Chocolate Loaf Cake With Dark Chocolate Ganache
This chocolate loaf cake is super moist & incredibly chocolatey! Topped with a luxurious dark chocolate ganache, this cake’s hard to beat.
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This chocolate loaf cake is super moist, has a soft crumb and is topped with the richest dark chocolate ganache! Like chocolate? Then you’ll love this recipe!
For this loaf cake, we’re making an oil based chocolate cake with the addition of sour cream & Dutch processed cocoa powder for the best ever flavour & texture! The great thing about this cake recipe is that it’s all mixed in one bowl & comes together in no time at all, without the need for a mixer. We’re talking prep time of less than 10 minutes once you’ve bloomed the cocoa!
Once baked & cooled, we’re going to be topping our chocolate cake with a rich & velvety dark chocolate ganache, for maximum chocolate flavour! If you’re a chocolate lover, this is the cake for you! It’s a double chocolate cake, in loaf form…
PS. To take this cake to the next level, warm a slice up in the microwave until the ganache is nice & melty then serve it with a scoop of ice cream!
I’m on a bit of loaf cake kick at minute having recently posted a sour cream pound cake recipe and a rapeseed oil lemon drizzle loaf cake. If there’s a loaf cake you’d like to see on the blog, feel free to leave a comment on this post!
Looking for more baking recipes to try? We have recipes for a whole load of bakes. From homemade bread & sourdough, to cakes, brownies & cookies.
Ingredient Notes
- Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder – Dutch processed cocoa has a more intense flavour & darker colour than regular cocoa. This is ideal for chocolate cake & is available in most supermarkets. If you’re in the UK, I’d recommend Green & Black’s.
- Coffee – Adding a small amount of instant coffee to the cake batter enhances the chocolate flavour. Don’t worry, you’re cake won’t taste like coffee!
- Chocolate – I’d recommend using a 75% dark chocolate for the ganache or for a less intense chocolate flavour, I’d go with a 55% dark chocolate.
- Sour Cream – This adds moisture to our cake batter, resulting in a soft, tender crumb. Make sure to let the sour cream come up to room temperature before using.
- Double Cream – You’ll need double/heavy cream for the dark chocolate ganache.
- Sugar – You’ll need 2 types of sugar for this chocolate cake; caster & dark brown. Light brown sugar can also be used instead of dark brown.
- Eggs – We’re using 2 large eggs in the cake batter. Each should weigh around 60 grams without the shell (I’d recommend weighing the eggs!).
- Flour – We’re using plain/all purpose flour for this cake. Make sure to sift it before using!
- Raising Agents – You’ll need baking powder & bicarbonate of soda for the cake.
How To Line A Loaf Tin
The best way to line a loaf tin is to generously grease the inside with soft butter then line the base & 2 longer sides with a piece of baking parchment, leaving a couple of centimetres overhanging (as shown below). This also acts like a sling, making it easier to remove the cake once baked.
How To Make A Chocolate Loaf Cake
The full, printable recipe for this cake can be found at the bottom of this post! Here’s a quick rundown of the recipe…
- Bloom Cocoa
First, we mix cocoa powder with instant coffee granules & boiling water then leave it to bloom/cool slightly. This technique is used to intensify the cocoa’s flavour, making our cake even more chocolatey! - Combine Dry Ingredients
Next, we sift plain flour, baking powder & bicarbonate of soda into a large mixing bowl then mix in table salt, caster sugar & dark brown sugar. - Mix Batter
To the dry ingredients, we add sour cream, veg oil, eggs, & the cocoa & water mix. We whisk the batter by hand, until combined & smooth then immediately transfer to a lined 2 lb loaf tin. - Bake
We bake the cake at 175°c/350°f for 40-45 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Once cooked, the loaf cake should be well risen & cracked down the middle. - Leave To Cool
Once baked, we let the cake cool for 20 minutes then we lift it out of the tin & leave to cool completely on a cooling rack before finishing it with the chocolate ganache.
Dark Chocolate Ganache
This dark chocolate ganache is super easy to make yet incredibly delicious and insanely chocolatey! For those not familiar with ganache, it’s made by melting dark chocolate in warm double cream. For this cake, we’re also adding in a small amount of sugar & butter for a more luxurious finish. Here’s how to make & use it…
- Warm double cream & sugar over a low heat, until steaming hot but not boiling.
- In the meantime, add chopped dark chocolate, butter & a pinch of sea salt into a mixing bowl.
- Pour the warm cream over the chocolate then leave to stand for 1 minute, without stirring.
- Next, use a whisk to gently stir the chocolate & cream together until melted & smooth. Start stirring from the centre & work your way outwards as the chocolate melts.
- Let the ganache cool, stirring occasionally until it is thick enough to spread over the cake. You can pop the ganache in the fridge for 20 minutes, to speed this up.
- Spoon the ganache on top of the cake then use a palette knife to spread into a thick, even layer.
- Chill the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes then cut into slices & serve!
Tips & Tricks
- Use Dutch processed cocoa powder in the cake batter, for a more intense chocolate flavour & darker colour crumb.
- Bloom the cocoa powder in hot water for a stronger chocolate flavour. Make sure to let it cool slightly before adding to the cake batter!
- Add a small amount of coffee to the batter, to amplify the chocolate flavour.
- Use room temperature ingredients for a smoother cake mix.
- Bake the cake until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Don’t open the oven too early though as this can cause the cake to sink.
