This easy chocolate loaf cake recipe is moist, tender, and delicious! No stand mixer required! Great with or without frosting!
Love chocolate cake? I’m sharing this loaf cake version of my favorite Best Chocolate Cake recipe that so many have loved through the years! I think you’ll love it for an even quicker, smaller, and super easy chocolate loaf cake recipe. No frosting is required, but it is oh so good!
Table of Contents
How to Make Best Chocolate Loaf Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
- Flour – I use all-purpose flour
- Sugar – you’ll need granulated sugar
- Cocoa powder – use unsweetened cocoa powder for this cake recipe.
- Baking powder and baking soda – you’ll use both baking powder and baking soda as leaveners in this cake recipe.
- Salt – I use kosher salt
- Espresso powder – you can use homemade or store-bought espresso powder. It enhances the flavor of the chocolate without leaving a coffee flavor. You can omit it if you prefer or do not have it on hand.
- Milk – Use whole milk, buttermilk, or a dairy-free milk substitute if you prefer
- Oil – you can use your choice of canola oil, vegetable oil, melted coconut oil, or your favorite oil for baking
- Egg – you’ll need one room-temperature egg
- Vanilla extract – Be sure to use a high-quality vanilla extract and not imitation vanilla flavoring. I love to use my homemade vanilla extract.
- Water – the boiling water releases the flavor of the cocoa powder and makes the cake so delicious! It will make for a thin batter, but do not worry! The cake bakes into a perfectly moist, delicious cake!
- Frosting (Optional) – While the cake is delicious served without a frosting, I love to use my Chocolate Buttercream Frosting recipe.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prep. Preheat oven to 350º F. Prepare the loaf pan by buttering and lightly dusting with cocoa powder or flour.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients. Add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder to a large bowl. Whisk until combined well.
- Stir together the wet and dry ingredients. Add the milk, oil, egg, and vanilla extract to the flour mixture and stir together. Carefully add boiling water to the cake batter until well combined.
- Bake the cake. Pour the cake batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of the chocolate cake comes out clean. See my guide for how to tell when your cake is done for more tips.
- Cool the cake. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely.
- Frost the cake (optional). Frost cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, if using.
Room Temperature Ingredients
Make sure your ingredients, including egg and milk, are at room temperature for better mixing into the cake batter.
Storage Tips
To store. Cool the cake and store it on a cake plate or platter covered with a cake dome or wrap it at room temperature. If you add a frosting that requires refrigeration, such as cream cheese frosting, wrap the cake well and store it in the refrigerator.
To make ahead. This cake is a wonderful make-ahead cake recipe! Prepare it as directed, wrap it well or store it under a cake dome.
To freeze. Wrap the cooled cake well with wrap and then with foil. Put inside an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze for up to two months. To serve, thaw in the refrigerator overnight with the wrapping left intact.
Frequently Asked Questions
I use unsweetened cocoa powder, but others have said that they have used Dutch processed cocoa powder in my original Best Chocolate Cake Recipe.
It freezes beautifully! See how to freeze this cake under my Storage Tips section.
To make gluten-free, use your favorite gluten-free flour substitute and make sure all other ingredients are gluten-free.
You can substitute 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce for the egg in this recipe.
Use a dairy-free milk substitute such as almond milk or oat milk for the milk in this recipe.
Here’s my Best Chocolate Loaf Cake Recipe! I hope you love it as much as we do!
The Best Chocolate Loaf Cake Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (198 g) sugar
- 1/2 cup (42 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon (4 g) baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon (1.4 g) kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon (1.15 g) espresso powder
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) milk, whole, buttermilk, or plant-based milk substitutes at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (49.5 g) oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, or melted coconut oil
- 1 large (50 g) egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (4.7 g) vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) boiling water
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat oven to 350º F. Prepare the loaf pan by buttering and lightly dusting with cocoa powder or flour.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients. Add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder to a large bowl. Whisk until combined well.
- Stir together the wet and dry ingredients. Add the milk, oil, egg, and vanilla extract to the flour mixture and stir together. Carefully add boiling water to the cake batter until well combined.
- Bake the cake. Pour the cake batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of the chocolate cake comes out clean. See my guide for how to tell when your cake is done for more tips.
- Cool the cake. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely.
- Frost the cake (optional). Frost cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, if using.
Notes
Storage Tips:
To store. Cool the cake and store it on a cake plate or platter covered with a cake dome or wrap it at room temperature. If you add a frosting that requires refrigeration, such as cream cheese frosting, wrap the cake well and store it in the refrigerator. To make ahead. This cake is a wonderful make-ahead cake recipe! Prepare it as directed, wrap it well or store it under a cake dome. To freeze. Wrap the cooled cake well with wrap and then with foil. Put inside an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze for up to two months. To serve, thaw in the refrigerator overnight with the wrapping left intact.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Thank you so much for this loaf pan adaption. We are moving and that’s the only pan I could find out of many. Birthdays deserve rich chocolate cakes so loaf cake this year with your help. THANK YOU, you saved the day!
CJ, I’m happy this loaf version of the chocolate cake was a hit for you for your birthday cakes.
I baked the easy chocolate cake and the pecan chewies today. my daughter thrilled 🙌. your recipes are awesome.
Naeem, I’m happy you love my recipes and hope your daughter enjoys her desserts.
What is the amount of salt that’s required in this recipe?
Louise, you use 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt in this recipe. I hope you enjoy the cake!
Salt is mentioned in your prep comments and in the instructions but I don’t see it in the ingredients list in the recipe. Am I just missing it? Thx.
Louise, you use 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. I have updated the recipe. Hope you enjoy.
Yummy. Years ago a friend who had a restaurant gave me his chocolate cake recipe, was the best ever, moist kinda a heavy cake, not one of those that are like air, It was perfect and so good. Lost the recipe but this one is so close, loved it.
Thanks Robyn, Douglas
The directions say to add salt with the dry ingredients, but I don’t see a listing or measurement for salt in the list of ingredients. How much salt needs to be added?
Robyn, you add 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. The recipe has been updated. I hope you enjoy the cake.
Excellent cake for quick no-fuss bake. Great for young bakers/new to baking folk as it is straight forward and the steps are not intimidating or overly fussy. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you, Viv. I have had many young bakers tell me how they bake my Best Chocolate Cake, some as young as 12. I’m so glad you found this loaf cake easy to make and think it would be good for young bakers to make.
is the amount of cocoa powder correct? I noticed the regular size cake has the same amount.
Patty, the recipe has been updated. It should be 1/2 cup cocoa powder in the chocolate loaf cake. Hope you enjoy!