Moist Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake

Looking for the perfect chocolatey teatime snack? This moist Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake is easy to whip up and hits the spot every time.

Sprinkled with a generous amount of chocolate chips and complete with a crispy outer crust, the symphony of textures makes every bite an experience.

With just one bowl required and ingredients that most home bakers have in their pantry already, this easy loaf recipe is my go-to when I want to bake something fresh for company (with this 4-Ingredient Banana Bread being a close second!).

And as a mom who loves to bake despite a hectic schedule, I appreciate a simple recipe with little clean up like this one!

Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake Ingredients

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Here’s everything you’ll need:

• Butter. Unsalted is best so you can control the amount of salt you add to the batter. Make sure your butter is softened for best results.
• Granulated sugar. For sweetness.
• Eggs. For a little lift and to bind the loaf together.
• Vanilla extract. For flavor.
• Greek yogurt. For moisture and a little bit of welcomed tang.
• All-purpose flour. This acts as the base for your batter.
• Milk. Cows or any unsweetened nondairy milk works.
• Salt. To ramp up all the other flavors.
• Mini chocolate chips. Dark chocolate or semi-sweet. Mini is preferred for better distribution of chocolate, but regular-sized chips can work too. They are heavier and tend to sink to the bottom, so if you’re using regular chocolate chips, add more to the top.

Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake Tips and Tricks

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Loaf Cake Vs Pound Cake

Every pound cake is a loaf cake, but not every loaf cake is a pound cake. So what exactly do I mean by that?

Well, by definition, a loaf cake is any cake that is baked in a loaf pan. So, a pound cake is, by definition, a loaf cake.

However, a pound cake has a narrower definition. It is a cake that uses a pound of each main ingredient (flour, eggs, butter, and sugar) in the batter.

Preheat and Prep Your Pan

The first step to a flawless execution of this loaf cake with chocolate chips is properly prepping. Preheat your oven to 350°F and prep a standard 9″ x 5″ loaf pan.

You can either generously spray the pan with your cooking spray of choice, add a thin layer of butter or oil to the pan, or line it with parchment paper.

I like to half line it, adding parchment paper to the lengthier side, and spraying the wider sides as pictured below. The edges of the parchment paper act as little handles to easily lift your loaf cake out of the pan.

Another little hack I love is using clothes pins to keep the paper in place, making it easier to add the batter to the pan.

Make Sure Your Butter is Softened

The best way to get a light and fluffy texture on your chocolate chip loaf cake is to cream the butter and sugar together first.

Ensuring your butter is softened is key. The best way to soften your butter is to take it out of the refrigerator a couple of hours before you start baking to allow it to naturally come to room temperature.

Of course, we don’t always have hours to wait, so I’ll clue you in on two of my favorite tricks to soften butter quickly.

The first way is to simply place your stick of butter directly on top of your oven while it’s preheating. Flip it over after a couple of minutes to allow all sides to get warm.

An even quicker way is to put your stick of butter in the microwave for 20 seconds.

Remember we are looking for softened, not melted. You’ll know your butter is nice and soft if you poke it and your finger leaves an imprint.

Cream the Butter and Sugar Together

Use your hand mixer to combine your sugar and softened butter together first to form a lighter, more buttery loaf cake.

Creaming the sugar with the fat of the butter actually aerates it, making for a really good base to start creating your batter. Typically, it takes about 2-3 minutes to cream the butter and sugar.

Use your hand mixer on high until the butter is completely broken down and the sugar is well-combined.

Beat in Your Eggs Next

Once your butter and sugar are creamed together, add the eggs and beat them into the batter until it’s smooth.

It’s always best practice to crack your eggs into a separate dish first. This way, you can fish out any eggshells that might fall into the bowl before adding them to the batter.

Cracking your eggs into a separate dish first also gives you the chance to make sure your eggs are fresh before cracking a bloody or moldy egg into your loaf batter and having to waste the ingredients already in the bowl.

Add the Vanilla Extract and Greek Yogurt

Once your eggs are integrated, add the Greek yogurt and vanilla extract to the batter and use the hand mixer again to beat and combine.

At this point, you may notice a little bit of grit in your batter but that’s okay. It’s just the acid from the Greek yogurt reacting with the fat in the butter. As your batter comes together and bakes it will smoothen out.

Combine Your Dry Ingredients

Next up, add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Use the hand mixer again to combine, until you have a thick batter.

Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl, making sure all of the dry ingredients are integrated. Only mix as much as you need to in order to integrate everything.

In other words, you want to avoid over-beating your batter, so take it slow and work your hand mixer in a circular motion to combine everything.

Add the Milk with the Hand Mixer On

Once you have your dry ingredient integrated, you’ll have a very thick batter. It’s time to thin it out with the milk.

With the hand mixer on low, slowly add the milk, stirring as you add it. The milk will integrate smoothly into your loaf batter and thin it out.

Conserve Some Chocolate Chips

Add 1 cup of chocolate chips to the batter and conserve 1/4 cup to add on top for the ultimate chocolate chip treat.

If your chocolate chips are denser than your cake batter, they will sink. To avoid all of your chocolate chips sinking to the bottom, it’s best to use mini chocolate chips (they’re less dense and won’t sink as easily!).

However, if you’re still worried about them sinking or if you want to use regular chocolate chips, a quick tip to avoid sinking is to toss them in flour. This will help float them in your batter.

Once you add the chocolate chips to the batter, use a rubber spatula to gently fold them in.

Fill Your Loaf Pan

Once your batter is ready, all that’s left to do is fill up your pan and bake it!

Add the batter to the loaf pan and use a spatula to smooth it out. Then, add the remaining chocolate chips that you conserved to the top of your loaf cake.

This is completely optional, but if you want to add a little caramelized crisp on the top of your loaf, sprinkle the top with a handful of granulated sugar.

Then, bake it on the top rack for 60-75 minutes. Check it after 60 minutes to see if a toothpick comes out clean. If it needs more time, but you notice the top is already cooked, tent the top with aluminum foil.

Simply, grab an oversized piece of aluminum foil and drape it over the top of the loaf pan, so that it is tight on all four sides, but has some airflow in the center. This will prevent the top from burning but allow the center to continue to cook.

Storing Your Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake

This chocolate chip loaf cake will stay fresh for about 7-10 days in the refrigerator. Make sure to cover it or store it in an airtight container to avoid the loaf drying out.

To freeze, simply store in an airtight freezer bag or freezer-safe container. It will last in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just allow it to thaw and reach room temperature before enjoying!

Serving Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake

I love serving this chocolatey loaf cake with tea or coffee or maybe even this Iced White Chocolate Mocha if I’m feeling extra fancy!

This delicious loaf is tasty enough on its own, but is also absolutely delicious with whipped cream, fresh banana, peanut butter, or one of my homemade sweet sauces:

• Vanilla Sauce
• Brandy Sauce
• Bourbon Chocolate Sauce

Why You Should Make This Moist Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake

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• It’s moist. This loaf cake stays together well without flaking apart.
• It’s chocolatey. Plenty of tasty tiny chocolate chips floating throughout the cake to give you chocolate in every single bite.
• It has a crisp exterior. Baked to perfection with a golden-brown top.