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Double Chocolate Loaf Cake
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This loaf cake comes together quickly and easily, and boasts a remarkably deep color, intensely rich flavor and a plush, velvety crumb. The recipe came to us by way of Claire Ptak, of Violet Cakes, a bakery-café in East London. To achieve the cake’s deep, complex chocolatiness, she uses a generous amount of bittersweet chocolate and unsweetened cocoa powder. Any type of bittersweet chocolate will work, but we recommend using one that’s tasty enough to eat out of hand and contains about 70 percent cocoa solids. Serve slices with spoonfuls of crème fraîche, which has a subtle tang and creaminess that are fantastic foils for the cake. Store leftovers at room temperature, tightly wrapped, for up to three days.
Makes One
9-inch loaf cake
Tip
Don’t use natural cocoa. Dutch-processed is best because the alkali used in its production gives the cocoa a richer, deeper hue and smoother taste that’s important for color and flavor intensity. If your cocoa does not indicate type on the label, check the ingredient list. If it reads “processed with alkali,” the cocoa is Dutch-processed.
1¼ hours
20 minutes active, plus cooling
200 grams (7 ounces) bittersweet chocolate (see headnote), finely chopped
198 grams (14 tablespoons) salted butter, cut into several chunks
195 grams (1½ cups) all-purpose flour
214 grams (1 cup) white sugar
43 grams (½ cup) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon table salt
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup boiling water
Ingredients
-
200
grams (7 ounces) bittersweet chocolate (see headnote), finely chopped
-
198
grams (14 tablespoons) salted butter, cut into several chunks
-
195
grams (1½ cups) all-purpose flour
-
214
grams (1 cup) white sugar
-
43
grams (½ cup) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
-
2
teaspoons baking powder
-
¼
teaspoon table salt
-
3
large eggs, room temperature
-
1
cup boiling water
Directions
-
01Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position. Mist a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray, then line it with an 8-by-14-inch piece of kitchen parchment, allowing the excess to overhang the long sides of the pan.
-
02In a medium saucepan over medium, bring 1 inch of water to a simmer. Put the chocolate and the butter in a large heatproof bowl and set the bowl on top of the saucepan; be sure the bottom does not touch the water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter are melted. Remove the bowl from the pan and cool until barely warm to the touch, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt.
-
03Add the eggs to the cooled chocolate mixture; whisk until well combined. Add the dry ingredients and stir with a silicone spatula until evenly moistened; the mixture will be dryish and thick. Gradually stir in about half of the boiling water; when fully incorporated, whisk in the remaining boiling water. The batter will be smooth, glossy and fluid. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake until the center of the cake rises, forming deep fissures on the surface, and a toothpick inserted at the center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 55 to 60 minutes.
-
04Cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes. Lift the cake out of the pan using the parchment and set it directly on the rack. Cool to room temperature. Peel off and discard the parchment before slicing.
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Reviews
June 17, 2023
Simple, Delicious
Easy to put together, very moist, dark chocolate flavor that is none too sweet.
April 20, 2023
Sublime
I baked this yesterday and I'm in love with this cake! I followed the directions exactly and it came out perfectly with a moist crumb and sophisticated flavor. I left it out overnight wrapped in plastic and sliced it today. Heavenly. My oven runs hot so I baked 55 minutes and then left in pan for the full 20 minutes. The center slices around the top had a tiny bit of fudgy texture but delicious. I think the risk of overcooking this is high so it's a fine line and I wouldn't cook it any longer than an extra minute, if any at all.
April 11, 2023
Excellent
I made this exactly as written - baked it for 55 minutes - tested it and determined to bake another few minutes. The cake had a very nice chocolate taste/flavor - I think the carryover cooking (20 minutes in the pan) might have been too long as I think it would have been more moist. Next time, I likely would take it out of the pan after maybe 10 minutes. I didn’t serve it with crème fraiche but think that might have been a nice addition/balance. Also, don’t know whether substituting Greek yogurt for the water might result in a less dense/tight crumb. Very easy to make and the aroma in the house was fantastic.
April 27, 2023
A bit dry
This cake is a little dry. I tested it at 40 min and it was not done so I baked it for another 10. After it was done, I only kept it in the pan for 10 min then took it out to cool off. I dont think the problem is with baking time. I think it is the ingredients. It is not a bad cake. You can add chocolate cream on top and it will be delicious. It just needs something with it.
April 22, 2023
Delicious
I made this cake for company and everyone loved it. I did add2 teaspoons of espresso to enhance the chocolate otherwise made it exactly as written.
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