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Bready or Not: Sourdough Chocolate Loaf Cake

This rich chocolate cake will be imbued with the unique flavor of sourdough. Serve for a dessert or brunch! This is a great recipe to slice up and freeze, too. Modified greatly from Bake from Scratch Cake 2019.
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Keyword: chocolate, sourdough
Author: Beth Cato

Equipment

  • loaf pan
  • parchment paper
  • nonstick spray

Ingredients

Loaf

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick) softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar firmly packed
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 1 cup sourdough starter discard 275 grams
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk or soured milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup cocoa powder sifted
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Glaze

  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon milk or half & half

Instructions

  • Preheat oven at 325 degrees. Cut parchment to fit inside the loaf pan like a sling, sticking up at the two long sides. Use nonstick spray in the pan and on the parchment paper.
  • Beat butter and both sugars until fluffy. Add egg. Add sourdough discard, buttermilk or soured milk, and vanilla, scraping the bottom of the bowl a few times to make sure everything is incorporated.
  • In another bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, scraping the bottom again. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
  • Bake for somewhere between 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 40 minutes. After the hour point, use the toothpick test every so often to check for doneness; a digital thermometer is also a good way to check inside, with a goal of seeing over 190-degrees in the middle.
  • After about 15 minutes, use the paper sling to lift the loaf out. Let cool completely on a wire rack, speeding in the fridge if desired.
  • Make the glaze. Spoon it over the loaf pan to dribble over the sides. Let set at least 30 minutes. Slice and enjoy! Store in a sealed bag or container. Cake can also be frozen in slices for later enjoyment.

OM NOM NOM!

    Notes

    Make soured milk by pouring a discernible layer of lemon juice or vinegar into the bottom of a liquid 1/2 cup measure. Add milk or half & half to that half cup line. Let sit at room temperature to coagulate, about 10 minutes, then use the lumpy mixture in the recipe.