A simple chocolate loaf cake that is a cinch to bake up - and you'll love that it is still wholesome enough to have as a special breakfast!
I am always searching for solid recipes that I know I can trust and go back to again and again. When I found this chocolate loaf cake from the Fall/Winter Simple Fare cookbook by Karen Mordechai, I knew I had an instant winner on my hands.
Ingredients
My favorite part about this cake is how simple the ingredients are.
- Cocoa powder - It's surprising that this cake doesn't require a ton of cocoa powder, and yet it is still chocolaty. I've been using Dutch-processed cocoa powder because I feel it has a deeper chocolate flavor, and plus, look at that color! Natural cocoa powder works well here too though!
- Flour - I prefer all-purpose flour for a texture that is sturdy enough that this wonderfully moist cake doesn't collapse the second you slice it, but isn't too tough that the cake turns rubbery.
- Sugar - I prefer regular granulated sugar, but I've heard people using light brown sugar turbinado, and even coconut sugar with success. Just know something like brown sugar will give you a light molasses flavor, which actually does pair well with the chocolate. If 1 cup is too much, you can try cutting back to 3/4 cup.
- Baking soda - We use this to leaven the cake. Just the right amount gets us that wonderful texture inside.
- Salt - I like to use sea salt in all my baking. I feel it does the best with bringing out the flavors in everything.
- Oil - The original recipe calls for refined coconut oil, but I use any neutral-flavored oil I have available.
- Espresso - This helps bring out the flavors of the chocolate. I will use regular coffee sometimes. When I made my most recent loaves, I've been using 1 tablespoon instant coffee and enough water to make 1/4 cup coffee and the flavor is incredible.
- Vanilla - The vanilla balances the chocolate. If you really want some incredible flavor, you can also add a teaspoon of chocolate extract.
- Vinegar - The vinegar is important to give the cake rise. Since we have no acid for the baking soda to react with when we use Dutch-processed cocoa powder, we have to add in our own acidity. I prefer white vinegar, but apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar will work in a pinch.
- Water - We use it to add more moisture and get the batter to just the right texture without any dairy that can interfere with that pure chocolate goodness.
Why it works
This chocolate loaf cake is actually vegan! I'm not vegan, but I think that's a very big plus because now I have a delicious cake I can serve to more people and trust it will be enjoyed.
It only takes 10 minutes to prep, and is quick to bake up. It is also forgiving enough to withstand a little over baking. In short, it's the perfect recipe for a beginner baker, while still being delicious enough to appeal to everyone.
How to make
Mixing together this cake is ridiculously easy. It's just a matter of mixing together the dry ingredients, then mixing together the wet ingredients before combining the wet and dry together. Liberally grease and flour a 9 x 5 loaf pan and bake!
The most important thing is to remember to preheat your oven so you can bake your loaf cake the moment it is mixed together.
The reaction between the baking soda and vinegar works fast and waiting for the oven to heat up will mean we lose out on some of that chemical reaction resulting in a denser and smaller cake.
Serving tips
I ate mine with a nice dollop of creme fraiche as is recommended in the cookbook and it manages to make an incredible recipe that much more amazing.
You can also toast up slices (although it's my personal recommendation to enjoy how melt-in-your-mouth moist the cake is first) and slather with butter and spices.
The original recipe is also plain, but in my photos, I decided to add a topping of a delicious ganache. It really makes it loaf more decadent and perfect if you want it as a dessert.
Storage tips
Typically, I keep my cake my cake in an airtight container, or wrap well in aluminum foil. It will last for about 4 days this way.
You can freeze this cake, too! Keep it in an airtight container and freeze for up to a month. To thaw, leave it at room temperature for a few hours.
Related recipes
If you love this recipe you may love my coffee-flavored cake or coffee cupcakes. My chocolate olive oil cake is also really good. The chocolate dutch baby, chocolate madeleines, and edible brownie batter are all really popular. You should also check out my chocolate frosting, giant double chocolate cookies, and double chocolate cupcakes.
Chocolate Loaf Cake
A rich, moist chocolate loaf cake that is healthy enough for breakfast!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup espresso, room temperature*
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper or grease and flour.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the coconut oil, espresso, vanilla, vinegar, and water until well combined.
- Stir in the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for 50 - 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Notes
*Leftover coffee also works!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 slices Serving Size: 1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 183Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 195mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 1gSugar: 17gProtein: 2g
Calculations are estimations, use your own calculations using the brands you specifically used for more accurate numbers.
Wallie says
What can I use instead of the coconut oil? We don't like coconut in any form.
Amanda says
Any neutral flavored oil will work!
Lu Simons says
no egg??
Amanda says
Nope, no eggs!
Barbarac says
Can you make this into a cake roll?
Amanda says
I've never tried this before, so I honestly cannot say. If you do try it, please let me know!
Nuzhat says
Is there any alternative of vinegar? I just have lemon now, can I use it instead?
Amanda says
Yes, that should work, any acid should be fine!
Purvi says
I tried making this today, while it tastes delicious, it turned out a bit chewy on the inside, not as airy as yours looks. I did substitute coconut oil with another non-flavored one as per your comments above. Could I have done something wrong?
Amanda Powell says
When you say it was chewy, was it also sort of really dense and maybe a little doughy? That might mean it was a tad underbaked. If it was more tough and chewy, it could mean that it was overmixed after you added the flour. The change in oil shouldn’t have an affect on the end texture
Purvi says
It was more on the dense and chewy side.. but it didn’t look underbaked at all with the perfect top crust and the toothpick coming out completely clean.. I guess I’ll have to give it another try soon! The recipe is great and super quick, will definitely give it another shot:)
Amanda Powell says
It isn’t an original recipe from me, so I will check the cookbook it’s from to see if there’s any tips I can find for you!
