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Double Chocolate Loaf Cake

prep time: 20 min | bake time: 45 min | total time: 1 hr

This Double Chocolate Loaf Cake is every chocolate lover's dream come true! It's super moist, easy to make and topped with a smooth chocolate ganache that really elevates the look and feel of this loaf cake. Whether you’re looking for an eggless or vegan chocolate cake, this recipe delivers a decadent dessert in under an hour!
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Double Chocolate Loaf Cake With Easy Chocolate Glaze

If you’re looking for a dessert ideal for celebrating, look no further than this Double Chocolate Loaf Cake! It’s decadent, moist, oh-so chocolatey and easy to make! Made without eggs, it’s perfect for those looking for an eggless chocolate cake recipe. The best part? It all comes together in just one bowl, and then one loaf pan, making things straightforward and fuss-free! Adding cocoa powder and chocolate ganache glaze creates the “double chocolate” element, making this cake any chocolate lover’s absolute dream come true. Let’s dive into this chocolate loaf cake recipe and discover why it’s a fan favorite!

The Secret to a Super Rich Chocolate Loaf Cake

The secret to this moist chocolate loaf cake lies in its ingredients and method. Using both natural cocoa powder and chocolate ganache glaze gives the cake a deep, rich flavor. The combination of brown sugar, and vegetable oil enhances the texture of the cake, while a touch of instant coffee & warm water blooms cocoa powder for an intense chocolate flavor and a smooth, lump-free batter. Expect this cake to stay moist for days making each slice just as good as the first! 

What You Will Need

Double Chocolate Loaf Cake Ingredients

Loaf Cake Ingredients

  • Milk: Use any milk you’d like but if you want to make it dairy free go with almond, oat or soy for a full body and neutral flavour that will go well with the cake. When combined with vinegar, it mimics buttermilk, giving the cake a soft, tender crumb. It’s the secret weapon that keeps the loaf rich and melt-in-your-mouth delicious!
  • White Vinegar: A simple yet powerful ingredient, vinegar curdles the milk to create that perfect buttermilk substitute. It’s a magic touch that results in an incredibly moist, soft cake every time.
  • Light Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness and a touch of molasses flavor, giving the loaf a deep taste.
  • Vegetable Oil: The key to keeping this cake moist and tender. It blends effortlessly with the batter, giving your loaf a soft, light texture. For an extra level of richness, you can use olive oil for a subtle hint of luxury!
  • Vanilla Extract: This essential ingredient adds warmth and enhances the deep chocolate flavor, giving your loaf cake that irresistible, sweet aroma.
  • Instant Coffee Granules: It’s optional but adding coffee takes the chocolate to another level! It intensifies the cocoa’s depth, making every bite richer and more indulgent. If you’re a coffee lover, this is a must!
  • Natural Cocoa Powder: This is where the magic happens! Natural or Dutch-processed cocoa brings a rich, deep chocolate flavor to the base of the loaf.
  • All-Purpose Flour: Provides the structure and foundation for the cake, creating that perfect balance between dense and fluffy. Use all purpose gluten free flour if necessary. 
  • Baking Soda: Ensures the cake rises beautifully in the oven, giving it a light and airy texture without compromising on richness.
  • Salt: Just a pinch does wonders, balancing the sweetness and enhancing all the flavors, especially the chocolate.
  • Warm Water: Warm water helps dissolve the cocoa powder seamlessly, ensuring the batter is smooth and luscious. It also plays a role in keeping the cake moist and tender.You can also use freshly brewed coffee. 

Chocolate Glaze Ingredients

  • Dark Chocolate: Whether you opt for 55% dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips, this is where the second layer of indulgence comes in. It melts into a silky glaze that adds richness and elegance to every slice.
  • Whipping Cream: The cream gives the glaze its luxurious texture, making it rich and glossy. Use a dairy-free cream for a vegan-friendly ganache that’s just as decadent. Together with the chocolate, it creates a glaze that’s the perfect finishing touch to this already indulgent cake.

