This chocolate loaf cake is a soft and moist dessert that uses staple baking ingredients and only takes 10 minutes to prepare the batter! If you're a chocolate fan like me, you'll definitely love making this easy cake!
This cake is a versatile dessert that can be served on its own or with a dollop of whipped cream, roasted berries, and a scoop of ice cream! Make it as indulgent as you like! Enjoy!
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With just one mixing bowl and a whisk, you can make this delicious (and completely impressive) chocolate cake that will surely please everyone's taste buds.
It is a must-try for all chocoholics out there and is perfect for any occasion, from a fancy birthday party to a typical Sunday afternoon.
Considering no frosting is necessary, it is as easy as it gets!
🥘 Ingredients
All you need is a collection of some household baking ingredients. What's better than a dessert that doesn't require a trip to the store?
- Eggs - 2 large, room temperature eggs.
- Sugar - 1 cup of granulated sugar.
- Butter - 9½ tablespoons of melted butter (½ cup + 1½ tablespoons).
- Milk - ½ cup of room temperature milk (or a milk substitute).
- Vanilla - 1½ teaspoons of pure vanilla extract.
- Flour - 1¼ cups of all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled.
- Cocoa Powder - ½ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Baking Powder - 2 teaspoons of baking powder.
- Salt - ⅛ teaspoon of salt.
- Water - ¼ cup of hot water.
- Confectioners Sugar (optional) - ¼ cup of powdered sugar for dusting over the cake before serving.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Chocolate Loaf Cake
There are no electric mixers, frosting, or complicated techniques for this amazingly delicious cake! Just grab a mixing bowl, a whisk, and a loaf pan to start!
This recipe will make one loaf cake that can be sliced into 10 servings.
- Preheat. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a standard-sized loaf pan.
- Mix. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the 2 large eggs and 1 cup of sugar until combined. Then, add 9½ tablespoons of melted butter, ½ cup of milk, and 1½ teaspoons of vanilla extract and whisk until mixed.
- Combine. Add 1¼ cups of all-purpose flour, ½ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, and ⅛ teaspoon of salt and mix until almost combined, then pour in ¼ cup of hot water and finish mixing until everything is well distributed.
- Bake. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and bake in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
- Cool and serve. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 20 minutes before turning it out onto a cooling rack. Let it cool on the rack for at least another 20 minutes before dusting with the optional ¼ cup of confectioners sugar, slicing, and serving.
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Butter Measurement: 9½ tablespoons of butter is the same as ½ cup + 1½ tablespoons or 1 stick + 1½ tablespoons.
- Chocolate Ganache Topping: For an extra indulgent touch, make chocolate ganache. Pour 1 cup of hot cream (just before boiling) over 4 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate. Let it sit for 2-3 minutes, then stir slowly until smooth. Drizzle immediately or let it thicken at room temperature before pouring over the cake.
- Avoid Overbaking: The cake is perfectly baked when a toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs. Overbaking can dry out the cake.
- Optional Add-ins: Consider folding in ¾ cup of chocolate chips or chopped walnuts for added texture and flavor.
🥡 Storing
Keep your leftover cake stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or in the fridge for 7 days.
Freezing
Let the cake cool completely, then wrap it in plastic wrap, followed by a layer of foil (either whole or in slices). Place it into a freezer-safe bag and squeeze out any excess air. The cake can be frozen for up to 3 months.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
Sure! You can enjoy this sweet cake by itself, with a dusting of powdered sugar (as I did here), or even with a chocolate ganache! You could also add chocolate or peanut butter frosting or load it up with fresh berries! There's really so much you can do with this versatile loaf cake!
For this cake, I used regular unsweetened cocoa powder. However, if you want an extra rich and dark cake, then opt for using a Dutch-processed cocoa powder. This will give your cake a dark chocolate flavor.
