Chocolate Loaf Cake With Easy Chocolate Glaze

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 02/5/23
Tested by
Renae Wilson
Photo of Renae E. Wilson
Tested by Renae Wilson
Renae has certifications in both Pastry Arts and Culinary Arts from the Institute of Culinary Education and works as a private chef and caterer, recipe tester and developer, and food writer. Renae has written and developed recipes for Rachael Ray In Season, the Kitchn, Food52, and more.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 60 mins
Total: 75 mins
Servings: 12 to 16 servings
Yield: 1 loaf cake

This rich and moist chocolate loaf cake is the perfect size for a family dessert. Easy to prepare and bake, it requires basic pantry and fridge staples and can be baked beforehand but glazed right before serving. Both the cake and the chocolate glaze are made with cocoa powder. The resulting cake has a dense and brownie-like texture, with a deep chocolate flavor. The recipe includes instructions to make a glaze or to make a thicker frosting, depending on your liking.


Serve it with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. Use it as the base of fun and different trifle, cut it in chunks for a decadent sundae, or simply enjoy it with a cup of coffee or tea. Alternatively, use our loaf recipe to make muffins.

For the best results, let your refrigerated ingredients get to room temperature first, and don't overmix the batter.

Chocolate loaf cake with easy chocolate glaze on a white plate

The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

"Such a decadent cake! Not too sweet. Perfectly dense." —Renae Wilson

Chocolate loaf cake with chocolate glaze in a bowl
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Ingredients

For the Chocolate Loaf Cake:

  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened

  • 3/4 teaspoon salt

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

  • 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

  • 3 large eggs

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

  • 3/4 cup milk

For the Chocolate Glaze:

Steps to Make It

Make the Chocolate Loaf Cake

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for chocolate loaf cake with easy chocolate glaze gathered

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  2. Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C/Gas Mark 4). Grease and flour a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan or spray with a baking spray that includes flour.

    Greased and floured loaf pan

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  3. With a hand mixer, beat sugar and butter together until well blended.

    Sugar and butter blended together in a glass bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  4. With the mixer on low speed, add the salt, vanilla extract, baking soda, baking powder, and cocoa powder. Mix until blended.

    Salt, vanilla extract, baking soda, baking powder, and cocoa powder on top of the butter and sugar mixture in a large glass bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  5. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

    Eggs added to chocolate batter in a large glass bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  6. Add about 1/3 of the flour and 1/2 of the milk and mix on low speed until combined.

    Milk and flour added to the chocolate batter in a large glass bowl

    The Spruce Eats/ Cara Cormack

  7. Add another 1/3 of the flour and the remaining milk and mix thoroughly.

    Remaining flour and milk added to chocolate batter in a large glass bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  8. Add the remaining flour and combine all ingredients, being careful not to overbeat the batter.

    Chocolate cake batter in a large glass bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  9. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly. 

    Chocolate batter in a greased and floured loaf pan

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  10. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a rack for about 10 minutes.

    Chocolate loaf cake in the pan, on a cooling rack

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  11. Carefully remove the cake from the pan and cool completely on a rack.

    Chocolate loaf cake on a metal cooling rack

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

Make the Chocolate Glaze

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for chocolate glaze gathered

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  2. Sift the confectioners' sugar into a bowl and set aside.

    Confectioners' sugar sifting into a glass bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  3. In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter.

    Melted butter in a small pot

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  4. Whisk in the cocoa powder and milk and continue cooking and stirring until thickened.

    Cocoa powder and milk whisked into the butter in the pot

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  5. Remove the chocolate mixture from the heat and whisk in the confectioners' sugar. Thin out with more milk, if needed, or add more confectioners' sugar if a thicker icing is desired.

    Chocolate cake glaze in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  6. Glaze the cake with the chocolate glaze, or frost, as desired.

    Chocolate glaze pouring over chocolate loaf cake on a white plate

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

Check Your Oven Temperature

  • Oven temperatures can vary, and many run hot—even as much as 50 F over the programmed temperature. An oven thermometer is a worthy investment if you bake frequently because you can adjust the temperature and avoid overbaked and dry food.
  • If you don't have an oven thermometer, bake this cake for about 5 minutes less than the recommended time. Check it with a toothpick and bake it longer if needed.

How to Store Chocolate Loaf

  • Once the glaze is firm, cover the cake with foil or plastic wrap. Store leftovers at room temperature for up to three to four days or refrigerate for up to one week. The unfrosted cake may be wrapped and frozen for up to six months, and then thawed overnight before consuming.

What Is the Difference Between a Cake and a Loaf?

Although made with similar ingredients, cakes and loaves aren't the same. Here are some of the main differences:

  • How they are shaped: Loaves are baked in a loaf tin, whereas cakes can take many shapes depending on the tin in which they're baked.
  • How they are mixed: Loaves' ingredients are mixed separately, dried and wet, and then mixed together. Cakes' ingredients are also mixed separately, but usually, the sugar and butter are creamed before adding other items. There is also a lot of care put into mixing the ingredients of cake to make an airy batter that results in a lighter texture. Conversely, loaves tend to be denser.
  • How ingredients are used: Many of the basic loaf and cake ingredients are alike (flour, eggs, butter) but are used in different proportions even if the loaf can result in the same amount of servings as the equivalent cake. Loaves usually have additions like dried fruit, nuts, chopped-up fruit, or seeds.

On a side note, loaves and pound cakes are not the same—true pound cakes only use eggs, flour, and butter—just as pound cakes and cakes are not alike. Cakes use additional ingredients like milk and oil.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
292 Calories
12g Fat
44g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12 to 16
Amount per serving
Calories 292
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 15%
Saturated Fat 7g 34%
Cholesterol 63mg 21%
Sodium 286mg 12%
Total Carbohydrate 44g 16%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 33g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 33mg 3%
Iron 2mg 13%
Potassium 49mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)