Black Cocoa Loaf Cake
Super rich dark chocolate loaf cake made with black cocoa powder and frosted with a silky dark chocolate ganache.
As you know, I have been just a little obsessed with black cocoa lately. After making my black cocoa bundt cake with the chocolate ganache, I wanted to see how it bakes in a loaf pan. It’s nice cuz this version is a little smaller so better for everyday baking.
In case you were wondering what black cocoa powder tastes like, it’s still a cocoa powder so obviously like chocolate but it just has that distinct flavor that you find in Oreos. It’s slightly more bitter and earthy but in a good way? Idk, I love it though.
Step-by-Step Photos
There’s just two main parts to this loaf cake, the actual cake and the chocolate ganache. They’re both quite simple to make but I’ve included some step-by-step photos for a nice visual process.
Black Cocoa Loaf Cake
- Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt until they’re evenly distributed.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the oil, sugar, eggs and sour cream until they’re well combined and smooth.
- Sift the dry ingredients over the wet and whisk just a little – about halfway.
- Pour in the hot coffee and whisk until the batter is completely smooth.
- Scrape the edge of the bowl and give it a good mix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 40-45ish minutes, until the tallest part of the cake, in the center, springs back when you press on it. If you’re hesitant, give it another few minutes or so.
- Let the cake cool completely before frosting.
Chocolate Ganache
- Heat the cream on the stove until it starts simmering.
- Pour the hot cream on top of the chocolate chips in a bowl and let it rest for a few minutes.
- Stir the ganache until it’s completely smooth and drizzle onto the cake.
Expert Tips
There’s a few things you can do to make sure your loaf bakes up perfectly.
- Don’t reduce the sugar. I know a lot of people do that for some recipes but not this one.
- Weigh your ingredients with a digital scale – baking is much more precise than cooking.
- Use a light colored stainless steel cake pan for even baking.
- Fresh coffee is the best – I use Americano for the cake batter.
How To Store Loaf Cakes
This cake can be stored airtight at room temperature for a couple of days before refrigerating. I recommend placing it in an airtight container and refrigerating it for up to a week after. Freeze if it’s any longer than that.
To freeze the cake, place it in an airtight container and then place the container in a freezer bag, squeezing out all the excess air. Bring them back to room temperature by thawing at room temperature for a few hours before serving.
Let me know if there are any other black cocoa recipes you’d like to see! I’d LOVE to make a marbled version of this cake.
If you have any questions, please comment down below – those will get answered much quicker than email or through social media.
If you’ve tried this, I would very much appreciate a star rating or review as well.
As always, have a blessed day and happy baking!
Love, B
Do you use bleached or unbleached cake flour?
I like king Arthur’s the best, I believe it’s unbleached
I made this with King Arthur all purpose gluten free flour and it was delicious!! However I would rework the ingredients for this flour by reducing the oil and coffee amounts because this flour does not absorb liquid/oil like regular flour. And it actually made so much batter that it kind of over flowed in my loaf pan. It was extremely moist that it crumbled but it didn’t really matter because it was so yummy and I loved that rich cocoa flavor. Thank you for the recipe!
It’s wow. Absolutely delicious ?. Easy to make.
Thank you very much for sharing
The cake was good, with a few “but”s for cooking and serving.
– the timing on the recipe is off. My oven typically runs hot, and cakes bake fast. After 50 minutes of baking at 325, the cake was still raw/jiggly. I turned the oven to 350 and baked it for another 5-10 mins
– the ganache was very thin. I doubled the amount of chocolate chips, and then still needed to add powdered sugar to thicken it.
– the cake was tasty. Recommend serving with whipped cream or ice cream because it’s vert dense, rich, and a bit one note.
I’m going to try this batter in a standard cake pan for a layer cake – because the cake was really fantastic (better than most I’ve made)
Trusting your choice, which would pare better with this recipe; chocolate ganache or mascarpone cream (as in your earlier recipe)?
Oh it’s tough! Haha I love both but I think I’d pick the ganache ?
Then will give it a try ? ! Thank you for the amazing creations, always. Your efforts are highly appreciated. Wish you all the best ?
This looks like a great recipe but it calls for 9×13-in pan yet you call it a loaf cake it’s more like a snacking cake. Is the pan Dimension a typo perhaps?
Hi Gregory, thank you so much for, that was a typo and I updated it!
Which size pan is best?