Triple Chocolate Loaf Cake
Say hello to every chocolate lover’s dream cake: triple chocolate loaf cake! Rich and fudgy from a triple hit of chocolate, each bite is tender and moist because this cake is made with butter, sour cream, and buttermilk. Top with chocolate chips while the cake cools for even more indulgence!
Why you’ll love this moist chocolate loaf cake:
My favorite chocolate desserts deliver rich chocolate flavor with fudgy texture, and this homemade chocolate loaf cake does just that.
Unsweetened cocoa powder (I recommend Dutch-process cocoa), bittersweet (or dark) chocolate chips, and semisweet chocolate chips ensure that each bite is decadent.
Chocolate Perfected
How to Bake the MOST Decadent Chocolate Desserts
Craving more cake? Try my rich chocolate ganache loaf cake or buttery chocolate chip loaf cake!
Tips for the Perfect Chocolate Loaf Cake
Baking Pan – Use a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan for this recipe. I recommend using a light-colored aluminum loaf pan to ensure that your cake bakes evenly.
Prepare Baking Pan – Lightly spray the bottom and sides of the pan with nonstick spray. Line loaf pan with a sheet of parchment paper, letting excess extend over sides of pan. The parchment overhang will help you easily remove the baked cake from the pan.
Room Temperature Ingredients – Room temperature butter, egg, buttermilk, and sour cream ensure an extra moist cake. Room temperature butter is slightly cool to the touch and your finger will make a shallow impression.
Chocolate – This recipe uses unsweetened cocoa, bittersweet chocolate chips, and semisweet chocolate chips. You can also use a mix of dark and semisweet chocolate chips.
Unsweetened cocoa powder – Use Dutch-processed cocoa powder for the richest chocolate flavor. I use and recommend Rodelle Gourmet Baking Cocoa.
Instant Espresso – Chocolate and espresso are the perfect pair, and a touch of instant espresso is the secret ingredient to add depth to this chocolate cake. If you’re not a coffee fan, feel free to omit the espresso.
How to Make Triple Chocolate Loaf Cake
Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
Beat room temperature butter and granulated sugar in a large mixer bowl at medium speed until light and fluffy.
Add egg and vanilla extract, and beat to combine.
With mixer on low speed, add half of the dry ingredients. Add buttermilk mixture, then finish with remaining flour mixture.
Dissolve espresso powder in boiling water and slowly mix in just to combine. Boiling water added to the batter blooms and dissolves the cocoa for a super rich, Devil’s food chocolate flavor.
Fold bittersweet and semisweet chocolate chips into the batter.
Pour batter into a parchment-lined loaf pan. Smooth the top with an offset spatula and tap pan sharply to prevent air bubbles.
Bake cake until the top springs back to the touch and a cake tester inserted in the center come out with a few crumbs attached, about 50 to 55 minutes.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. While the cake is cooling, top with chocolate chips. Transfer cake to a cooling rack and cool completely before slicing.
Serving Suggestions
Pro tip: I love serving this cake slightly warm so that the chocolate chips are still gooey. We also love this cake topped with scoops of vanilla or espresso ice cream – yum! If you’d like to dress up the cake further, feel free to add a simple chocolate glaze.
Freezing Tips
Cool loaf cake completely on a wire rack, then place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze flat for 1 hour. After 1 hour, wrap the cake well with a layer of plastic wrap and a layer of foil (or place in a freezer bag). Freeze loaf cake for up to 2 months.
When you’re ready to enjoy, defrost the cake at room temperature (still covered to prevent condensation from forming).
To freeze cake slices, use a serrated knife to slice the cake and wrap each slice in plastic wrap. Store the slices in a freezer bag for up to 2 months.
More chocolate cake recipes you’ll love:
- Dark Chocolate Sheet Cake
- Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake
- Double Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Chocolate Ganache Loaf Cake
- Classic Chocolate Layer Cake
Did you try this Chocolate Loaf Cake Recipe? Let me know by leaving a comment and rating below!
Print
Triple Chocolate Loaf Cake
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 1 cake, 12 slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Triple chocolate loaf cake is a chocolate lover’s dream! Rich and fudgy from a triple hit of chocolate, each bite is tender and moist because this cake is made with butter, sour cream, and buttermilk. Top with chocolate chips while the cake cools for even more indulgence!
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 1/4 cups (175 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (32 g) Dutch process unsweetened cocoa
- 3/4 tsp (3 g) baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (112 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg (50 g), at room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp (6 g) vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup (180 g) buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (60 g) sour cream, at room temperature
- 1/2 tsp instant espresso
- 1/4 cup (60 g) boiling water
- 1/3 cup (57 g) bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup (57 g) semisweet chocolate chips
Topping
- 1/4 cup (43 g) semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. Line pan with parchment paper, letting excess extend over sides of pan.
- Make cake: Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat butter and sugar in a large mixer bowl at medium speed until light and fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla. Combine buttermilk and sour cream in a small bowl. Reduce speed to low and add half of flour mixture, beating just to combine. Add buttermilk mixture, then finish with remaining flour mixture. Dissolve espresso powder in boiling water and slowly mix in just to combine. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top with an offset spatula and tap sharply to reduce air bubbles.
- Bake loaf cake for 50 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached and cake springs back to the touch. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. While the cake is cooling, top with chocolate chips.
- Carefully lift cake from pan and cool completely on wire rack. Store leftovers tightly covered in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
Unsweetened cocoa powder: Use Dutch processed baking cocoa for the richest chocolate flavor. I use and recommend Rodelle Gourmet Baking Cocoa.
