>I don’t know what to say to people who don’t like chocolate. How to make them envision what they are missing out on. I just say a silent thank you that I have something in my life that instantly lifts my mood.
I recently participated in a cookbook Instagram challenge, where you make a recipe surrounding a monthly theme ingredient. The idea is to get back to your cookbook roots and search among your cookbooks for a good recipe. For the chocolate month, I was immediately drawn to a trusted source and a cookbook that holds a place of pride on my kitchen shelf.
Joy the Baker is one of the first food bloggers I ever started following, and her bakes never disappoint me. She has an inherent understanding of how to combine flavor, and taste in a down to earth and easy package.
From her cookbook, I found the recipe for this chocolate loaf cake. I always delude myself into thinking loafs are lighter and less caloric than the circular kind of cake. They seem more civilized and dainty, perfect for pairing with tea (or coffee or milk). This one is a winner. It has everything you need from a good chocolate cake in a simple unassuming package.
So what makes this recipe so good?
It’s Moist.
It’s moist and buttery because of the combination of buttermilk and butter. The glaze is delicious and decadent but you could definitely go without.
It’s Chocolatey.
This cake has the perfect chocolate richness, coming from combining two chocolate sources- dutch processed cocoa powder and chocolate chips. . Dutch processed cocoa powder is cocoa powder that has been neutralized and is darker in color than natural cocoa powder. Most European cocoa powder is dutch processed, and it pairs will with baking powder, which is why we use it in this recipe today! To find it, look for the commonly stocked Hintz brand on the shelves in Bahrain (see photo below).
There’s also hot coffee in this whose sole purpose is to enhance the chocolate flavor. You can substitute with hot water if you’d like but trust me you can’t taste the coffee!
It’s yummy, it’s pretty, and it’s easy.
So without further ado, let’s jump to the recipe:
Chocolate Loaf Cake
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder dutch processed
- 1/3 cup hot coffee
- 1 3/4 cup cake flour* 205 grams, see note
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup buttermilk** (see note)
- 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks
For the glaze:
- 1 1/2 cup icing sugar
- 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder dutch or normal
- pinch salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2-4 tbsp milk or water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 C (350F). Grease and line a standard sized loaf pan (9×5 inches) with parchment paper.
- Mix the cocoa powder and hot coffee together in a small bowl until cocoa powder is dissolved.
- In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar until light and creamy, 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing for 1 minute after each addition. Mix in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture until combined, then add the chocolate coffee mix, then the buttermilk.
- Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula, and transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the top is set and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 20 minutes, then turn the pan over to remove cake from the pan.
- Continue cooling cake completely, and meanwhile make the glaze. Sift together the icing sugar and the cocoa powder, Stir in the salt and vanilla, then add 2 tablespoons of milk or water. Continue adding liquid 1 tablespoon at a time or until desired consistency (don’t exceed 4 tbsp).
It looks beautiful! I’ll try this soon.