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This chocolate chip loaf cake is buttery, rich, loaded with chocolate chips and then topped with a silky chocolate ganache.
When it comes to dessert, you can never go wrong with chocolate - from s'mores cupcakes to an Oreo tart to chocolate orange mousse to chocolate peanut butter ice cream.
But a lot of desserts take some time to prepare, including all of the above. And that's where this chocolate chip loaf cake comes into play. Instead of making a layered cake, this is smaller and quicker to prepare. Plus no fancy decorating.
It's perfect for holidays like Mother's or Father's Day, or if you just want some cake.
Why This Recipe Works
- Buttery - This cake is just like a traditional yellow cake, but just scaled down. Your really taste the butter in every bite.
- Texture - By using buttermilk, you get a light crumble cake that is similar to pound cake.
- Simple - There is no fancy decorating and you use standard baking equipment. The cake can be ready in an hour, which makes for a great last minute dessert.
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Ingredient Notes
- Flour - all-purpose flour is best.
- Unsalted butter - the base fat for the cake
- Sugar - I like the combination of granulated and light brown sugar to add sweetness.
- Eggs - adds structure to the cake.
- Buttermilk - adds a slight tang and helps with the moistness of the loaf cake.
- Chocolate - mini chocolate chips are great so you get chocolate in every bite. Can also be used for the ganache.
- Heavy cream - has the necessary fat to make a silky, smooth ganache.
Ingredient Swaps
Like any recipe, you can mix up some of the ingredients. Some variations include:
- If you want to go a little healthier than all-purpose flour, try whole wheat flour or use half whole wheat and half all-purpose. If you are gluten-free, I recommend Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour.
- If you want to make this recipe vegan, you can make chia eggs instead of eggs. Just mix 2 tablespoon of chia seeds with 5 tablespoon water and let sit for 5 minutes before adding to the apple cinnamon bread. You can also use same amount of flaxseeds. Also replace the butter with oil.
- Buttermilk is perfect for the cake, but sour cream or whole milk can be used. If going vegan, try coconut milk.
Step-by-Step Photos
Please note full ingredient list and instructions can be found in recipe card below.
Whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside. Beat together the butter and sugars until combined before adding the eggs and vanilla extract.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk and ending with the flour. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Add the mixture to the pan and bake at 350°F for 50-60 minutes or until done.
Make the ganache by heating the cream and butter in a pan until it simmers. Pour into a bowl with the chocolate. Let sit for 2 minutes before stirring until the chocolate is melted. Pour the ganache over the cooled cake and allow to set.
FAQs
White cake uses mostly or only egg whites while yellow cake uses whole eggs which gives it a yellow hint.
Also yellow cake is made with all-purpose flour where white cake is usually made with cake flour.
You can't go wrong with either, but I'm partial to the more custardy flavor of yellow cake.
If you don't have buttermilk you can easily make it at home. Simply add 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes and it’s ready.
If you are worried about your chocolate chips going to the bottom of the cake, just toss in some flour beforehand. I find you don't need to do this as it is a fairly thick batter.
This is the tell tale sign that the cake was underbaked. You know the cake is down when you insert a toothpick in the middle and it comes out clean.
This means that the cake was more than likely overbaked. Every oven is different so start checking doneness at 50 minutes and check every 5 minutes after that.
To maximize the shelf life of the chocolate chip loaf cake, place it in a covered airtight container or cover with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.
• Cake at room temperature will last 2-3 days
• Cake in the fridge will last 1 week
• Cake in the freezer will last 4 months
Equipment
The equipment you use is important to how the chocolate chip loaf cake turns out. What is needed is the following:
- Stand mixer - you can also use a hand mixer with mixing bowls.
- Large bowl - need a bowl to be able to mix together the ingredients.
- Loaf pan - you want a 9 x 5 loaf pan to bake the cake.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- All refrigerated items should be at room temperature, which helps the batter mix easily and evenly.
- You know the cake is done when you insert a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean.
- If the cake is browning too quickly, place some aluminum foil loosely on top.
- Allow the cakes to completely cool before adding the chocolate ganache, otherwise it will melt.
- If the ganache is too think, stir in a some more warm cream and if too thin, add some more chocolate in tablespoon increments.
Other Dessert Recipes
If you’ve tried this chocolate chip loaf cake or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (188g)
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (1 stick)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup buttermilk
- 1 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
Chocolate Ganache
- 3 oz semi-sweet chocolate
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside.
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugars together, about 2 minute. Add eggs and vanilla extract, and beat until mixture lightens and begins to thicken, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- With a spatula and hand-mixing, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk and ending with the flour mixture until just combined. Do not over-mix. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Add the batter into the pan, making sure it is even. Top with some more chocolate chips. Bake for 50-60 minutes, covering with aluminum foil halfway through if the cake is browning too quickly. At 50 minutes, start checking to see if the cake is done every 5 minutes by inserting a toothpick or cake tester in the center where it comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs.
- Let the loaf cool in the pan for 30 minutes before removing and placing on wire rack.
Chocolate Ganache
- Place chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat the cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to simmer. Pour cream mixture over the chocolate. Let sit for about 2 minutes and then stir until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
- Pour the ganache over the cooled cake and allow to set.
Notes
- Use baking soda that is less than six months old since it has been opened. If you use older baking soda, it won’t be powerful enough to help leaven the bread. You can test it by stirring half a teaspoon of baking soda into a cup of hot water. It will immediately start to fizz and release carbon dioxide gas if it’s still fresh enough to use.
- If you want a slightly sweeter bread, increase the maple syrup to ½ cup.
- If using nuts, don't skip out on roasting them. By roasting the nuts, they will stay crispy in the batter and bring out the flavor.
- If you want to freeze the banana bread, wrap the loaf in 2-3 layers of plastic wrap or aluminum foil and then place in a freezer-friendly storage bag. Freeze up to 3 months and then thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
- This healthy banana bread recipe can also be used to make muffins. Preheat the oven to 350°F, fill the muffin tins until about ⅔ of the way full and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. You could also try these vegan banana chocolate chip muffins.
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