This super simple, dark chocolate loaf cake, is what afternoon snack dreams are made of. Learn how to make this everyday cake today!
Did you have something that as a kid you thought was fancy AF but now you realize is just…a thing? Eddie recently shared that as a kid he thought the Ruby Tuesday at the local mall was the most expensive restaurant imaginable – which I think is adorable. Of course, I have some of my own too. Including bolo neckties, jelly sandals, rolling suitcases, and earmuffs. Please do take a moment now to picture that person – epitome of glam, right? Of course I had these weirdly pre-conceived notions about food as well. And loaf cake, specifically chocolate loaf cake, even more specifically Entemann’s chocolate loaf cake was at the top of that list.
I’m not sure what it was. I know we bought it at the regular old grocery store, and that it wasn’t just for special occasions. Hell, it didn’t even have ANY FROSTING. But for some reason I felt like the freaking Queen of Sheba when I carefully opened that paper box and revealed the dense, dark, chocolately loaf within.
Easy Dark Chocolate Loaf Cake
Nowadays I don’t usually (re: ever) buy pre-baked, shelf stable, grocery store cakes. If I could only find the chocolate loaf cake of my youth though (it’s exceedingly difficult to locate in the wild) I might make an exception. Although on second thought, I’m not sure it would live up to the memory, and rather than bust up that sweet childhood nostalgia, perhaps I’ll leave what’s past in the past.
But we’ve still gotta have cake. So as an homage to the fancy, not fancy chocolate loaf cake of my youth I’m sharing this super easy, incredible simple, ultra moist (sorry, but that’s what it is), nice enough for company but casual enough for an afternoon snack, updated for 2019, dark chocolate loaf cake recipe with you right now!
What is a loaf cake?
Easy question, easy answer. It’s a cake baked in a loaf pan. But underneath that veneer of simplicity lies a few secrets. Loaf cakes usually have a pretty dense crumb due to less rise. That density also tends to lend itself to a moister cake. This is good because for the most part loaf cakes are also not frosted – occasionally glazed. Some loaf cakes are pound cakes and some pound cakes are loaf cakes, but they’re not interchangeable as recipes. This cake for example is not a traditional pound cake, which employs a straight forward 1:1:1:1 ratio for butter, eggs, flour, and sugar.
Loaf cakes are also closely related (if not the same thing exactly) as some quick breads. For instance, I’d argue that banana bread is really closer to cake than anything else. You can fight me on it, and I’ll let you maintain the idea for your own sanity, but we know…dat’s cake.
What’s different about this chocolate loaf cake?
Not a ton. I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel after all. But I am sharing a few tips that make this, to me at least, one of the easiest, every day chocolate cakes on record. First we’ll start with the chocolate bit. I’ve got a mix of melted chocolate and cocoa powder. I like the mix for two reasons – one, more chocolate is more better, obviously. And two, they both bring something different to the party. Cocoa gives you an intensely rich hit of deep, dark chocolate flavor, while the melted stuff adds a little body and a nuanced richness from the addition of cocoa butter.
You’ll also notice coffee. I’m not calling this a coffee chocolate cake because honestly, even with a full cup of strongly brewed Joe, it’s more chocolate forward than anything else. But I wouldn’t skip it. Coffee and chocolate complement one another like Holmes and Watson, Jim and Pam, cheese and crackers. They back each other up and bring out the best in one another. To be fair, coffee generally takes a back seat to chocolate, but I don’t think he minds – he’s just happy to be helpful. He’s totally the Watson.
Lastly we’ve got yogurt. I cook with yogurt a lot. Why? Well I like the stuff and tend to buy it in large containers. Then when I’m making a recipe I’m like “damn, I gotta use up the rest of this yogurt” and brilliance is born! But beyond the desire to be less wasteful, yogurt plays an important role in this cake. In the flavor department yogurt adds that distinctive tang – which against all the knock you over the head, drag you back to the cave, richness of deep, dark chocolate, strikes a nice balance. Also, yogurt is a natural tenderizer, so its secondary job is to keep this dense, fudgy loaf cake supremely soft and tender. Can you substitute a slightly smaller amount of milk for the yogurt? Well yes, but it won’t be the same – just saying.
Tips for making the best chocolate loaf cake ever
What do you need to keep in mind to make the best cake? Recipes like this one are pretty simple and straight forward, but a little help never hurt anyone (at least where chocolate cake was involved).
- Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature (except where explicitly stated otherwise). This is not just a thing people say for no reason. When you’re mixing all of this stuff together, having it all at one temperature makes things literally smoother. This means you get a more evenly baked cake in the end, and you don’t have to manhandle the batter to get it to come together. Which leads me to my next tip.