How to Make Chocolate Loaf Cake

Prepare the Loaf Pan and Wet Ingredients

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8-inch (20cm) loaf pan with oil and line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal. In a medium bowl, combine milk and white vinegar. Let it sit for 15 minutes until it curdles. Add light brown sugar, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract to the curdled milk, whisking until the sugar is fully dissolved.

Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients

Stir in instant coffee granules and cocoa powder until well incorporated. Add the dry ingredients; flour, baking soda, and salt to the wet mixture and whisk until smooth and free of lumps. Gradually pour in warm water, mixing until the batter is completely smooth.

Bake the Chocolate Loaf Cake

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Test doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center, it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Let the cake cool before removing it from the pan.

Make the Chocolate Glaze

While the loaf is cooling, prepare the glaze by melting the dark chocolate and whipping cream in a microwave-safe bowl, using 30-second intervals and stirring between each until smooth. Let the glaze cool to room temperature, then pour it over the cooled loaf and allow it to set before slicing into thick pieces.

How to Serve This Double Chocolate Loaf Cake

Anyway the heart desires is the best way to enjoy this cake! It’s super versatile and can be served in several ways, making it perfect for both casual treats and special occasions. For a simpler presentation, you can serve the loaf as-is, allowing the rich chocolate flavor to stand out on its own. 

If you want to showcase this cake as a true showstopper try a light dusting of powdered sugar can add a touch of elegance without any extra effort. For special occasions like birthday celebrations, holiday gatherings, or anniversaries, you can elevate the presentation by serving it with a side of whipped cream, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or even topped with fresh berries for a burst of color and flavor.

Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Loaf Cake

With a million ways to enjoy this cake, an easy eggless list of ingredients and straightforward instructions you’ll fall in love with this cake at first bite! Whether you’re looking for a moist chocolate cake or a quick dessert recipe, this loaf cake is perfect for any occasion.

How to Store Chocolate Loaf

Store your chocolate loaf cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, keep it in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. This cake has a very soft texture and stays moist for days without drying out when stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

What Is the Difference Between a Cake and a Loaf?

A loaf cake tends to be denser and more compact than a regular cake. It’s baked in a loaf pan, making it easier to prepare. Loaf cakes are often served in slices, while regular cakes are served in wedges from round or square pans.

FAQ for Chocolate Loaf Cake

For the best flavor, use Natural cocoa powder or Dutch processed cocoa. Dutch processed cocoa gives a darker, richer flavor, while natural cocoa provides a slightly more intense chocolate taste.

Use vegetable oil or sunflower oil for a moist and tender crumb. Olive oil can also be used for extra richness without being overpowering, but vegetable oil is a more neutral tasting option.

While both are baked in loaf pans, pound cake is denser and traditionally made with a pound each of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. Loaf cake has a lighter texture and more flexibility with ingredients.

Yes! Use dairy-free milk and dairy-free chocolate to make this loaf cake completely vegan.

You can substitute the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free baking blend in 1:1 ratio to make this chocolate loaf cake gluten-free.

Recipe Tips to Make the Best Chocolate Loaf Cake

  • Use Room Temperature Ingredients: This ensures that the ingredients blend smoothly for a perfect texture.
  • Don’t Overmix: Overmixing can make the cake dense. Stir just until combined for a light and fluffy crumb.
  • Cool Completely: Let the loaf cool fully before adding the chocolate glaze to prevent it from melting into the cake.
  • Store Properly: This cake stays moist for days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

Don’t forget to leave a comment and rating on this recipe if you tried it!

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Meet Saloni

I’m a former pastry chef with a love for breads, cakes and everything in between! My recipes are easy to follow, egg free and are designed to be shared with others!

