An easy recipe for how to make a basic chocolate loaf cake. Deliciously soft, moist, rich, and chocolatey. Perfect for new cooks and is a go-to basic simple recipe.
Chocolate cakes are a wonderful thing!
I think most people at some point will have enjoyed eating chocolate cake, whether it was at a birthday party, or at a restaurant or at a friend's house.
But don't you find, if you have ever bought a chocolate cake from a supermarket, they can sometimes taste a bit dry and chalky?
You can't beat a homemade, from scratch chocolate cake. This is our regular pound cake recipe from Lovefoodies which we've adjusted so it is chocolate.
For this recipe, you will learn how to make a basic chocolate cake from scratch. It's really simple and easy to make, and very versatile.
Once you feel confident you can make a chocolate cake, (and you will after you've tried this recipe!),
you can go on and use this basic chocolate cake recipe to make other things, such as these mini cupcakes
We made these to take to a party, and then decorated the tops with some chocolate ganache and chocolate sprinkles.
You can also make this cake using a bundt pan instead of a loaf.
Perhaps you want to make it for a birthday or a special occasion.
You just need to remember to grease a bundt pan very well so it's easy to remove at the end.
This is what a bundt chocolate cake will turn out like using this recipe. Obviously you can add a frosting on top if you wish!
We turned this one upside down on the cooling rack so the top would be flat for decorating once cooled.
Then we decorated it with a tub of fudge cake frosting and sprinkled mint Oreos all over.
The kids loved it at the party that's for sure!
How do you make a super moist chocolate cake from scratch?
So for this recipe, you'll learn how to make a chocolate cake from scratch, and it will be rich, moist, and delicious!
How do I make my cake light and fluffy
In the instructions, you will read that you need to cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
You really need to do this in order for your cake to be light and have a fluffy texture once baked.
If you have an electric whisk or mixer, this will take around 5 minutes to do, so long as the butter is at room temperature.
If doing by hand, using a wooden spoon, you will need some muscles and just keep mixing until you see the texture and color change. It will be around 10 - 15 minutes by hand.
Hand-held whisks aren't very expensive, so if you plan on making more cakes in the future, it's worth buying one.
Can you use drinking chocolate instead of cocoa powder
Cocoa powder has a stronger taste of chocolate. Drinking chocolate is usually weaker, and may often contain powdered milk and also sugar. You can use it but be aware the flavor will not be as rich.
What can you use if you don't have cocoa powder?
Add an extra 1 ounce of melted chocolate to the ingredients if you don't have any cocoa powder to hand.
So let's get straight to the recipe and learn how to make a basic chocolate cake. It's easy when you know how!
Prep time
15 minutes
Cook Time
55 minutes
Serves
10
Ingredients
1 cup or 250 g butter, softened
1 cup or 200 g Regular or Castor Sugar
1 ½ cups or 190 g AP flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ cup or 30 g cocoa powder
½ cup or 90 g chocolate morsels
¼ cup or 60 ml milk
Instructions
Heat oven to 170c, 325F. Grease and line your baking tin
If you're not sure how to line a baking pan, see our handy guide for how to line a pan. Or use a cake pan liner as below.
Place half of the chocolate in a bowl and melt in the microwave at 30-second intervals until fully melted. Set aside.
Sift flour, salt, cocoa powder and baking powder. Lightly beat the eggs and vanilla in a separate bowl.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the butter and sugar (use an electric whisk if you have, otherwise a wooden spoon, but this will take a bit longer by hand). Whisk until pale and fluffy.
Add melted chocolate to the butter and sugar and whisk again until all combined.
Then add the beaten eggs, milk, sifted flour, and cocoa powder, and combine.
Fold in the remaining half of the chocolate morsels.
Transfer the cake mixture to the greased and lined loaf tin. Then place in the oven for 55 - 60 minutes and the cake tester comes out clean.
When the cake is done, take it out of the oven and leave in the cake tin until cool enough to transfer to a cooling rack.
TIP
Use a sharp knife if you don't have a cake tester, insert it in the middle of the cake and see if it comes out clean.
Store in an air-tight container once completely cooled, or slice and serve.
