21 easy loaf cake recipes (2024)

Features

by Genevieve Halbert

published on 25 August 2016

21 easy loaf cake recipes (1)

Extravagant show-stoppersare all well and good, butwhen it comes down to it you simply can’t beat a humble loaf cake. Easy to make and even easier to eat, loaf cakes are the perfect combination of quick, simple, andcomforting. Here, we’ve rounded up 21of ourfacouriterecipes, from a frosted marble cake to tangy blueberry and lemon loaf.

Banana Loaf

by Mary Berry

from Simple Cakes

The perennially popular Mary Berry banana loaf is a Happy Foodie community favourite, and with good reason. It’s a beautifully sweet, moist cake, and the recipe couldn’t be more straightforward.

From the book

Simple Cakes

Mary Berry

21 easy loaf cake recipes (3)

Simple Cakes

21 easy loaf cake recipes (4)

Classic tea-time treats

21 easy loaf cake recipes (5)

Mary’s easiest cakes

21 easy loaf cake recipes (6)

Stunning desserts

21 easy loaf cake recipes

This fruity loaf cake from Ottolenghi’s Simpleis studded with fresh blueberries and drizzled with a zingy lemon icing. The ground almonds in the mixture help to ensure a moist texture.

From the book

Simple

Golden Apricot and Marzipan Loaf Cake

by Paul Hollywood

from The Great British Bake Off: How to Bake

This light fruit cake from Paul Hollywood is layered with chunks of marzipan for a fragrant almond flavour.

From the book

The Great British Bake Off: How to Bake

Buy Book

Perfect Banana Bread

by Felicity Cloake

from Perfect Too

Take your banana bread to the next level with this recipe from Felicity Cloake’sPerfect Too. Felicity’s recipe includes a few ingenioustricks to ensureyour banana bread is a cut above the rest.

by Nadia Sawalha, Kaye Adams

from Disaster Chef

A classic co*cktail in cake form? It doesn’t get much better than that.

From the book

Disaster Chef

Buy Book

Plum Bread in a Hurry

by Miranda Gore Browne

from Bake Me a Cake as Fast as You Can

Perfect for those hectic days that leave you needing an emergency cake fix,this quick plum breadfrom Bake Me a Cake as Fast as You Can can be ready in under forty-five minutes.

From the book

Bake Me a Cake as Fast as You Can

Chocolate and Vanilla Marble Loaf

by Mary Berry

from My Kitchen Table: 100 Cakes and Bakes

A classic British tea-time treat, this aesthetically pleasingcake consists ofswirls of vanilla and chocolate sponge topped with a layer of rich chocolate ganache.

From the book

My Kitchen Table: 100 Cakes and Bakes

Rosemary, Parsnip and Parmesan Loaf Cake

by Melissa Sharp, Lindsay Stark

from Modern Baker

This is a savoury, spelt flour loaf cake, which can be eaten just as it is, spread with butter, or served alongside a hot bowl of soup.

From the book

Modern Baker

Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

by Georgina Hayden

from Stirring Slowly

A slightly more luxurious take on banana bread, this cake from Georgina Hayden is topped with a layer of fluffy peanut butter frosting, making for a truly decadent treat.

From the book

Stirring Slowly

Ginger Cake

by Duval Timothy, Folayemi Brown and Jacob Fodio Todd

from The Groundnut Cookbook

Comfort baking at its finest – this moist ginger cake is just thing to go with your morning cup of tea.

Caramelised Fig Semolina Loaf

by Georgina Hayden

from Taverna

One for the warmer months, this loaf cake is made with orange blossom water and fresh figs. Serve with a dollop of thick Greek yoghurt and enjoy the Mediterranean flavours.

From the book

Taverna

Chocolate and Banana Loaf

by Martha Swift & Lisa Thomas

from The Primrose Bakery Book

Yet another banana loaf (you can never really have too many). The combination of banana and chocolate in this recipe from the Primrose Bakery is hard to resist.

From the book

The Primrose Bakery Book

Buy Book

Ricotta, Lemon, Polenta Teacakes

by Natalia Conroy

from The Kitchen Orchard

These mini ricotta and lemon loaves are made with polenta and ground almonds, rather than flour, so they’re gluten-free.

From the book

The Kitchen Orchard

Buy Book

Mary Berry’s Courgette Loaves

by Mary Berry

from My Kitchen Table: 100 Cakes and Bakes

This moist loaf, flavoured with walnut and cinnamon, is similar to carrot cake and is a great way to use up a summertime glut of courgettes. Mary recommends eating this warm, withbutter or cream cheese.

From the book

My Kitchen Table: 100 Cakes and Bakes

Orange and Hazelnut Cake with Orange Flower Syrup

by Silvena Rowe

from

Another wheat-free bake, this one is made with ground hazelnuts and drizzled with afragrant orange flower syrup.

From the book

Buy Book

Vegan Banana Bread

by Jérôme Eckmeier, Daniela Lais

from Vegan Cakes and Other Bakes

This one’s for the vegan bakers out there. Banana bread is the ideal vegan bake, since mashed bananas are a great replacement for eggs, helping to bind the cake together and add moisture.

From the book

Vegan Cakes and Other Bakes

Linda’s Lemon Drizzle Cake

by Mary McCartney

from Food

It’s almost impossible to refuse a slice of lemon drizzle cake, especially this tangy and moreish number from Mary McCartney.