- Don’t overmix. I’m like a broken record over here. Look, I’m not a doling out wisdom on decorating cakes like a boss or making elaborate sugar art – because those tips would be laughable coming from me. But I do know that the easiest way to ruin an otherwise delicious cake (other than to burn it – don’t do that either), is to overmix the batter. No one wants a chewy cake, and the more you mix the chewier your cake will be. This is because of the gluten that forms when flour meets liquid and then is agitated by some force.
- Prep your pan. Nothing, like NOTHING is worse that making a beautiful cake and having it get stuck to the pan and fall out in chunks. I’m not ashamed (ok maybe a little) to admit that I have literally been brought to tears by this very scenario. So to avoid catastrophe spray your pan with non-stick spray and then line it with a sling of parchment paper. But if you forget, and your cake sticks and you cry and the world seems like a horrible place – it’s cool. Just grab a big bowl (or fancy dish) and alternate layers of broken cake with whipped cream and berries, call that thing a chocolate cake trifle and get ready to receive compliments.
- Substitutions:
- Chocolate – use whatever type you’d like – but try to go for a high quality one.
- Yogurt – I tested with both plain yogurt and Greek and while they both resulted in a delicious cake, I’ll have to give the plain yogurt the edge. Whichever you choose though, please make sure it’s WHOLE MILK and not non-fat.
- Cocoa powder: *Update (May 27, 2019) I tested this using natural cocoa powder and it was no bueno. I’m still working on it, but if you only have natural around just know that the cake will most likely sink after baking and that it may be a touch on the eggy side. I’m working on it and will update this recipe as soon as I have better measurements for the swap out. Because there isn’t a ton of leavener in this recipe, you can probably substitute natural cocoa powder in for dutch processed (see note above). However, I didn’t test it that way, so can’t say with 100% certainty that things won’t go awry. Generally speaking it can be OK to substitute natural for dutch processed, but not the other way around. This has to do with the acidity levels of each cocoa powder. Natural still has all its acids in tact, where as the acid in dutched cocoa has been neutralized. However, depending on what type of leaveners a particular recipe uses, a swap may or may not be appropriate.
And with that you now have a recipe for what I considered to be the height of sophistication as an eight year old. Ah, it was a simpler time. Although I’m pretty sure if I tested my childhood version side by side with this dark chocolate number, this one would win ten times over. You never know though. Sounds like an excellent way to spend an afternoon.
Happy Friday, friends! If you give this chocolately treat a try, please let me know in the comments, on social media, or via smoke signal. Please do not notify me by way of carrier pigeon though, as birds hold the top spot on my list of mildly irrational fears.
Dark Chocolate Loaf Cake
This super moist, ultra fudgy, deep, dense chocolate loaf cake is rich enough for dessert, but casual enough for an afternoon snack.
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 70 Minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 Servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 C strong brewed coffee
1/2 C unsweetened cocoa powder (dutch processed)
3 large eggs
3/4 C granulated sugar
1/2 C plain yogurt (I like whole milk for this)
1 tsp vanilla
1 C all purpose flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick spray. Set aside.
In a medium bowl combine the butter, chocolate chips, and coffee. Melt in the microwave for 30 – 60 seconds or until the chocolate is melted. If your coffee is freshly brewed you can just pour it over the chocolate and butter and the heat of the coffee will melt everything. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth.
In a large bowl vigorously whisk together the eggs and sugar for 2 minutes, until the sugar is mostly dissolved and the eggs begin to lighten in color. Add in the yogurt, vanilla, and chocolate coffee mixture. Sprinkle flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda over the top and whisk gently, just until no dry flour remains.
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake on the middle rack for one hour and ten minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the thickest part comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, but no uncooked batter.
Let cool in pan completely before serving – about an hour.
Notes
My loaf pan is 9X4. If you have one that’s smaller you may have to hold back on putting in all the batter, as you don’t want anything to overflow. Also remember if you have an 8X4 inch pan it will take at least ten minutes longer to bake through.
Feel free to substitute greek yogurt for regular plain yogurt, but try not to use non-fat.
This recipe calls for dutched cocoa powder (explained in more detail within the post). I am working on a swap out for natural cocoa powder and will post it here when I’m happy with the result – for now though, please stick to dutch processed cocoa powder.
Keywords: Coffee chocolate cake, easy chocolate cake, chocolate loaf cake, easy chocolate dessert, chocolate snack cake
Jo, this loaf cake looks unbelievably rich, chocolatey and decadent! I really need a slice with my morning coffee right now. And great tips and substitution suggestions. Happy Friday!
★★★★★
Thanks Leanne! It’s great with coffee, or a huge glass of milk. Happy Weekend!
This chocolate loaf cake is DROOOL WORTHY!!! wowza. I already told you on Instagram – but I definitely think that I always thought Digorno pizzas were the end all fancy thing! We always just got the super thin kinda gross Totinos pizzas. Now I just make my own pizzas so take that Digorno!!! But really, this cake looks amazing. Great job!