Recipe Card
How To Make A Basic Chocolate Loaf Cake
A simple, easy chocolate loaf cake recipe is moist, rich, and chocolatey. Perfect for new cooks and is a go-to basic recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup or 250 g butter, softened
- 1 cup or 200 g Regular or Castor Sugar
- 1 ½ cups or 190 g AP flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup or 30 g cocoa powder
- ½ cup or 90 g chocolate morsels
- ¼ cup or 60 ml milk
Instructions
- Heat oven to 170c, 325F. Grease and line your baking tin
- Place half of the chocolate in a bowl and melt in the microwave at 30-second intervals until fully melted. Set aside.
- Sift flour, salt, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Lightly beat the eggs and vanilla in a separate bowl.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the butter and sugar (use an electric whisk if you have, otherwise a wooden spoon, but this will take a bit longer by hand). Whisk until pale and fluffy.
- Add melted chocolate to the butter and sugar and whisk again until all combined.
- Then add the beaten eggs, milk sifted flour, and cocoa powder, and combine.
- Fold in the remaining half of the chocolate morsels.
- Transfer the cake mixture to the greased and lined loaf tin. Then place in the oven for 55 - 60 minutes. check with a skewer the cake is done.
- When the cake is done, take it out of the oven and leave it in the cake tin until cool enough to transfer to a cooling rack.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 421Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 131mgSodium: 509mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 1gSugar: 25gProtein: 6g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate
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reba
Is there any other chocolate besides the cocoa and chocolate chips in the cake, and i would like to put some instant coffee in it any idea how much?
Newbie In The Kitchen
Hi Reba, the ingredients are as you see them. Sure you can add coffee. I suggest 2 teaspoons of instant coffee dissolved in 1 tablespoon of water. Simply add it to the batter after you've mixed in the butter and sage. Hope that helps!
Karen
You use all purpose flour in your chocolate loaf cake recipe. Is this self raising or plain flour. I’m looking forward to making it
Newbie In The Kitchen
Hi Karen, all purpose is the equivalent to plain flour.
Enjoy the cake!
Amy
Hi...could you please tell me what brand of dark chocolate you used. The recipe says to chop 5 ounces of dark chocolate, but are you referring to baking chocolate or just a candy bar? Do you mean semi-sweet or bitter sweet? Thanks
Newbie In The Kitchen
Hi Amy, you can use any type of dark chocolate, I’ve used both baking and regular eating dark chocolate and it doesn’t affect the bake of the cake nor the flavor so use whichever you have to hand.
Hope that helps!
Paula
Is there supposed to be any milk in this
Newbie In The Kitchen
Hi Paula, no, there is 75ml/ 1/3cup milk in this recipe. You can add the milk at the same time you add the eggs if you feel the batter is a bit thick, you will often find batches of flour will vary in their absorption, so adding milk will loosen the batter and solve the problem!
Paula
Thanks for replying, I never knew that about the flour, great tip, I shall try that because the cake flavour was delicious.
Paula
My batter came out really thick and cake was really dry, excellent taste though so had it with custard.perhaps I'll had more liquid next time
Jacqueline Debono
I love how easy this loaf cake was to make. I'm not a great cake maker but my hubby so loves chocolate cake I decided to give it a go! It turned out perfect and hubby devoured most of it on his own!
Moop Brown
This cake looks great- super rich and like the perfect texture as well. Truly the perfect dessert!
Addison
This chocolate loaf cake is incredibly rich and delicious! The texture is perfection. Loved your detailed recipe too!
Elaine
The best thing about this cake is its texture - it is absolutely amazing! Everything else is perfect, too, by the way, so I am definitely giving it a go!
Chandice Probst
Yum what a delicious and decadent chocolate loaf cake! Love dressing it up with homemade whipped cream and strawberries.
Chef Dennis
Chocolate is life! This Chocolate loaf cake is sooo mouthwatering! My wife will love this.
Marta
We are all around chocolate lovers, so this recipe will fit right in with our style. I like that its consistency helps it absorb toppings! A-la-Mode here we go!
Bernice Hill
I have a feeling this chocolate loaf cake is a dangerous recipe to have! I would be making it all of the time. I have never seen those pan liners before either, I'd love to get my hands on some.
Gloria
Calling all chocolate lovers, this is for you. You can never go wrong with chocolate in anything. I will be sure to pass this along to my daughter...she is a chocoholic.
Jenny
That is a great guide. You have everything needed for a super moist chocolate cake. I am a novice baker, and I will attempt one this weekend. Thanks so much!