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Baking recipe · from the recipe book

Orange Loaf Cake with Cocoa Ribbon

A tender, buttery orange-scented loaf with a fudgy cocoa-cinnamon ribbon and melty chocolate chips running through the middle.

Orange Loaf Cake with Cocoa Ribbon

Ingredients

  • 1⅔ cups210 gAll-purpose flour
  • 1¼ tsp6 gBaking powder
  • ½ tsp2 gBaking soda
  • ½ tsp3 gSalt
  • ½ cup115 gUnsalted butterdivided: 100 g softened, 15 g melted
  • 1 cup180 gGranulated sugardivided: 150 g for the batter, 30 g for the filling
  • 3 large150 gEggsroom temperature
  • ½ cup120 gSour creamroom temperature
  • ¼ cup (60 ml)60 gOrange juice
  • 1 tbsp6 gLemon zest
  • 1¼ tsp5 gVanilla extract
  • ¼ cup20 gUnsweetened cocoa powder
  • ¾ tsp2 gGround cinnamon
  • ⅓ cup60 gSemisweet chocolate chips

Steps

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line it with a parchment sling.
  2. Set aside the softened portion of the butter (100 g) and melt the remaining 15 g of butter; let the melted butter cool slightly.
  3. Make the cocoa filling first: in a small bowl, stir the unsweetened cocoa powder, cinnamon and the filling portion of the sugar (30 g) with the melted butter until it forms a damp, crumbly paste. Stir in the chocolate chips and set the cocoa filling aside.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  5. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with the batter portion of the sugar (150 g) and the lemon zest for 3 minutes until pale and fluffy.
  6. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.
  7. Stir the sour cream and orange juice together. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three parts, alternating with the sour cream mixture in two parts, mixing just until no dry flour remains.
  8. Spread half of the batter in the pan. Scatter all of the cocoa filling evenly over it, then cover with the remaining half of the batter and smooth the top. Run a butter knife through once in a gentle zigzag to ripple the ribbon.
  9. Bake 55 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the cake part (not a chocolate chip) comes out clean. Tent loosely with foil after 40 minutes if the top browns quickly.
  10. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift out with the parchment and cool completely on a rack, about 1 hour, before cutting into 12 slices.

Food safety: Don't taste raw dough or batter: raw flour and raw eggs can carry germs.

Contains: Milk, Egg, Gluten. Some brands contain soy.

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Saved in the Every Helping recipe book on October 24, 2026.

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