★★★★★
Haylie, I love that memory! FWIW, Eddie and I regularly dine on Digiorno’s, so we must be very fancy!
WOW!!! I think this is the chocolate cake I have always wanted…deep dark and rich chocolate flavor. My mouth is watering.
PINNING!
★★★★★
Thank you, Susie! It’s a slightly more grown up version of the one from my youth. Love how simple it is. Hope you enjoy!
Can you use expresso powder as a substitute for the brewed coffee? Mixing it in a cup of hot water first.
Susan,
Espresso powder is a great substitute!
Perfect crumb, perfect chocolate taste. I used Guittard cocoa rouge cocoa powder and Guittard semi-sweet chocolate chips. The best chocolate flavors. Love this chocolate loaf cake. Baked in a 9X5 loaf pan on convection for 1 hour 10 minutes. Still tested moist in the middle but was perfectly baked. I added a bit more sugar and also used a hand mixer on low speed to mix which is easier for me (arthritis in my hands). Perfect cake for vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Thanks Jo for a great recipe.
★★★★★
Lorraine, I’m so glad you liked it!
I made this recipe last night. I was only missing the vanilla. An excellent chocolate cake! – the crumb was very light yet very moist. This one goes into the recipe file! Thank you !
Hey Kevin, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I’ll always have a weak spot for a good chocolate cake.
Can I use oil instead of the butter and if you think yes how much?
Sheila,
I haven’t tested with oil so I can’t say for certain but I think you could and it would be just fine. I would however decrease the amount of oil. Instead of 1/2 c (which is how much butter is called for) I’d take it down to a scant 1/3 cup. Let me know how it works out!
The batter is delicious! How full does the pan need to be filled? You mention not too full…. 3/4? 2./3?
★★★★★
Cindy, so sorry if this comment gets to you too late but you can probably get away with nearly 3/4’s full. The cake will rise and then deflate a bit as it cools. To be safe though you may want to position the loaf pan on a baking sheet to catch any overflow.
Enjoy!
well i dont have coffee in my home cuz i dont drink it and will have to replace it with hot water
Doris,
That totally works. I also don’t drink a lot of coffee, so water is fine.
Can the Chocolate Loaf Cake be prepared in mini loaf pans? I’d like to give some as gifts!
Katherine,
Yes, that would be a great gift! Depending on the size of your loaf pans I would scale back on the cooking time and start checking for doneness around 25 minutes, but I’ve never made them so I can’t say with 100% certainty.
Is it supposed to sink? It looked great when I took it out of the oven, and then as it is cooling, it’s sinking!
Hey Lin,
Yes, it will sink as it cools. This often has to do the protein levels in your flour. You can also try baking it at a slightly lower temp for longer, but I usually do get a little sink. It’s honestly not the most beautiful cake, but I love how fudgy and rich it is.
Hi jo! Your chocolate loaf cake looks yum and I would like to try your recipe. ❤️ However, i only have fresh laban (like a cross between yogurt and buttermilk) at home. Do you think i could substitute that for the yogurt? Thanks!
Ella,
I think that would definitely work. If the laban is particularly liquidy then I would add a bit more flour (probably 1 to 2 tablespoons). The batter should be relatively thin, but not runny. The runnier the batter the more the cake will sink as it cools.
Jo
Hi just wondering why unsalted butter instead of salted? Does it make a difference?
Tracey,
I always used unsalted butter when baking because it tends to be fresher. I also like to be able to control the amount of salt in my cooking, so keeping the butter unsalted is just easier for me. That being said, you can feel free to use salted if you have it. Just omit the extra salt in the ingredients and you should be fine.
Jo
I substituted the chocolate chips with soaked dried fruit and added a bit more yogurt and it came out so wonderfully moist. I love it, it’s my go to recipe when I’m craving chocolate.
★★★★★
I love this recipe – it is easy and extremely good!!! I did make a few changes.. I have a tendency to use what I have.. I used salted butter, dark chocolate chips, dark chocolate powder, sour cream and whole wheat flour… and it still turned out great… it is so moist, it doesn’t need frosting, though my husband wanted frosting so I used some coconut pecan frosting on it.. he loves this recipe… I’ll be making it and sharing it for a long time.. thanks.
These sound like awesome substitutions, By! I bet the whole wheat flour adds a lot of depth of flavor. I’ll have to try it out myself that way!
At first I was skeptical because the liquid mixture was very thing before I baked it, but OMG this was Amazing!!!!!!!!!! Using a cup of hot strong coffee over the butter and chocolate chips is genius, I absolutely love this recipe and will be making it again!
★★★★★
Lisa,
The batter is super thin, and it always makes me a little nervous too, tbh. But I love love love this cake and glad you did too!
