Chocolate Loaf Cake with Cream Cheese Filling

Indulge in this Chocolate Cake Loaf with cream cheese filling, with every slice filled with decadent cream cheese batter and all topped with luscious chocolate glaze.

You know what is one thing that is hard to brush off easily? Chocolate craving. This one cannot be easily denied, and while I almost succumb to buying a bag of chocolate chip cookies (which are wonderful too), I thought I’d wait until I had the time to bake a chocolate cake.

So one day, while my baby son is in one of his short naps, I hurriedly measured, whipped, and baked this Chocolate Loaf Cake with Cream Cheese Filling. And man, I am so glad I did! The cake is delicious. Patience is such a wonderful thing.

Chocolate Cake Loaf with Cream Cheese Filling

This loaf cake features moist, chocolatey crumbs with a decadent cream cheese batter in the center.  The cream cheese batter is made of softened cream cheese, egg, vanilla and sugar. Inspired by this Chocolate Cream Cheese bundt cake, this recipe is from this chocolate chip loaf bread with the addition of the filling and a rich chocolate glaze.

How to Make Chocolate Loaf Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Filling?

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set this mixture aside.

Cream the butter and sugar on a stand mixer bowl until the mixture is light, creamy and fluffy. You can scrape the sides here with a spatula from time to time as needed.

Once fluffy, add the eggs one at a time to the creamed mixture. Mix the eggs well after each addition.

Next, you are going to alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk. The order will be like this:

• With the machine running at low speed. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients, beat to incorporate.
• Add 1/2 of the buttermilk and increasing the mixer speed, mix it well. Add another third of the flour mixture. Beat well.
• Add the remaining half of the buttermilk, and finally, beat in the remaining flour mixture. The resulting chocolate batter should be lump-free and smooth, but don’t beat it more than you have to.

Pour half of the chocolate batter on a greased 9×5 loaf pan. Spoon the cream cheese batter over the top, being careful to keep it contained at the center. Top the cream cheese with the remaining batter, covering much of the white as you can.

Bake the loaf cake at 350 F for 50-55 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick tester comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let the cake cool slightly, then pour the chocolate glaze on top.

Pointers and Tips

• The eggs, butter and buttermilk should be at room temperature for easy mixing.
• No buttermilk? Here is a substitute: measure out 1 cup of regular milk and add 2 tbsp of vinegar. Let stand for at least 5 minutes before using it in the recipe.
• At any time during mixing, use a spatula to scrape any ingredients that get stuck into the sides of the bowl.
• The baked, finished cake will naturally bulge out and slightly crack open. 

More Chocolate Goodness

• Chocolate Chip Loaf Bread with Honey Butter
• Chocolate Marble Cake
• Chocolate Ombre Pound Cake
• Chocolate Cake Roll With Chocolate Whipped Cream
• Nutella Filled Chocolate Cookies

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Chocolate Loaf Cake with Cream Cheese Filling

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Indulge in this Chocolate Cake Loaf with cream cheese filling, with every slice filled with decadent cream cheese batter and all topped with luscious chocolate glaze.

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Ingredients

For the Chocolate Cake Batter

• 1 and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs ( at room temperature)
• 1 cup buttermilk ( at room temperature)

For the Cream Cheese Filling `

• 1 block cream cheese (250 grams), softened
• 1 large egg 
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

For the Chocolate Glaze

• 6 tbsp butter
• 1 and 1/4 cup icing sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup milk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan. In a large bowl. whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer ( or use a handheld electric mixer), beat the butter and sugar, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed, until creamy and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
3. Reduce mixer speed and add 1/3 of the dry ingredients. Beat to incorporate. Add 1/2 of the buttermilk and continue to beat, increasing the mixer speed to incorporate well. Beat in another third of the dry mixture, then add the rest of the buttermilk. Beat to incorporate. Finally, add the remaining flour and beat the batter just until smooth and incorporated.
4. Pour half of this chocolate batter into the loaf pan. Spoon the cream cheese batter in the center of the chocolate batter in the pan, being careful to keep the white batter in the center. Cover the cream cheese batter by topping it with the rest of the chocolate batter. Bake the cake at 350 F for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
5. Allow the cake to cool slightly, then pour the chocolate glaze on top.

Cream Cheese Filling

In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth and fluffy. Add the egg, sugar and vanilla extract and beat until smooth.

Chocolate Glaze

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the cocoa powder and the milk. Stir the mixture until it is lump-free. Turn off the heat and gradually whisk the icing sugar. The mixture should be smooth and lump-free.

Notes

• Eggs, buttermilk and butter should be at room temperature for easy mixing.
• If you don't have buttermilk, measure out 1 cup of milk and add 2 tbsp of vinegar. Let stand for at least 5 minutes.
• To store leftover cake, keep it in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Refrigerate for longer storage.

Cake recipe adapted from Very Best Baking via this recipe. Cream cheese batter from Sally's Baking Addiction and Chocolate Glaze from The Spruce Eats.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 428Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 129mgSodium: 515mgCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 2gSugar: 36gProtein: 6g