A chocolate lover's dream, this chocolate espresso cinnamon loaf has it all. A moist, cake swirled with a cinnamon sugar mixture and topped with a crumbly coffee chocolate streusel. The bold flavors in this recipe come together to form the perfect loaf cake for any occasion. There's no wrong time to have a thick slice of this loaf!
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Why You'll Love This Chocolate Espresso Cinnamon Loaf
- Great at any time of day. There is literally no wrong time to eat this loaf! Enjoy at breakfast, as a show-stopping dessert for dinner parties or when you just need something sweet late at night.
- Rich blend of flavors. The earthy cinnamon paired with the deep chocolate and the rich brown sugar creates a fantastic flavor combo. I was actually inspired to create this recipe after trying Thomas Keller's KM coffee and donuts chocolate bar. Personally, I think the flavors in this loaf cake come very close to the flavors in the chocolate bar!
- Three interesting textures. The moist cake, sweet swirl and crumbly topping come together in this recipe for a unique textural experience in every bite.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Instant coffee. Make sure you use instant coffee and not just ground coffee! I recommend using decaf so you can have a slice of this loaf whenever you want - yes, I mean right before bed 🙂
- Dutch-process cocoa powder. While you can use natural (or "regular") cocoa powder in this recipe, I find Dutch-process cocoa powder brings a deeper, more chocolatey flavor to this loaf cake.
- All-purpose flour. You'll need this for both the chocolate espresso loaf and the chocolate streusel topping.
- Brown sugar. Helps with moisture and will be used each of the three parts of this recipe!
- Ground cinnamon. Earthy and such a good complement to the deep chocolate and sweet brown sugar.
- Unsalted butter. Another ingredient you'll need for both the loaf and the streusel - melted for the cake and cold-ish for the streusel (see recipe card!).
- Warm water. You'll dissolve the instant espresso in this warm water.
- Baking powder. Will help to give the loaf a nice rise.
- Baking soda. Will act similar to the baking powder in leavening the loaf.
- Kosher salt. To balance out the sweetness of this recipe.
- Eggs. Always at room temperature!
- Sour cream. One of the secret ingredients for a moist cake.
- Neutral oil. I use avocado oil but canola or vegetable would be good as a swap here.
- Vanilla bean paste. Or a good quality vanilla extract.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat + prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the loaf pan widthwise with parchment paper.
- Make the chocolate streusel topping. Stir together instant coffee, cocoa powder, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add in the slightly cool butter and, using gloves, crumble the butter into the dry mix, creating small, pea-sized pieces. Place this in the fridge to stay cold until you're ready to top the loaf before it goes into the oven.
- Make the cinnamon espresso swirl. Stir together brown sugar, cinnamon and instant coffee in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Dissolve the instant coffee. Pour instant coffee into the warm water and stir to dissolve completely. Set aside.
- Make the loaf cake. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate medium bowl, use an electric handheld mixer to beat together the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, sour cream, oil and vanilla. Then, in two parts, incorporate the flour mixture into the wet mixture using the electric handheld mixer making sure you don't over mix.
- Assemble + bake. In the prepared loaf pan, pour in a third of the loaf cake batter. Sprinkle in half of the cinnamon espresso swirl mixture so the entire loaf is covered. Pour in half of the remaining cake batter and top with the remaining cinnamon espresso swirl mixture. Pour the remaining loaf cake batter into the loaf pan and top with all of the chocolate streusel topping that you had saved in the fridge. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until or until a cake tester/skewer comes out clean. Enjoy at room temperature or, my favorite way, cold from the fridge!
Variations and Substitutions
- Coffee. I recommend using decaf instant coffee in all my recipes that call for coffee to not feel limited when you eat this cake, like right before bed 🙂 However, feel free to swap for caffeinated instant coffee powder if you'd like!
- Cocoa powder. I love the deep flavor of Dutch-process cocoa powder but feel free to use natural (or "regular") cocoa powder in this recipe.
- Vanilla bean paste. Feel free to swap a good quality vanilla extract for vanilla bean paste.
- Neutral oil. I like using avocado oil as my neutral oil of choice but you can always swap for canola, vegetable or your preferred neutral oil.
Equipment for this Chocolate Espresso Cinnamon Loaf
- 10 inch Loaf Pan. You'll get a nice-sized loaf with this pan.
- Whisk. Great to gently combine your dry ingredients.
- Bowls. This recipe has a few different elements so you'll be using four bowls to create all the parts of this chocolate espresso loaf.
