This chocolate loaf cake is rich, moist, and super chocolatey—everything you want in a classic chocolate cake! Baked in a loaf pan for easy slicing, it’s topped with a smooth, fudgy chocolate frosting that takes this loaf cake to another level.
Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Loaf Cake
When it comes to chocolate cake, it has to tick all the boxes: rich, moist, and free from that telltale baking soda aftertaste (you know the one!). This recipe is adapted from my beloved chocolate sheet cake—which has over 50 five-star reviews—so you know it’s going to be good. Here’s why you’re going to love it:
Moist and Tender
With a dreamy combo of milk, oil, butter, and hot coffee, this loaf bakes up ultra-soft and wonderfully moist—no dry, crumbly slices here!
Rich Chocolate Flavor
Made with Dutch-processed cocoa, a hint of instant coffee (or espresso/espresso powder works too!), and finished with a dark chocolate fudge frosting, this cake is deeply chocolatey and totally irresistible.
Easy to Make
No fancy equipment required! Just a few bowls, a whisk, and a loaf tin stand between you and chocolate cake bliss. I love when I don’t need to pull out my mixer!
Perfect for Sharing
Baked in a loaf pan for easy slicing, this cake is ideal for afternoon tea, special occasions like birthdays, or whenever you’re in the mood for a cozy chocolate fix.
Looking for something a little more indulgent in the form of a layer cake? Check out my rich chocolate cake recipe!
How to Make Chocolate Loaf Cake
You can find the full list of ingredients for this recipe in the recipe card at the end of the blog post (for easy navigation, hit the ‘jump to recipe’ button at the top of the blog post). Here is a quick visual breakdown of the recipe (recipe video is also provided in the recipe card below).
Chocolate Loaf Cake
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) conventional. Lightly grease an 8.5 x 4.5-inch loaf tin. Line the pan lengthways with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides to make it easier to lift the loaf. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder (I recommend Dutch-processed cocoa as opposed to natural cocoa powder for a deeper/richer color), baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using a whisk, mix until well combined, then set aside.
In a large bowl add in brown sugar, white sugar, milk, melted butter, unflavored vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla. Using a whisk, mix until well combined.
Add in the presifted flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix with a whisk until just combined. Do not overmix.
Add in hot coffee and mix with a whisk until well combined. The mixture should be smooth, but avoid overmixing.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Lightly drop the pan on the counter to remove any large air bubbles. Bake for 55–60 minutes, or until a skewer or thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. A toothpick will likely be too short to check whether the loaf is done 🙂
Allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 20 minutes, before running a thin knife along the edges not lined with parchment, then use the overhanging paper to lift the loaf out of the tin and place it on a wire rack to cool completely.
Once fully cooled, carefully transfer the loaf to a serving plate and frost with chocolate fudge frosting (recipe below).
Chocolate Fudge Frosting
Place a saucepan over a low heat and add in all the ingredients. Stir well.
Allow the mixture to slowly melt, stirring frequently to prevent the bottom from burning. As soon as everything is fully melted and smooth, immediately remove the saucepan from the heat. Do not let the mixture simmer or boil.
Transfer to a heatproof bowl. (Optional: Run the mixture through a sieve to remove any lumps.)
Allow the frosting to set until it is a thick, spreadable consistency. To speed up the process, place it in the fridge, stirring every 10 minutes until ready to use.
Frost the cooled loaf cake with the chocolate frosting. Slice and serve!
How to Store This Loaf Cake
Store the frosted loaf cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to a week. If refrigerating, let the cake sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to an hour before serving so the frosting softens slightly and the cake comes to room temperature.
Moist Chocolate Loaf Cake
Print Pin VideoIMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.
