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This chocolate loaf is sure to be a hit with all who try it.
Chocolate Loaf–Best Chocolate Pound Cake Ever
I just love this chocolate loaf. In fact, I think it’s the best chocolate cake I’ve ever eaten. There’s a reason for that and it’s not only the rich, deep chocolate flavor.It’s the crumb that I find to be the best part. Reason for that is the crumb is so fine that this cake literally melts in your mouth.
Now for the chocolate flavor–that’s obtained by using a good-quality cocoa. Here is not the place to skimp by using a generic. You have your choice as to whether to use regular or dutch-processed. The dutch process would probably yield a better flavor, but the difference is so slight that it’s immaterial–at least to me. Anyway dutched cocoa is pretty hard to find in the supermarket now and as I said, the difference is probably not worth it.
The Topping–Happy Accident
Originally I made this cake without a topping, but I wanted to try something new.
Have you seen some chocolate cakes that are topped with chocolate chips? Especially where the chips have their shape but still look melty? Well, that’s what I wanted but I didn’t get it.
What happened was the chips actually cooked into the top of the cake and made a nice crunchy chocolaty topping which is a lot like crumbs. It was super! Sometimes the accident turns out to be happy and that’s the case with this. The last “disaster” was years ago with my maple meatloaf, so check that one out.
Butter
It goes without saying that unsalted butter is the shortening used in this. Resist the urge to use baking spread (YUCK).
The butter flavor really comes through in this so it’s a pretty major component of the taste. If all you have is salted butter, then leave out the salt in the recipe.
The Recipe
Chocolate Loaf
Ingredients
- 8 tbs unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2/3 cup cocoa regular or Dutch process
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 3/4 cup lukewarm milk
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F180C. Lightly grease a 9x5 or 8.5x4.5-inch loaf pan--the smaller pan will produce a higher dome and take the maximum baking time.
- In a medium bowl, beat the butter, sugar, salt, vanilla, baking powder and cocoa. The mixture will look clumpy--this is OK
- Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add half of the flour, beating at low speed. Then add all the milk, again beating at low speed. Add the rest of the flour, beating until well mixed.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, sprinkle the top with the chocolate chips and bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and loosen the edges then cool for 10 minutes then turn it out onto a rack to cool completely.
Kris Marie says
Making today in this rainy Sunday afternoon!! So happy it arrived in my email today. Thank you.
Judith Hannemann says
Hope you like it as much as I do.