Grease the loaf tin with butter and flour. Alternatively line the tin with baking parchment or a paper loaf tin liner.
Sift the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl, stir to combine and set aside.
Place the butter into a large mixing bowl and beat until soft and smooth. An electric mixer makes light work of this. However, you can also use a hand mixer or a wooden spoon and a bit of elbow grease.
Add the light brown sugar and the granulated sugar to the butter and beat together until light and fluffy.
Add the egg and mix until well combined.
Now add the buttermilk and vanilla extract and mix again. Worth noting that the batter will look a bit lumpy at this point - that is quite normal.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir to combine to a smooth batter. Take care not to beat and overwork the batter at this stage.
Pour the batter into the lined loaf tin and place the tin into the preheated oven. Bake for 60 minutes, until the cake is cooked through. Check the cake is cooked by inserting a cocktail stick into the centre of the cake - it should come out clean.
Place the loaf tin on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Then remove the loaf from the tin and set back on the wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
This recipe uses natural cocoa or regular cocoa powder and 1/2 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda. If you are using Dutch processed cocoa powder use 1/4 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder.If you can't find buttermilk in your local store, then it is really simple to make your own version at home and I do this when I run out. You can use any type of milk, including dairy free milk, and add lemon juice or vinegar to sour it. The basic ratio for making your own buttermilk is 240ml milk to 10ml lemon juice or vinegar.CHOCOLATE GANACHEI like to enjoy a slice of this cake just as it is. However, if you would like to serve with chocolate ganache, like the photos in the post, here's a quick and easy recipe:
Chocolate ganache is made using equal 1:1 ratios of double cream (heavy cream) to chocolate. You can use dark chocolate, milk chocolate or a combination of both.
Make the chocolate ganache by breaking up the chocolate into small chunks and placing it into a small bowl.
Meanwhile heat the double cream in a saucepan until just boiling. Take it off the heat immediately and pour over the chocolate.
Whisk the cream and chocolate together until the chocolate has completely melted and the cream is completely mixed through.
The mixture should be quite thick and you are now ready to ice the cake.
Nutrition Facts
Easy Chocolate Loaf Cake
Amount Per Serving
Calories 259Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 3g
Cholesterol 38mg13%
Sodium 85mg4%
Potassium 189mg5%
Carbohydrates 42g14%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 26g29%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 296IU6%
Calcium 60mg6%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
• Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only •