Chocolate Loaf Cake

Table of Contents

There’s something magical about a freshly baked Chocolate Loaf Cake — the way it fills your kitchen with a warm cocoa aroma and delivers a rich, fudgy slice with every bite. This classic loaf is the ultimate comfort bake: soft, moist, deeply chocolatey, and incredibly easy to make even if you’re a beginner. Whether you enjoy it warm with a cup of tea, drizzle it with silky ganache, or serve it as a dessert for guests, this loaf cake never fails to impress. It’s the kind of recipe you’ll come back to again and again — simple ingredients, flawless results, unforgettable taste!

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 55-65 minutes

Cooling Time: 2 hours (minimum)

Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes (including cooling)

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Yield: 1 standard loaf (10-12 slices)

Intensity & Skill Level

Recipe Intensity: Low

This is a beginner-friendly recipe. It requires no special equipment beyond a loaf pan and uses straightforward mixing techniques. The most complex step is melting chocolate, which can be done easily in a microwave.

Physical Effort: Low

Minimal whisking and stirring. The stand mixer or hand mixer is optional; a strong arm and a whisk will suffice.

Cleanup Effort: Low

With only two main bowls and a few measuring tools, cleanup is a breeze.

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Loaf Cake:

1 ½ cups (190g) all-purpose flour

Instructions

Prepare and Preheat

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the two long sides. This “sling” will make removing the baked cake effortless.

Combine Dry Ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sifted cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisking for 30 seconds ensures the leavening agents are evenly distributed, which is key for a uniform rise.

Mix Wet Ingredients

In a large bowl, combine the melted (but not hot) butter and granulated sugar. Whisk vigorously for about one minute until well combined. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition until the mixture is smooth and slightly paler in color. Whisk in the vanilla extract.

Incorporate Sour Cream and Melted Chocolate

Add the room-temperature sour cream to the wet ingredients and whisk until smooth. At this stage, the mixture may look a little curdled—this is perfectly normal. Next, whisk in the melted chocolate until the batter is uniformly dark and glossy.

Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures

Add the entire bowl of dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Using a spatula, gently fold the mixture together. When it is about halfway combined and you still see streaks of flour, pour in the hot coffee (or water). The hot liquid will help “bloom” the cocoa powder, intensifying its flavor.

Finish the Batter and Bake

Continue folding gently with the spatula until the batter is just combined and smooth. Do not overmix. The batter will be quite thin; this is correct. Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with the spatula.

Bake for 55 to 65 minutes. The cake is done when a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, but no wet batter. Because of the dark color, judging by sight alone is tricky, so rely on the skewer test.

Cool Completely

This is the most critical step for a clean slice! Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Then, using the parchment paper sling, carefully lift the cake out of the pan and place it directly on the wire rack to cool completely. This will take at least 2 hours. Attempting to slice a warm loaf cake will result in a gummy, crumbly mess.

Make the Glaze and Serve (Optional)

Make the glaze when the cake has cooled fully. Mix the cocoa powder and sifted powdered sugar in a small bowl. Whisk in the vanilla essence and two tablespoons of milk until smooth. If the glaze is too thick to drizzle, add the remaining milk, one teaspoon at a time, until it achieves your desired consistency. After the cake has cooled, drizzle it with the glaze. Before slicing, let the glaze set for ten to fifteen minutes.

Nutrition

Important Note: The nutritional information provided is an estimate calculated using a third-party software tool and based on standard values for the ingredients. It will vary based on the specific brands and exact quantities used. This estimate is for the cake without the optional glaze.

Serving Size: 1 slice (1/10th of the loaf)

Calories: 328 kcal

Total Fat: 16g (21% DV)

Saturated Fat: 9g (45% DV)

Cholesterol: 68mg (23% DV)

Sodium: 278mg (12% DV)

Total Carbohydrates: 45g (15% DV)

Dietary Fiber: 3g (11% DV)

Sugars: 27g

Protein: 5g

Vitamin D: 1mcg (4% DV)

Calcium: 45mg (3% DV)

Iron: 2mg (11% DV)

Potassium: 180mg (4% DV)

% Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2000 calorie diet.