From the book

Food

Chocolate and Pear Cake

by Anna Del Conte

from Italian Kitchen

Anna del Conte’s Chocolate and Pear Cake is the idealbalance of bitter and sweet. It’s goes perfectlywith a cup of tea, and works equally well as a sophisticated dessert.

From the book

Italian Kitchen

Sweet Coconut Loaf with Berry Coulis

by DK Publishing

from Superfood Breakfasts

We take this Coconut Loaf recipeas a perfectexcuse to eat cake for breakfast – though it’s excellent at any time of day. The sharp tang of the berry coulis lifts the buttery loaf to new heights.

From the book

Superfood Breakfasts

Chocolate Marble Cake with White Chocolate Icing

by Peyton & Byrne

from British Baking

This loaf is slightlyless lazy than the others, but is totally worth it. Topped with creamy and sweet white chocolate icing, it’s a real crowdpleaser that’s guaranteed to become a regular fixture in your kitchen.

From the book

British Baking

Buy Book

Super-Chocolatey Snacking Cake

by Jérôme Eckmeier, Daniela Lais

from Vegan on the Go

A fabulously rich cake, filled with chocolate chips and covered in not one but two types of melted chocolate, this is the ultimate elevenses snack. It also happens to be totally vegan.

From the book

Vegan on the Go

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21 easy loaf cake recipes (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between a pound cake and a loaf cake? ›

What's the difference between pound cake and loaf cake? A loaf cake is simply any cake that's baked in a loaf pan, including pound cake. Pound cakes got their name because they were made with a pound each of flour sugar, butter, and eggs.

Which flour is better for cakes? ›

Since its gluten proteins are very weak, cake flour is often used to make soft, tender baked goods like cakes, pastries, or biscuits. A chlorination process further breaks down cake flour's gluten, creating a flour that's even more delicate. All-purpose flour is made from a mixture of hard and soft wheat.

What is a loaf cake? ›

Meaning of loaf cake in English

a cake baked in a rectangular pan: I'm making a lemon loaf cake. We like a slice of loaf cake with our morning coffee. Fewer examples. This chocolate loaf cake is amazing.

Will a cake rise with plain flour? ›

Because plain flour contains no extra ingredients, including rising agents, your cakes and pastries won't rise if you use this type of flour as it is. You'll need to add a rising agent, such as yeast or baking powder, into the plain flour if you want your baked goods to rise and become appetisingly fluffy.

Which is better for pound cake all purpose flour or cake flour? ›

Cake Flour: Cake flour is lighter than all-purpose flour and produces the best pound cake in my opinion. Since it's so light, the attention remains on the butter. All-purpose flour is simply too heavy for this pound cake recipe; the cake will be heavy as a brick. If needed, use this homemade cake flour substitute.

What does pound cake taste like compared to regular cake? ›

They also have few or no leaveners so these cakes don't rise, making them take longer to bake. Taste: Pound cake is rich, buttery, and has a custard-like flavor due to the high volume of eggs. Regular cake has a lighter taste.

Why does a loaf cake fall in the middle? ›

The most common reasons a cake sinks in the middle include the following: The pan is too small. There's too much liquid. Opening the oven or moving pans during baking.

What causes loaf cake to crack? ›

The oven temperature is too high. If the top crust forms and sets before the cake has finished rising, the middle will try to push through the crust as it continues to bake, causing it to crack and possibly dome.

Why is it called Elvis Presley cake? ›

Before it's served, you'll add a layer of cream cheese frosting and sprinkle candied pecans on top for some crunch. Internet lore would have you believe this pineapple-topped concoction was Elvis Presley's favorite cake, that he even asked his grandmother to make it for him as a kid.

Can you put too much flour in a cake? ›

Any baked good — especially cake —with too much flour will be dry, hard, crumbly … take your unhappy pick. For best results, please weigh your flour (and other ingredients).

Does too much flour make a cake dense? ›

One of the key factors that can lead to dense cakes is the incorrect ratio of ingredients. Baking is a science, and even a small deviation from the recipe can have a big impact on the final texture of your cake. Too much flour or not enough leavening agents like baking powder can result in a dense cake.

What happens if you add extra flour to cake? ›

If there's simply too much flour and not enough butter, a cake will taste dry. On the other hand, if there's too much milk and not enough flour, a cake will taste too wet.

What makes a pound cake different? ›

A pound cake is distinct from a coffee cake or layer cake due to its specific ingredient ratios, typically consisting of equal parts (by weight) of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. This results in a dense and rich texture with a pronounced buttery flavor.

What is another name for pound cake? ›

It is also worth noting that the “Pound Cake” is now known by many names; “Madeira Cake” or “Yellow Cake” even simply “Loaf Cake”. No matter what it's called, one thing is for sure! The simple sponge cake recipe has stood the test of time and remained a staple for home baking!

Is pound cake and shortcake the same thing? ›

A shortcake biscuit, which is a lightly sweetened biscuit, is classic with strawberries and cream. But if you want a quick and informal take on the classic then pound cake is the way to go. It has the perfect soft and velvety texture to melt in your mouth along with the tender strawberries and billowing whipped cream.

Is pound cake the same as angel food cake? ›

The texture of Pound Cake and Angel Food Cake are almost completely opposite. Pound Cake is a dense cake with a moist texture while Angel Food Cakes have fluffy and airy foam interiors. The texture of Pound Cake is rich and solid, which makes it perfect for topping with icing or a dollop of whipped cream.

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