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This delicious chocolate loaf cake recipe is topped with a very easy-to-make strawberry frosting. If you’re looking for a reason to use a loaf pan, and craving chocolate baked goods, this dessert is perfect!

Knife Slicing Chocolate Loaf Cake Recipe with Strawberry Frosting

Beginner home cooks – scroll down for a detailed and printable step by step recipe (with video!).

Slice of Chocolate Loaf Cake with Strawberry Frosting

Table of Contents

Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make it…

Chocolate loaf cake base

10 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, divided
½ cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
⅛ tsp salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup milk, 2% room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup water, hot

Ingredients to make Chocolate Loaf Cake Prepped on a counter

For the strawberry cake icing

1 oz freeze-dried strawberries (about 1 cup)
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar, divided
½ tsp vanilla extract
⅛ tsp salt salt
2 tbsp milk, 2% or whole, divided

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Chocolate loaf cake recipe

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Wipe a little butter on the bottom of a loaf pan, which will help the parchment paper stick and stay in place when you pour in the batter. Add parchment paper on top.
Brush about 1 tbsp of melted butter all over the parchment paper and sides of the loaf pan.

Chocolate Loaf Cake Batter in a bowl with a whisk

Mix together the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl with a whisk. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar. Pour in cooled melted butter, milk, and vanilla extract. Whisk until combined.
Pour wet ingredients over the flour mixture slowly, whisking to loosely combine. Wipe down sides of the bowl with a spatula and stir in hot water and whisk for 30 seconds.

Baking Chocolate Cake in the oven in a loaf pan

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in a few places comes out clean. Rest in the pan until room temperature (if you can wait it’s best to let the cake set for an hour!).

Chocolate Loaf Cake on a serving platter

Remove from the pan with the help of parchment paper. Use a butter knife to gently release any edges of the chocolate loaf from the pan. Let it continue cooling on a drying rack, if needed. Eat as-is or make the strawberry frosting.

Have you tried chocolate sandwich bread? See this chocolate yeast bread recipe…

See how to make fresh strawberry ice cream…

Frosting recipe

Homemade Pink Frosting in a Kitchenaid Stand Mixer

Make the strawberry frosting by adding freeze dried strawberries to a plastic bag and using a rolling pin to smash the pieces of freeze dried strawberries into a powder. You can also use a food processor.
In a large bowl using a hand mixer, or using a kitchenaid mixer, blend together the unsalted butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Once combined, scrape down the sides and slowly add in the rest of the powdered sugar, and the strawberry powder, stopping to scrape down the sides a few times along the way.
Slowly add in the milk, a tablespoon at a time, until frosting is done to your liking. You may or may not use all the milk.