- Gloves. This is my favorite way to create the perfect streusel - with my hands! Gloves make it cleanup so much easier.
- Electric handheld mixer. For this recipe, I prefer this kind of mixer instead of a stand mixer because there are a few different bowls used for different elements.
Storing + Freezing
Store this chocolate espresso cinnamon loaf for up to five days in an airtight container in the fridge.
This cake does not need to be reheated. In fact, I think it tastes better cold from the fridge the day after it's baked.
If you'd like to freeze it, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and store in an airtight freezer-safe bag in the freezer for up to three months. To thaw, keep the plastic wrap on but remove the freezer-safe bag and thaw on a plate in the fridge until soft.
Top tip
Use decaf instant espresso for this recipe! That way, you can have a slice (or two!) before bed and not worry about the caffeine keeping you awake.
FAQ
What is dutch-process cocoa powder?
Dutch-process cocoa powder is darker than regular cocoa powder and it's also alkaline vs natural (or "regular") cocoa powder, which is acidic. While you can use natural cocoa powder in this recipe, Dutch-process cocoa powder provides a deeper, chocolatey flavor that I love for this cake.
Why are there two layers of cinnamon espresso swirl in this loaf cake?
While I tested this cake with one layer of the swirl, I found that two layers of the swirl gave the cake a deeper cinnamon flavor and great texture.
Can I make this recipe in a different pan?
You can! Just make sure you monitor the cooking time depending on your pan. This loaf is dense so for something like muffins, it may take less time to bake.
Did you try out this recipe? I'd love to know how it went! Leave me a comment and rating below or tag me on Instagram at @AFabulousBite!
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you click on the link and make a purchase.
More Fabulous Bites
Hungry for more? Try these:
Chocolate Espresso Cinnamon Loaf (with Chocolate Streusel)
A chocolate lover's dream, this chocolate espresso cinnamon loaf has it all. A moist, cake swirled with a cinnamon sugar mixture and topped with a crumbly coffee chocolate streusel. The bold flavors in this recipe come together to form the perfect loaf cake for any occasion. There's no wrong time to have a thick slice of this loaf!
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Servings: large slices
Calories: 600kcal
Equipment
- 1 Whisk
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Streusel Topping
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee see note below
- 1 ½ tablespoon dutch-process cocoa powder
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, slightly cold + cut into small pieces
For the Cinnamon Espresso Swirl
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons instant coffee see note below
For the Cake
- ¼ cup instant coffee see note below
- ½ cup warm water
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup neutral oil see note below
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste, or vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 10 inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
To Make the Chocolate Streusel Topping
- In a small bowl, add in the instant espresso, cocoa powder, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and slightly cold butter. Using gloved hands, mix all the ingredients together, making sure to squeeze the butter between your fingers to create pea-sized butter pieces. Place the bowl in the fridge as you continue making the rest of the recipe.
To Make the Cinnamon Espresso Swirl
- In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon and instant espresso. Set aside.
To Make the Loaf Cake
- Dissolve the instant espresso in the warm water.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate medium bowl, use the electric hand mixer to combine together the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, sour cream, oil and vanilla. Add the dry mixture into the wet mixture in two separate parts, combining together with the electric handheld mixer until just incorporated, making sure you don't over mix.
- Pour in ⅓ of the batter into the prepared pan. Top with ½ of the cinnamon espresso swirl mixture. Add in half of the cake batter left and add the rest of the espresso swirl mixture. Pour in the remaining cake batter and sprinkle the top with the chocolate streusel topping from the fridge.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes or until or until a cake tester/skewer comes out clean. Enjoy at room temperature or cold from the fridge.
Notes
- Instant coffee: I recommend using decaf instant coffee in all my recipes that call for coffee to not feel limited when you eat this cake, like right before bed
- Neutral oil: I like using avocado oil as my neutral oil of choice but you can always swap for canola, vegetable or your preferred neutral oil.
- Storing + Freezing
- Store this loaf for up to five days in an airtight container in the fridge.
- This cake does not need to be reheated. In fact, I think it tastes better cold from the fridge the day after it's baked.
- If you'd like to freeze it, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and store in an airtight freezer-safe bag in the freezer for up to three months. To thaw, keep the plastic wrap on but remove the freezer-safe bag and thaw on a plate in the fridge until soft.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 large slice | Calories: 600kcal | Carbohydrates: 88g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 348mg | Potassium: 571mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 48g | Vitamin A: 595IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 162mg | Iron: 4mg
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