This chocolate loaf cake can be made into a round cake or any other shape but I just love it as a loaf cake. Even after living in Australia for 15 years, I still call her ‘mom’ in the American way. She makes this cake to bring to church to share as morning tea refreshments after the service. It’s one of her most popular cakes and it’s so moreish. You won’t need any icing for this.
Note: I use a Pyrex glass loaf pan for this recipe.
Serves 8 (approx. 308 calories per serve)
Prep time 30 mins
Bake time 40-50mins
Ingredients
120ml milk (2% fat)
1 tsp vinegar
150g plain flour
30g cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
200g caster sugar
110g butter, salted (if using unsalted, add a pinch of salt)
1 egg
120ml warm water
1.4L loaf pan
Preheat the oven to 160C (150C if using a glass loaf pan). Yes, I know that’s a pretty low temperature but a loaf cake takes longer to bake than ‘flatter’ cakes. The first time I made it, I set it at 180C like other cake recipes and it burnt on the edges and was still raw in the middle!
Grease your loaf pan and line the bottom with baking paper. It’s just easier this way or else your cake may still stick to the bottom even after you’ve greased it. I learnt that the hard way!
Make the sour milk by mixing the milk and the vinegar together in a microwaveable bowl. Microwave for about 1 minute depending on your microwave and give it a stir. It should have small little clumps now and that’s what we’re wanting in sour milk.
In a large bowl, mix in the plain flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda.
In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Then gradually mix in the egg, milk and warm water. It’s important that your water is warm or else it won’t be as fluffy.
Mix in the butter mixture to the large bowl of the flour mixture. It should now be a glossy batter.
Pour the cake mix into the loaf pan and let it bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes. Mine often takes 50 minutes.
Let the cake cool for a few minutes before lifting out and letting it cool on a cooling tray. Mom usually slices the whole loaf up and leaves it on the kitchen table for us to gradually snack on.
Thermomix Adaptation
Ingredients
120g milk
1 tsp vinegar
200g sugar
110g butter, salted (or add pinch of salt)
1 egg
120g warm water
150g plain flour
30g cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease and line a loaf tin (1.4L) and set aside.
Make the sour milk by mixing the 120g milk and the 1 tsp vinegar together in a microwaveable bowl. Microwave for about 1 minute depending on your microwave and give it a stir. It should have small little clumps now and that’s what we’re wanting in sour milk.
Place sugar in mixing bowl and mill 2 sec/speed 9. If you have castor sugar, you can skip the milling.
Add butter in mixing bowl then cream 30 sec/speed 4. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl with spatula.
Without measuring cup, mix without time limit/speed 3, while gradually adding egg, sour milk previously prepared and warm water through hole in mixing bowl lid.
Scrape down sides of mixing bowl with spatula then mix again 15 sec/speed 5.
Add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda and mix 15 sec/speed 5.
Pour the cake mix into the loaf pan and let it bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes. Mine often takes 50 minutes.
Let the cake cool for a few minutes before lifting out and letting it cool on a cooling tray.
More Cake Recipes
- Tiramisu Cake
- Strawberry Yoghurt Cake
- Nutty Orange Carrot Cake
- Peanut Butter and Cookie Dough Cake
- Decadent Chocolate Molten Lava Cake