- Let your cake cool completely before topping with ganache, to avoid melting it.
- Bring your cake back to room temperature to serve, for the best flavour & texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dutch processed cocoa powder has a darker colour & a more intense cocoa flavour which works fantastically in chocolate cakes. Using Dutch processed cocoa powder is key to making the richest chocolate cakes!
You don’t have to but I’d recommend it! Adding a small amount of instant coffee into the cake batter enhances the flavours from the cocoa. Don’t worry if you don’t like coffee, your cake won’t taste like it!
Adding sour cream to chocolate cake batter increases the fat content & adds moisture without affecting the consistency of the batter. This results in a cake with a soft, tender crumb!
To main reason loaf cakes sink is if the oven door was opened too early! To avoid this, make sure to cook the cake for at least half the baking time before checking it.
Chocolate ganache will split if the cream is too hot when it is added to the chocolate. To avoid this, heat the cream until it is steaming hot but not boiling.
To fix a split chocolate ganache, whisk in a small amount of hot water. You can also gently blitz the ganache with a stick blender (on a low speed) to re emulsify.
This comes down to personal preference but I’d recommend using a chocolate with a cocoa percentage between 50-80%. The higher the cocoa percentage, the darker the chocolate. I like to use a 75% dark chocolate which adds plenty of flavour without being bitter. For a more mild flavour, I’d go with a 55% dark chocolate.
How To Bake A Chocolate Loaf Cake In An Aga
With all of my recipes, I include cooking instructions for conventional ovens, fan ovens & also Agas. Here’s how to cook this recipe in an Aga…
Bake the chocolate loaf on a grid shelf placed onto the floor of the baking oven. Slide a cold plain shelf onto the top set of runners just before baking the cake, leaving it in for the duration of the cook. Use the simmering plate to warm the cream up for the ganache.
Equipment Used
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More Cake Recipes To Try!
- Black Tahini Chocolate Sheet Cake
- Nutella Swirled Tahini Banana Bread
- Nutty Brown Butter Flapjacks
- Lemon Fondant Fancies
- Brown Butter Biscoff Rice Krispie Treats
- Lemon & Almond Battenberg
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Chocolate Loaf Cake With Dark Chocolate Ganache
Equipment
- 2 lb Loaf Tin
- Mixing Bowls
- Sieve
- Cooling Rack
- Small Saucepan
Ingredients
Chocolate Loaf Cake
- 60 g Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder (See Notes)
- 1 tsp Instant Coffee Granules
- 140 g Boiling Water
- 170 g Plain Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- ¾ tsp Bicarbonate Of Soda
- ½ tsp Table Salt
- 140 g Caster Sugar
- 100 g Dark Brown Sugar
- 150 g Sour Cream (At Room Temperature)
- 85 g Vegetable Oil
- 2 Large Eggs (See Notes)
Dark Chocolate Ganache
- 140 g Double Cream
- 20 g Caster Sugar
- 110 g Dark Chocolate
- 15 g Unsalted Butter
- A Pinch Of Sea Salt
Instructions
Chocolate Loaf Cake
- Preheat an oven to 175°c/155°c fan (350°f/310°f).
- Grease a 2 lb loaf tin with butter then line the bottom & two longer sides with a piece of baking parchment, leaving a couple of centimetres overhanging the tin's edges (this makes it easier to take the cake out of the tin once it is cooked!).
- Place the coffee granules & cocoa powder into a small mixing bowl then pour over the boiling water. Whisk until smooth then leave to bloom & cool slightly.
- Next, sift the flour, baking powder & bicarbonate of soda into a large mixing bowl then add in the salt & both sugars. Whisk to combine.
- To the dry ingredients, add the sour cream, veg oil, eggs & the cocoa & water mix. Whisk until combined & smooth then immediately pour into the lined baking tin.The bicarb will start to react as soon as the batter is mixed, so it's important to get it into the oven as soon as possible!
- Bake the cake for 40-45 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the tin for 20 minutes then lift out of the tin & transfer to a cooling rack. Leave to cool completely before topping with ganache.
Dark Chocolate Ganache
- Place the double cream & sugar into a small saucepan then set over a low heat. Warm gently, until steaming hot but not boiling.Make sure to stir the cream, to dissolve the sugar as it heats up.
- Whilst your cream is heating up, place the chocolate, butter & salt into a mixing bowl. If you're using a bar of chocolate, chop it into small pieces. If you're using chocolate chips, leave them whole.
- Once your cream is hot, pour it over the chocolate then leave to stand for 1 minute (without stirring!).
- Next, gently whisk the cream, chocolate & butter together until melted & smooth then leave to cool, stirring occasionally until thick enough to spread on top of the cake. You can pop the ganache in the fridge for 20 minutes or so to speed this up.Make sure to whisk the ganache gently, we don't want to add too much air in to it! When whisking, start from the centre of the bowl & work outwards as the chocolate begins to melt.
- Once the ganache is ready, spoon it on top of the loaf cake then use a palette knife to spread out into a thick, even layer.
- Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes then cut into slices & serve. Alternatively, refrigerate for up to 3 days & bring back to room temperature before serving (or microwave each slice for 20-30 seconds).
I have nothing but good things to say about this chocolate cake. It comes together very easily and the flavour payoff is out of this world. The sponge is deep, rich and moist – all you can ask for from a chocolate cake.
Glad you liked it!