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5 from 3 votes

Double Chocolate Loaf Cake 

This Double Chocolate Loaf Cake is every chocolate lover's dream come true! It's super moist, easy to make and topped with a smooth chocolate ganache that really elevates the look and feel of this loaf cake. Whether you’re looking for an eggless or vegan chocolate cake, this recipe delivers a decadent dessert in under an hour!
Author: Saloni Mehta
Rate
Yield: 10 servings
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Total: 1 hour 5 minutes

Equipment

Ingredients

Double Chocolate Loaf Cake Ingredients

Chocolate Ganache Glaze Ingredients

Instructions

Loaf Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350f (175C).
  • Grease an 8-inch (20cm) loaf pan with oil and line with an overhang of baking paper.
  • In a medium sized bowl combine milk and vinegar, let it sit for 15 min until it is slightly curdled.
  • Add light brown sugar, oil and vanilla, and mix properly with a hand whisk until sugar is dissolved.
  • Add cocoa powder and instant coffee. Mix until it is dissolved and fully combined without any lumps of cocoa powder.
  • Add the dry ingredients (all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt) to the liquid ingredients.
  • Mix with a whisk until combined.
  • Add warm water and mix to form a smooth batter.
  • Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.
  • Bake for about 45-50 minutes. Insert a toothpick to check the crumb is dry and then remove it from the oven.
  • Stir until smooth, cool it down to room temperature and pour all over the loaf cake. Let it set and then cut the loaf into thick slices.

Chocolate Ganache Glaze Instructions

  • Melt chocolate & cream in a bowl for 30 seconds bursts in the microwave until it is completely melted.
  • Let it cool on a rack at room temperature and then remove it from the loaf pan. Prepare chocolate glaze.
  • Store in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Cup vs weighing scale: The US customary cup measurement serves as a rough estimate, as it can have uncertainties, so for precise results, it's recommended to weigh your ingredients using a digital scale in grams. -Before you start to make any recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the process will go smoothly and easily.
  • For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with for accuracy.
  • Milk: You can use any dairy-free unsweetened milk (like almond, soy, oat) or dairy-based whole milk
  • Lemon Juice: You can substitute with Apple Cider Vinegar / White Vinegar and vice-versa.
  • Light Brown Sugar: Light Brown sugar can be substituted with granulated sugar or castor sugar. Ensure the sugar is vegan-friendly (some sugars are processed with bone char)  or use organic cane sugar
  • Whipping Cream: Use Dairy-free unsweetened whipping cream for vegan and dairy-free or any full-fat whipping cream of choice)
  • Dark Chocolate: Use dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips or a chocolate bar cut in chunks. To make this vegan, use dark chocolate of any dairy-free chocolate brand (make sure it doesn't contain milk solids or butter) but cocoa butter is totally fine.

Did you try this recipe? Leave a review!

19 Responses

    1. Hi Iris

      You can certainly use homemade buttermilk. Store bought buttermilk can sometimes be thick in consistency and I’m not sure if it would give best results.

      Best,
      Saloni

      Reply

  2. Hi Saloni,

    This cake looks so tempting. I have kids though and I’m not so keen on giving them anything with coffee. Is it ok to omit this ingredient? Thanks!

    Reply

  3. 5 stars
    Hi Saloni !

    Thanks for sharing this eggless vegetarian recipe. I think you forgot to mention baking powder in the list of ingredients. Is it possible to make load cake of that height without using baking powder?

    Reply

    1. Hi Adriana

      I have tested this recipe multiple times and I will confirm I did not forget to add baking powder. The loaf should rise beautifully without baking powder as seen in the photos on the blog post. Let us know if you try!

      Happy Baking.

      Reply

  4. 5 stars
    This looks amazing – looking forward to eating it! Quick question…do you think it matters glass or metal pan?

    Reply

    1. Hi

      I prefer to bake in an aluminum (metal) loaf pan for the best results. However you can use a glass pan if you done have a metal pan.A glass pan may result in uneven bake so keep an eye in final 10 minutes of the bake time.

      Reply

    1. Hi Anita

      yes homemade buttermilk should work. Store bought one can be slightly thick in consistency, I would avoid using that one.Let us know if you try the recipe.

      Reply

    1. Hi Tripti

      This recipe is without flax seeds.I like to use simple ingredients in my recipes and I try to formulate recipes with pantry staples.I would love to hear your feedback if you try it.

      Best,
      Saloni

      Reply

  8. Hello…if i want to make a vanilla cake..should i just remove cocoa powder from this recipe?
    Will it be fine?

    Reply

  9. Hey Saloni.
    Will definitely try the recipe. I wanted to ask if we can use AMUL fresh cream for the glaze in place of whipping cream.

    Reply
5 from 3 votes

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