Amy says
Wow! I just made this and it's delicious. Do you have nutritional info for this cake, including calories? I want to know the damage when I inevitably eat the entire thing in a day, whoops!
Amanda Powell says
Hi Amy, I don’t have it on-hand, but with the new recipe card I am using, I can quickly put an estimation up! Just keep in mind that it is only a proximation because exact numbers will depend on the brands of the ingredients you use! Just give me a few minutes and I’ll have it up!
Amy says
I see it now, thanks very much!
Chiara says
Hey so excited to try this out! We love vegan chocolate cake so I wanna give this a shot... is the espresso necessary though?
Amanda Powell says
It really helps bring out the flavor of the chocolate. You can use decaf coffee if you'd like. Chocolate extract works well too. Of course, you can also always just omit entirely 🙂
Katie says
Really easy recipe, I loved it.
I found the mixture very runny before baking but I thought maybe it was because it vegan that it would be different to a normal mixture, but do you think it’s should be runny?
Also I found the loaf after baking a little rubbery, is there anything I can do to help this?
Thanks
Amanda Powell says
Hey! I do remember my batter was a little more liquid than making a regular chocolate cake, but the loaf was definitely not rubbery. Was the texture also really dense for you?
Katie says
No it wasn’t dense, it was quite airy and the moisture was great but it just didn’t feel like a cake should. I felt it should have crumbled a little more?
Amanda Powell says
So I consulted a few vegan baking experts and we have a compiled a few notes... First, are you using gluten-free flour by any chance? That can affect the end texture. Second, over mixing can create too many gluten strands forming and binding which can make everything stick together. Last, if the batter was very, very watery, there may have been an issue with ingredient ratios (did you know moisture in the air that we barely notice may add more hydration to your flour and require less liquid in your batter?) - this means using less water might help.
emmi says
how do you prepare the coffee? like how much coffee to water?
Amanda Powell says
I usually make it like any standard cup of coffee. If you are using instant espresso, you can use a heaping teaspoon for about 8oz. There should be instructions on your container about the right ratio! If in doubt, you can use 1/4 cup of water (to keep the liquid to flour ratio) with coffee extract!
Victoria Saker says
Can you give me measurements in grams and millilitres please??
Joo says
Such an easy recipe and the cake came out perfect! I was wondering if i wanted to make it in a round 8 inch pan, how long should i bake it for?
Thanks!
Amanda Powell says
Hi Joo! I am not sure, I’ve never baked it that way before! I would be cautious and start checking after about 15 minutes using the toothpick method
Kitty Yeung Downer says
It’s moist and lovely. Thank you for the recipe.
I did reduce the sugar to 1 cup and added in Chocolate chips and walnuts. I guess everything was so liquid like so there walnuts pieces were all floating on the top! It’s was very good though. Will make it again.
Kitty Yeung Downer says
I also added in walnuts which I forgot to mention in the previous comment. 😉
Mrs H says
I’ve made this weekly for the past 6 because it’s amazing and my family love it! I’ve baked for a long time in a conventional way (non-vegan) and now having switched I can honestly say this cake is wonderful and keeps beautifully. Thanks for the recipe!
Amanda Powell says
Mrs H, you have no idea how much your kind words mean to me today. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experiences with the recipe!!
JP says
Just wanted to highlight that we should use natural cocoa powder and not Dutch processed (I think). Thanks for sharing this recipe! Trying a second batch right now!
Kera Gibbs says
WOW !!!! I have been stuck at home with the recent stay at home order and have been going stir crazy. I made this loaf for my partner and her co-worker. OMG. It’s essentially the most delicious moist chocolate loaf ever. I took out just a bit more sugar, added choco chunks and a few tablespoons of raspberry preserves. I subbed out vanilla for almond extract. INCREDIBLE.
Amanda Powell says
The addition of raspberry sounds amazing. I will need to try that myself!!
Katt says
What are your cooling instructions? I didn't have parchment so used oiled foil and let the ends hand over pan on 2 long sides, lifted loaf out after 5 min in pan, then put on rack. Seemed ok...
Amanda Powell says
I usually leave it in the pan between 5-10 minutes, just long enough for me to be able to handle the loaf directly without burning myself in case I have trouble getting it out of the pan. After that, just let it cool completely before slicing (or waiting until it’s only slightly warm if you’re impatient!)
jenny c says
if we dont have cocoa powder on hand can we substitue with baking dark chocolate?
Thanks!
Amanda Powell says
I never made it with anything besides cocoa powder, so unfortunately, I am unsure how it would turn out as it changes the ratios of liquid to dry ingredients and the chocolate would bake differently. I always encourage experimentation, but cannot guarantee success!
Wendy Aguilar says
Hi!! This looks so good and I want to make it but I don't see a recipe for the chocolate icing/frosting that's seen in the picture.. recipe please?
Amanda Powell says
Hi Wendy, there is no recipe for the ganache as that was just something fun I added to that loaf for the photos and not a part of the original recipe. I did not measure what I used either, but it was roughly 1 1/2 cup chocolate and 1/3 cup heavy cream heated together and mixed
Debra Mylius says
This cake turned out amazing! Super easy to make as well. Thanks so much for sharing. I'm enjoying your site!
Amanda Powell says
Thank you! I am so glad that you enjoyed the cake as much as I do!!