Instant espresso: I use and recommend Starbucks VIA Instant Italian Roast.
Chocolate chips: Ghirardelli or Guittard chips are my favorite!
Freezing Instructions: Use a serrated knife to slice the cake and wrap each slice in plastic wrap. Store the slices in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to serve, thaw slices at room temperature.
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Keywords: Chocolate, Chocolate Chips, Loaf Cake, Chocolate Cake
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Just tried this last night and was immensly pleased with the result. I used Dutch-process cocoa and all Guittard semisweet chips because that’s what I had on hand. I also didn’t have buttermilk so I combined full-cream milk and Greek-style yogurt. Baked for 55 minutes and cooled in the pan for 15. When I tried to slide it out of the pan (didn’t use parchment), it was so soft (not mad about it) it almost broke in half, so I put it back and let it cool completely in the pan before taking it out and slicing. Extremely moist and chocolatey, this will be my go-to chocolate loaf recipe from now on. Thank you, Laura, can’t wait to try your other recipes.
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Jillian! Dutch-process cocoa makes for the best chocolate cakes. 🙂
Can you substitute whole milk for the low fat buttermilk? I have another recipe that says that you can for that particular recipe! Why do you dissolve the espresso powder in boiling water? Just curious as none of my other recipes has this!
Thank you,
★★★★★
Can you substitute whole milk for the buttermilk? What does the boiling water do?
Hi Linda, yes you can use whole milk. The boiling water helps “bloom” the cocoa and dissolves the instant espresso powder (which also enhances the rich chocolate flavor). Happy baking!
Does this cake freeze well? I’d like to make it ahead for a family function.
Yes it does! Once the cake has cooled completely, I like to slice it and wrap the slices individually to freeze.
The best chocolate loaf cake! So rich and fudgy, and using quality chocolate and cocoa makes all the difference.
★★★★★
Hi Jill, thank you so much for your feedback! 🙂
Looks loooovely! Would love to make this in an 8″ or 9″ cake pan – any advice on timings? Plan to cover it with a dark chocolate ganache. Yum! And thanks for all your lovely posts!
Hi Cindy, I would try my classic chocolate layer cake: https://tutti-dolci.com/classic-chocolate-layer-cake/ That recipe can be baked in 8 or 9-inch round cake pans.
A perfectly delightful cake in every way. I happened to have black cocoa and used it for this cake, which just added even more depth to the flavor. This one didn’t last long in my house!
★★★★★
Thank you so much, Leah! That absolutely makes my day! 🙂
Instead of instant espresso and hot water, is it possible to use 1/4 cup of a Nespresso I make from my machine? Will be trying this recipe this weekend 🙂 Thanks!
Yes, absolutely! Happy baking! 🙂
Can I use coconut milk rather than buttermilk?
Hi Susan, I haven’t tried this cake with coconut milk, but it should work fine!
Thx so much! Im going to use it and will let u know results !
★★★★★
So rich and moist! The chocolate flavor is spot on (I used Ghirardelli chocolate) and I love serving this cake slightly warm so that the chocolate chips are gooey.
★★★★★
Thanks so much for your feedback, Sara! I love baking with Ghirardelli too. 🙂
Incredibly rich and chocolatey, and so easy to make!
★★★★★
Hi Dayna, happy to hear this cake was a success! 🙂
The perfect chocolate loaf cake, so fudgy and rich! We loved this cake topped with vanilla ice cream.
★★★★★
I’m so happy to hear that and I love the ice cream idea! Thank you, Trish! 🙂
Perfectly dense and fudgy with a deep chocolate flavor (I used Valrhona chocolate).
★★★★★
I baked this chocolate cake yesterday. It is a very good recipe. Very tasty, moist, and my kids loved it!
★★★★★
Hi Helena, I’m so glad this cake was a hit with your family! 🙂
This cake is so moist and flavorful that it doesn’t need frosting of any kind. The ingredients really make a difference – I used high quality cocoa powder and dark chocolate chips.
★★★★★
I’m so happy you tried this cake! Thank you, Steph! 🙂
Real chocolaty!! Thank you for the easy but very tasty recipe.
Ati
★★★★★
So glad you tried this cake, thank you Ati!
Hi! Is the instant espresso the same as instant coffee?
Hi Rachel! Instant espresso is similar (usually a bit stronger than instant coffee). If you’re using instant coffee, I would increase the amount to 1 teaspoon. Hope that helps! 🙂
Is Dutch processed cocoa the best option?
Hi Teresa! Yes, Dutch processed cocoa works well in this cake. I love and mostly use Rodelle Gourmet Baking Cocoa. 🙂
Can I use cake flour?
Hi Rae Ann! Yes you can, happy baking! 🙂
This recipe is amazing and delicious. You just have to follow the instructions, which are simple, and you will have a fluffy and a great loaf cake with a deeper flavor of chocolate.
Regards from Madrid, Spain.
Giselle Marín
★★★★★
So happy you loved this cake! Thank you, Giselle! 🙂
Hello,
I have commented before as I love your simple and delicious recipes. They really are no-fuss and turn out wonderfully every time.
I plan to make this recipe as soon as possible, but just wanted to check how many grams are in 1 US cup of cocoa?
Thanks again.
Regards from Australia,
Angela
Hi Angela! 1 cup of unsweetened cocoa is 84 grams. 🙂