Mocha Loaf Cake with Coffee Glaze

Okay, it’s Wednesday. We need a mid-week pick me up, yes? Mocha Loaf Cake is here to save the day!

This is the best kind of cake because it’s super easy, rich, and totally satisfies a chocolate craving. I didn’t even use a mixer! Just wasn’t feeling it! Whisked it all together in a bowl, poured it into the pan, and baked it. I’d say it’s one bowl, but you’ll need a bowl for the glaze. So two bowls total and that’s it!

If you’re looking for the kind of treat that requires minimal effort and that you can make and be eating a short time later, it’s this.

I have these gourmet sugars that a family friend sent me awhile ago. They’re vanilla bean sugar, cinnamon-sugar, and caramel sugar and in these little shakers. I sprinkled some of the vanilla bean and cinnamon sugars on top of this loaf and hoooo man was it a good choice. If you don’t have anything like these sugars, that is totally okay! You can leave that part off, or sub any kind of raw or course sugar.

Let’s talk about the coffee in this recipe. I added instant coffee to the cake batter. It cuts some of the sweetness in the cake itself and really bumps up that chocolate flavor. If you’re familiar with chocolate cake recipes, you’ve probably seen coffee added to chocolate cakes before! It just really adds to the flavor and richness. I *did not* use brewed coffee in the cake. I was going for more of a dense, pound-cake-like texture here, and adding more liquid to the batter would have thinned it out too much. So that’s why I went with instant coffee here.

For the glaze, you can go two ways! You only need 1 1/2 tbsp of coffee, so if you happen to have some coffee already brewed (and cooled), you can totally use that. Because I called for instant coffee in the cake batter, I used instant coffee in the glaze too. Just dissolve 1 tbsp instant coffee in 1 1/2 tbsp hot water and you’re good to go!

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1.50 from 2 votes

Mocha Loaf Cake with Coffee Glaze

Prep Time: 25 minutes mins

Cook Time: 40 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Ingredients

Mocha loaf cake

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2 tbsp instant coffee

Coffee glaze

• 1 tbsp instant coffee
• 1 1/2 tbsp hot water
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• (Or 1-2 strongly brewed coffee, cooled)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with baking spray. Coat inside of pan with flour.
• In a medium or large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add eggs and vanilla and whisk to combine. Add vegetable oil, maple syrup, milk, and instant coffee. Whisk until completely incorporated and instant coffee has dissolved.
• Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. (A few crumbs are okay!) Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• To make the glaze, dissolve instant coffee in hot water (or use strongly brewed and cooled coffee). Whisk together coffee, vanilla, and powdered sugar until completely incorporated. Glaze will be thick but should be easy to drizzle with a spoon. (If not, add ½ tbsp water until desired consistency is reached.) Drizzle glaze over cake and let it set up for 15 to 20 minutes. Cut into slices to serve.

Notes

All images and text ©Bethcakes.