While loaf cake definitely resembles chocolate bread, you can serve it just as you would any other variety of cake! It tastes great warm or at room temperature and can be eaten by itself or with ice cream, whipped cream, or ganache!
🍰 Best Cake Recipes
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- Coconut Loaf Cake - Moist cake that is packed with tons of tropical flavor and coated in a coconut glaze.
- Dutch Apple Cake - Sweet vanilla cake batter is covered with cinnamon apples before baking.
- Red Velvet Cake - Classic rich red velvet cake that is coated in homemade cream cheese frosting.
- Pineapple Upside Down Bundt Cake - A beautiful and popular pineapple dessert that is sure to be a crowd favorite.
- Bisquick Strawberry Shortcake - A summertime dessert that is incredibly easy to whip up.
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📖 Recipe Card
Chocolate Loaf Cake
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 cup sugar
- 9½ tablespoon butter (melted)
- ½ cup milk (room temperature)
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1¼ cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup hot water
- ¼ cup confectioners sugar (optional for serving)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a standard-sized loaf pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the 2 large eggs and 1 cup sugar until combined. Then, add 9½ tablespoon butter, ½ cup milk, and 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract and whisk until mixed.
- Add 1¼ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 teaspoon baking powder, and ⅛ teaspoon salt and mix until almost combined, then pour in ¼ cup hot water and finish mixing until everything is well distributed.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and bake in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 20 minutes before turning it out onto a cooling rack. Let it cool on the rack for at least another 20 minutes before dusting with the optional ¼ cup confectioners sugar, slicing, and serving.
Notes
- 9½ tablespoons of butter is equivalent to ½ cup + 1½ tablespoons of butter (or 1 stick + 1½ tablespoons).
- Top this cake off with some chocolate ganache to make it extra indulgent! Simply pour 1 cup of scalding hot cream (the stage before boiling) over 4 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate and then let it sit for 2-3 minutes. Slowly stir until smooth and creamy. You can drizzle it immediately or let it sit at room temperature to thicken up before pouring it over the cake.
- You don't want to overbake your cake! It is done when a toothpick inserted comes out almost clean. It is alright for it to have a few moist crumbs clinging to it.
- Fold in ¾ cup of chocolate chips or chopped walnuts if you like!
- To store: Keep your chocolate loaf cake stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or in the fridge for 7 days.
- To freeze: Let the cake cool completely and then wrap it in plastic wrap followed by a layer of foil (either whole or in slices). Place it into a freezer-safe bag and squeeze out any excess air. The cake can be frozen for up to 3 months.
André-Alain Belzile says
"So delicious" ❤️
missy b says
Thank you very much for confirming the 'standard' loaf pan size for this recipe. I really appreciate that. I made the chocolate loaf cake this afternoon. It was easy to put together. I did add one tsp of instant coffee to the hot water and 3/4 cup of mini chocolate chips into the final batter mix. I used the larger 9x5 non-stick loaf pan (Wilton) as you indicated. Although I thought I greased the loaf pan well with butter, one small corner of the chocolate loaf got stuck to the loaf pan when I was trying to remove it from the loaf pan after cooling it for 20 mins. Next time I will grease every nook and cranny super well. My husband and I give this chocolate loaf recipe two thumbs up for taste, texture and ease to put together! Thank you for sharing this recipe and many others on your website! Your recipes and chef tips are so practical, simple and delicious!
missy b says
Could you clarify what size the ''standardized' loaf pan is for this recipe. I want to try this recipe and have two different sizes of loaf pans - 9"x5" and 8 1/2"x4 1/2". I am not sure which one to use to bake this loaf recipe. Many thanx!
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Those are both standard sizes, but this was baked in a 9-inch loaf pan. Thanks for asking!
Eileen says
I made this today. It came out beautiful. I added a teaspoon of instant espresso to the hot water. Making a dark chocolate frosting with crushed walnuts.
Spice Hunter says
Needed in a flash....great choice...moist and chocolaty.