Ingredients
Chocolate Loaf Cake
- 1¼ cups (150 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (50 g) unsweetened cocoa powder - Dutch processed preferred
- 1¼ tsps baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup (150 g) soft light brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) white granulated sugar
- ½ cup (120 g) whole milk - room temperature
- 2½ tbsps (35 g) unsalted butter - melted
- ⅓ cup (70 g) unflavored vegetable oil - I use canola oil
- 2 large eggs - room temperature
- 1¾ tsps vanilla extract/essence
- ½ cup (120 g) strong hot coffee - made with ½ tbsp instant coffee in 120g hot water
Chocolate Fudge Frosting
- ¼ cup (56 g) heavy cream
- ⅔ cup (110 g) dark chocolate
- ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup (42 g) powdered sugar - also known as icing/confectioners' sugar
- ⅛ tsp instant coffee powder
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cocoa powder - Dutch processed preferred
- ½ tsp vanilla extract/essence
Instructions
Chocolate Loaf Cake
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) conventional (see note 1 if using a convection/fan-forced oven). Lightly grease an 8.5 x 4.5-inch loaf tin. Line the pan lengthways with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides to make it easier to lift the loaf. Set aside.
- Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using a whisk, mix until well combined, then set aside.
- In a large bowl add in brown sugar, white sugar, milk, melted butter, unflavored vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla. Using a whisk, mix until well combined.
- Add in presifted dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix with a whisk until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Add in hot coffee and mix with a whisk until well combined. The mixture should be smooth, but avoid overmixing.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin. Lightly drop the pan on the counter to remove any large air bubbles. Bake for 55–60 minutes, or until a skewer or thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 20 minutes, before running a thin knife along the edges not lined with parchment, then use the overhanging paper to lift the loaf out of the tin and place it on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once fully cooled, carefully transfer the loaf to a serving plate and frost with chocolate fudge frosting (recipe below).
Chocolate Fudge Frosting
- Place a saucepan over a low heat and add in all the ingredients. Stir well.
- Allow the mixture to slowly melt, stirring frequently to prevent the bottom from burning. As soon as everything is fully melted and smooth, immediately remove the saucepan from the heat. Do not let the mixture simmer or boil (see note 2).
- Transfer to a heatproof bowl. (Optional: Run the mixture through a sieve to remove any lumps.)
- Allow the frosting to set until it is a thick, spreadable consistency. To speed up the process, place it in the fridge, stirring every 10 minutes until ready to use.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.
17 Comments
Dear Maryam
Your recipes are so wonderful! Today I tried the Chocolate Loaf Cake, only without making it a loaf ;-). My loaf tin is 30 cm long and so – after some maths – I decided to use a round cake tin of 18 cm diameter. I baked it about 45 min and it came out very nice. My frosting is darker and does not have the lighter colour of yours, but it tastes very good.
I would love to send you a photo – is there any possibility?
All the best and thanks for everything,
Ute from Switzerland
It melds in your mouth recipe is very easy to make and believe me it tastes like some more
Yay! So glad you loved it Thea 😀
Moist Chocolate Loaf Cake is Excellent. I will make it again and recommend it to everyone
Yay! Thanks so much Janet 😀 so glad you loved the loaf
Quick Easy top of the list on tasty chocolate cakes recipes
Aww thanks Maretha! So glad you loved the loaf 😀
Hi MK! Thank you for all of the great recipes! I finally figured out why my fudge frosting was grainy from your previous recipe. I was overheating it. I have a question, do you still put the cling wrap on to prevent it from forming a skim? On your previous video you did that but on this one, you did not. Thank you in advance for answering my question.
Hi Jen! So glad you figured out why the fudge frosting was grainy, overheating is the most common reason 🙂
Great question! So I would cover it with cling wrap if you’re not using it soon after you’ve made it, but for this loaf cake I kept it in the fridge uncovered and stirred every 10-ish mins or so so I could use it quicker and because of the constant stirring there was no skin 🙂
Hope that helps!
Looks yummy a must try she never dissapoints
Thanks so much Zainab! Enjoy 🙂
Love the MK recipes sorry not on Instagram to follow or communicate .
Trying this Chocolate Loaf Cake today.
Have a great day hopefully chat soon.
Daniel
So glad you’re loving the recipes Daniel! Hope you enjoy the chocolate loaf 😀
Your banana cake recipe worked out well,perfect use for tried old bananas.
So happy to hear you loved the recipe Nigel! 😀
Looks so yummy, I m definitely going to try soon,
I am a great fan of you,
Like the way you explain and the details you cover,
Keep doing good work
Thanks so much Zeenat! Hope you love the recipe 😀