There’s something so comforting about a homemade Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake. I love how simple it is to make, yet every slice feels like a special treat. The cake is soft, moist, and buttery, with plenty of chocolate chips scattered throughout for a sweet chocolate bite in every slice. It is perfect for breakfast, an afternoon coffee break, or a simple homemade dessert when you want something easy.
I especially enjoy serving it slightly warm, when the chocolate chips are soft and melty. This is one of those easy recipes I love keeping on hand for when a homemade treat is calling.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Zero assembly required: You pour the batter into one pan and walk away.
- Tastes like nostalgia: This easy chocolate chip pound cake for snacking tastes like the little foil-wrapped cakes from childhood.
- Forgiving texture: Sour cream keeps the chocolate chip loaf cake recipe moist if you overmix the batter slightly.
- Pantry staples only: You probably have most ingredients in your kitchen already.
- Flexible topping: You can serve the cake plain or add chocolate chips and peanut butter.
Tools You’ll Need
Nothing fancy, I promise.
- 9×5-inch loaf pan: A parchment lining helps the cake lift from the pan.
- Electric mixer: A hand mixer or stand mixer creams the butter and sugar.
- Rubber spatula: A spatula scrapes the bowl and folds in the chocolate chips.
- Toothpick: Test several spots because melted chocolate chips can fool you.
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour – Do not use cake flour here or it will collapse into a sad puddle.
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder – Check the expiration date so your cake actually rises.
- 1/4 teaspoon salt – To balance the sugar.
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter – Must be softened to room temperature. Melted butter will doom this cake from the start.
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar – Just the regular white stuff.
- 2 large eggs – Room temp!
- 1/4 cup sour cream – The secret weapon for a buttery vanilla loaf cake base that does not dry out.
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract – Measure with your heart.
- 1/2 cup whole milk – Thins the batter out just enough. Room temperature is best.
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips – Mini is better so they do not all sink to the bottom. I love reading about the history of chocolate chips when I am procrastinating.
For the Optional Topping
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips – Because more chocolate is always the right answer.
- 2 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter – Do not use the natural oily stuff, it separates weirdly and looks like a science experiment.
How To Make Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake
The hardest part of this recipe is waiting for the butter to soften, which is a level of difficulty I can handle.
- Prep the pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and generously grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan. I highly recommend lining it with parchment paper too, unless you enjoy fighting with baked goods.
- Mix the dry: Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl and set aside.
- Cream the butter: Beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until creamy. If it looks a little grainy, that is fine, we are making an easy loaf cake, not entering a French pastry competition.
- Add wet ingredients: Add the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. The mixture might look curdled and gross at this point—do not panic, this is totally normal.
- Combine it all: Add the dry ingredients, then slowly pour in the milk with the mixer on low. The batter will be thick. Fold in the chocolate chips gently so you do not overwork the gluten.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 60-75 minutes. If it starts getting too brown on top at the 55-minute mark, just toss a piece of foil over it like a little metallic blanket.
- Cool and top: Let it cool in the pan for an hour. Melt the topping ingredients in the microwave in 30-second bursts, then pour it over. If you eat it warm and the topping gets all over your hands, you are doing it right.
♥ The Misfit Tips!
- Do not rush the butter: Microwaving the butter can create dense, greasy cake. Let it soften on the counter for about one hour.
- Use mini chips: Large chocolate chunks sink and glue themselves to the bottom of the pan.
- Check several spots: Melted chocolate can make one toothpick look wet even when the batter has baked.
- Use room-temperature ingredients: Cold eggs and milk can make the butter mixture look separated.
- Cool before slicing: A warm loaf can crumble and smear the topping.
Make It Yours
You can leave the topping off for a simple buttery vanilla loaf cake. You can replace the peanut butter with almond butter, although creamy peanut butter creates the smoothest finish. You can also add chopped walnuts for extra texture.
This homemade chocolate chip bread cake works well as a breakfast slice, afternoon snack, or late-night dessert.
Perfect Pairings
These pair perfectly with whatever requires zero extra effort.
- Cold glass of milk, obviously.
- A massive mug of black coffee with a sweet slice.
- Your couch, sweatpants, and terrible reality television.
- A scoop of vanilla bean ice cream when you feel fancy.
How to Store
❤
- Fridge: Store the cake in an airtight container for up to one week. The refrigerator makes the crumb denser.
- Freezer: Wrap individual slices tightly and freeze them for up to three months.
- Thaw: Thaw each slice on the counter for about one hour.
- Reheat: Microwave a slice for 10 seconds.
- Note: Peanut butter topping becomes sticky at room temperature, so place wax paper between slices during transport.
Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake
This chocolate chip loaf cake combines a buttery vanilla crumb, sour cream, mini chocolate chips, and an optional peanut butter topping in one easy pan. The recipe gives you a chocolate chip pound cake texture without the stress of layers, while the easy loaf cake method makes it ideal for casual snacking. Bake this homemade chocolate chip bread cake when you want a moist dessert that feels nostalgic, practical, and worth sharing.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and generously grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed.
- Add the eggs and beat on high speed for 1 minute, then beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. The mixture will be very lumpy and appear curdled that’s ok.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Turn the mixer to low speed and as the mixer runs, slowly pour in the milk. Beat on low speed just until all of the ingredients are combined. Do not over-mix. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no large lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
- Pour and spread batter evenly into prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for about 60-75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. That time is a guideline all ovens differ, so keep a close eye on the cake after 55 minutes. If the cake is browning too quickly on top, loosely tent with aluminum foil as it bakes.
- Cool cake in the pan set on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before removing from the pan. Feel free to continue cooling it directly on a wire rack or slice and enjoy then. (It will still be slightly warm.) You can drizzle the topping on the cake when the cake is still slightly warm after that 1 hour of cooling or wait until the cake has cooled completely to top it.
- Stir and melt chocolate chips and peanut butter together in a small saucepan over medium heat on the stove or in a heatproof bowl using the microwave. We usually use the microwave and melt in 30 second increments, stirring after each until smooth. Drizzle over cake. Topping sets into a fudge-like consistency after several hours.
- Cover leftovers tightly and store cake (with or without topping) at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.