Chocolate Loaf Cake & a Ghirardelli Giveaway!

choc yogurt3

I was craving chocolate cake last night, so I searched the "world wide web" for an interesting recipe using cocoa powder.

Martha's recipe sounded easy enough, and I had all the ingredients on hand.
I substituted yogurt for the buttermilk and by midnight snack, my craving was satisfied.



Keeping with the chocolate theme, Ghirardelli chocolate from San Francisco was nice enough to host a giveaway on Stacey Snacks.

So if you are chocolate lover, tell us your favorite chocolate dessert and 2 lucky readers will receive a free bag of Ghiradelli Luxe Milk Chocolate bars.

Chocolate Loaf Cake: (adapted from Martha Stewart)

3/4 cup unsweetened Ghirardelli cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup of Greek nonfat yogurt)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup warm water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
I added turbinado sugar (raw sugar) on top to form a nice crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a loaf pan. Dust with cocoa powder and tap out excess.

Sift cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (I am old school and use a wooden spoon and some muscle!).

Add eggs, 3/4 cup warm water, the buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Mix on low speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.

Transfer batter to prepared pan. Sprinkle turbinado sugar on the top.



Bake until a cake tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. Let cool completely, before eating.



(* My smart trick for my loaf cakes is to line the pan with parchment paper, so I just lift the cake right out of the pan, no sticking and no extra butter to grease the pan).

Cake is always better the next day, however I popped a nice hot slice right into my mouth before bedtime!

Sweet Dreams!



Comments

celebreatySarah said…
i love to indulge in a plain chocolatey angel food cake baked in a tall tube pan --- it is light and not too sweet and really chocolatey. i have to make it again and post the recipe. your loaf making me hungry.
Kristin Pinyan said…
I'm a rich dessert girl, so I love a dense, flourless chocolate cake with some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream :)
Mil said…
The California girls would FLIP over that cake. They love chocolate in any form. Now, I have to buy turbinado sugar? A first.
Mil
Dewi said…
awwww, that sound so tantalizing :)
Food Thief said…
I love a good old Entenmann's chocolate frosted donut! Memories of my childhood!
Amy V. said…
Martha's chocolate pots de creme! Perfection!!
Carole said…
Although I don't make it often, my Mother's chocolate cake w/ chocolate icing is my favorite. It's a very dense, moist cake--yum!

Thanks for hosting the giveaway.
Karen said…
My favorite chocolate dessert is brownies, especially with dulce de leche blobs swirled in them.

karenreichmann@hotmail.com
Terri. said…
almost fudge gateau, I found this recipe 2-3 years ago, I believe it was a recipe from tuesdays with dorie. It is soooooooooo good!
Meghan said…
I love a good chocolate pudding, OR a dense, almost unbaked chocolate brownie with a pb ribbon..... deeeeeeelicious
Lisa said…
My favorite chocolate dessert is chocolate trifle.
rain said…
chocolate mousse!
susitravl said…
I love chocolate souffle.
susitravl(at)gmail(dot)com
I'm really not that much of a chocolate person but every now and then I dream about a chocolate souffle I had, and want bad, again!
This comment has been removed by the author.
honestly, simple brownies counts as a great chocolote dessert for me.

lauren51990 at aol dot com
Donna-FFW said…
Milk chocolate mousse.. and mini texas sheet cakes!
SueZ said…
Hot fudge on vanilla ice cream with a warm lava cake oozing under all.
workouteatin said…
I would have to say a flourless chocolate cake is my favorite chocolate dessert. It is soo rich, and chocolate is the biggest portion of the batter.
Lisa Faley said…
When it comes to chocolate, I have a hard time choosing... funny thing is, I don't really have a sweet tooth, but I do love chocolate! AND! I love both milk and bitter - strange I know. So, when I am craving chocolate, it is usually for a quality piece of well, just chocolate. If however, I am choosing a dessert, I would either go for a classic like chocolate cake with chocolate butter icing, a brownie or sometimes if I'm feeling truly decadent and the restaurant offers it, I'll go for chocolate souffle.
Somehow I am now craving chocolate loaf cake..... thanks Stacey!
I love anything chocolate...but if I had to pick just one, I'd say that I'm a chocolate cake kind of girl!
I LOVE Chocolate and we eat it everyday(It's SO NICE to find that it's good for us). The darker the better, I ACTUALLY LOVE 90%.Mmmm! My favorite dessert would be Chocolate brownies, AND add a peanut butter ribbon in it and "I've died and gone to Heaven"... LOVE,LOVE,LOVE "chocolate&peanut butter". I'm also printing out your chocolate loaf, it looks delicious!
Melodie Mach said…
My favorite is a simple chocolate brownie with icing
Foodiewife said…
Ghirardelli's Rocky Road, which I MUST buy when I'm in San Francisco is my favorite indulgence. fortunately, I don't travel to San Francisco that often, or I'd need chocolate rehab. Stace, I love your substitution for this loaf cake. I'll bet it was moist and delicious.
I love chocolate too much to pick a favorite. Chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream always takes the edge off my cravings.
Bluebird NY said…
This cake sounds lovely..the sugar on top is a nice touch. I have two favorite chocolate treats - a quick chocolate mousse (from the New York Times) and chocolate shortbread (Bon Appetit) that I make for Christmas gifts.
Elizabeth said…
I like lots of different chocolate desserts, but my mom makes and I have made the Chocolate Town Special Cake from an old Hershey's cookbook - always a winner!
Randi Lynne said…
I am snacking on their bittersweet chips right now!!
Oh my goodness! This looks wonderful. I have some of that chocolate as we speak and totally want to make this now :)

Sues
Kat said…
Dark (really dark) chocolate with sea salt sprinkled on top. Yum.
Kimberly J. said…
I just found your blog and LOVE IT! Such wonderful recipes...and I'm very excited to make this cake!
My favorite chocolate dessert is a toss up between dark chocolate creme brulee or texas sheet cake! Both sound great right now!!
Dana said…
Please don't enter me in the contest because my chocolate shelf is already too full for my own good. BUT. The Baked brownie is probably my ultimate. Simple, rich and amazing.
The JR said…
That is a yummy looking chocolate dessert.
Wehaf said…
My favorite chocolate dessert would actually be hot chocolate.

urchiken at gmail dot com