.

Add the milk(1/2 cup) to the butter and sugar mixture. Use slow speed(1) to combine the ingredients.

After a few minutes of creaming, add vanilla(2 tsp) and salt(1/8 tsp=a pinch).

Continue creaming until you have a light, fluffy batter.

Once you have the lightly creamy texture, sift the cocoa powder(2/3 cups)to the loaf cake batter mix.

Combine well.

Once the chocolate powder is mixed into the loaf cake batter, add the eggs(3)one at a time.

Make sure to break them into a smaller bowl to check freshness, and then add it to the batter. Use one direction to mix.

Add the flour(1 and 1/4 cup),baking powder(2 tsp) in a sieve and sift the flour into the batter.

This should be done gradually. once a little flour is sifted to the batter, use a spoon to mix it in, sift more flour and repeat.

Combine with a spoon, in a folding movement (drag the spoon in a wide arc, reaching the edge of the bowl, bringing the spoon to the middle, and folding).

This way you can avoid flour lumps forming and over mixing. Make sure to use one direction to combine the flour into the batter.

As you combine the flour into the cake batter, preheat the oven to 170C.

WRONG WAY TO ADD FLOUR TO MAKE THE CHOCOLATE LOAF!

THE RIGHT WAY TO ADD FLOUR TO MAKE THE CHOCOLATE LOAF.

Mix the loaf cake batter, until you have a smooth batter without any flour lumps.

Again, keep the mixing to a minimum.

Immediately pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, tap the loaf pan (5-6 times) to remove any air bubbles in the batter.

How to bake the chocolate loaf cake.

If using a small oven or a convection oven, please make sure to read the below instructions and proceed with the baking.

Place loaf cake in the center of the oven and bake at 160C for 40 minutes. 

Once baked for 40 minutes, insert a toothpick into the cake loaf, should the toothpick come out clean, your cake loaf is done.

Remove from the oven and let it cool.

IF YOUR CAKE IS NOT BAKED THROUGH.

Should your toothpick come out with raw batter, then bake for a further 10 minutes.

IF YOU ARE USING A SMALLER OVEN.

When you are baking a loaf cake in a smaller oven, you may need to extend the baking time as the cake needs to be cooked between 10-12 minutes more.

The problem you would face is the top burning, most often this is unavoidable. To avoid this I have a simple solution.

Simply fold a strip of foil and make a v-shaped tent to cover the cake.

Once you have a foil tent over the loaf cake, bake for another 10 minutes at 160C.

How to remove the loaf cake from the pan.

Remove cake from the pan. Let the cake completely cool.

This means the bottom of the pan should be cool before you remove the loaf cake.

Once the loaf cake is cool, run a small sharp knife around the edge of the pan, loosening it. Do this properly and pay attention to the sharp edges.

Now turn the loaf pan upside down, this should be done closer to the surface of the tray the cake will be dropped on to(a few inches away from it).

A few taps shakes and the loaf cake should fall onto the tray or counter.

IF the cake loaf is not falling off, then run the knife around the cake again.

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