The flavor of this was so wonderfully decadent and chocolaty, but I had some issues with the texture. The center was not cake-y. It was more like a firm custard or something. I feel like it happened when I was whisking the eggs and sugar. After the first minute or so, the mixture seemed to get… hmmm… sort of “sticky.” It felt wrong, but I went with it. When I checked the cake at the recommended baking time, the tester kept coming out as if it was raw in the middle, and when I touched the top, it felt undone. So I left it in a bit longer… and a bit longer. Finally, though the toothpick never came out clean, the cake no longer jiggled in the center, and I pulled it. The flavor was nice, but the texture was just odd. When I added the flour, I was careful not to overmix, but is there something about whisking the eggs that could have toughened up the batter?
I agree with the earlier comment; the dough was way too thin, and the cake came out like a dense over baked custard, not cake. I cook and bake a lot and won’t use this recipe again, it’s too dense and not a real cake. Too bad because I used excellent ingredients,
★
same exact thing happened to me :/ Wonder if whipping the butter and sugar instead might help with a lighter cake?
I’ve been trying to convert my family to the chocolate cake ministry for years… and FINALLY!!! This recipe did it. Perfect, delicious, easy to toss in the mixer and make… 10 stars!!! I’ll be making this one regularly. Except next time, I’ll make two. One for me and one for everyone else! Haha
★★★★★
Hi, please can you help with a substitute for eggs in the recipe?
Hi Sonam,
I know that Flax eggs typically work as a good substitute, but unfortunately I don’t have much experience with them personally. I would look at heartofabaker.com who is a vegan baking superstar. She would definitely have some wisdom on egg substitutes.
I was really excited to make this cake but it turned out to be a fail :(. Had to bake it for almost 1 1/2 hr. And now that its had time to rest out of the oven it dropped and is very dense. I’m an experience baker, and following the recipe carefully.
Hi Cory,
I’m so sorry this was a bust for you! I’ve noticed some similar comments lately, so I need to go back and retest this recipe to see where the issue is. Hopefully a revamped version will be up sometime in the next few weeks!
Hi Jo 🙂
I’m excited to try this recipe. However my only question is regarding the sugar. Can I use soft brown sugar instead? Thanks
Alina,
This recipe skews very wet – so brown sugar may not work. If you use it I would up the amount of flour by 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup
Jo I cannot expess my gratitude for you sharing this amazing recipe!! It’s super easy to make and soooo moist and tasty and everything you want in a chocolate cake!! It’s the recipe I have been looking for since I was in college. The only thing I changed is to add a bit more sugar,I think I have added around a 1/4 cup extra. I have baked it in 9” loaf pan but the batter was too much so a baked 7 cupcakes with the remaining batter,next time I will bake it in a 10” pan.
Thank you ☺️ again.
Btw we have another thing in common our love for cats, I have a cat who’s adorable,her name is Toffee we love her to the moon and back ☺️
★★★★★
Hi Jo, I’m looking for a rectangular chocolate cake to make a Snickers cake… shaped like a Snickers bar. Wondering if this would hold up as a layer cake, or am I better off baking a layer cake recipe in a loaf pan? Thanks!
Melanie, unfortunately I think this cake would be too fragile to work as a layer cake. But it sounds like when you find the right one your snickers bar cake will be awesome!
HI JO, JUST PUT THIS CAKE INTO MY OVEN, SET FOR 70 MIN., BUT WILL START CHECKING AT 50!followed exact recipe, but used dark chips as the darker the better 4 me, used 1c of brewed cafe, FAHJE yogurt, buttered and floured my 9×5 pan, so hoping 4 great results! usually bake to gift, never even tasting anything, but due to covid 19, have been forced to taste looking 4 new trusted recipes, so will definitely give my trusty opinion, thx 4 sharing, :):
★
It’s in the oven!😁. Sure looks rich. I’ll keep you posted.
★★★★★
Made this yummy chocolate loaf for friends on Friday. Made it dairy free with vegan baking butter and oat yogurt. It was rich, very moist and chocolatey. BIG HIT!
★★★★★
Thanks Mary!
GREAT RECIPE!!!! Intense chocolate flavor and not too sweet. This will be a staple. Maybe add some extra chocolate chips to the batter before baking next time!! The
★★★★★
So glad you liked it, Ashlee!
Made twice. Yummy
★★★★★
Glad you liked it!
Hi, could i use sour cream instead of the yogurt?
Yes, for sure!
Hi, Can I substitute all purpose flour with Coconut Flour ??
Zainab, unfortunately coconut flour will behave much differently than all purpose because of its fat content. I haven’t done a lot of experimenting with alternative flours but the loopy whisk is a great resource for gluten free and alternative baking.
Very delicious and just what my craving desired! There were 3 of us and it was gone by the next day! Everyone loved it. Easy to make, which is good ‘cause I’m definitely making it again!
★★★★★
So glad you liked it! It’s one of my faves.