This delicious chocolate walnut cake is a combo of the best parts of quick breads and loaf cakes. It's soft, buttery, and sweet like cake. But it's got a delicious crunchy crust like quick bread. And both ground walnuts and chopped walnuts in this moist cake add tons of nutty flavor to compliment the chocolate!
For more nut cakes, try Nusskuchen (German hazelnut cake), almond cherry coffee cake, and German bee sting cake.
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The deep, intense flavor of chocolate perfectly complements the earthy, nutty taste of walnuts. When these two ingredients come together in a cake, it’s pure magic!
And the chocolate is intensified by espresso powder or instant coffee powder. Your cake won't taste like coffee, but it'll taste even more like chocolate.
This was inspired by my other chocolate cake recipes, including lavender chocolate layer cake, easy Black Forest Bundt cake, traditional Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, simple Black Forest sheet cake, marbled Marmorkuchen, elegant Yule log cake, and small batch chocolate cupcakes.
Growing up in Germany, we enjoyed a similar cake to this moist chocolate walnut cake, which is a version of German Nusskuchen.
This chocolate walnut cake isn’t just for special occasions - it’s perfect for any time you’re craving something sweet. Seriously, my husband and I ate half the loaf cake in one sitting because it's so delicious!
You can serve it plain, dusted with a little powdered sugar, or topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert. Or for a special occasion, whip up a small batch of chocolate frosting to spread on top.
Ingredients and Notes
- Walnuts - Both ground walnuts and chopped walnuts are added into this loaf for ultimate nutty flavor. You can use either raw or roasted walnuts.
- Unsalted butter - Allow your butter to soften to room temperature.
- Granulated sugar - You can substitute brown sugar.
- Vanilla extract
- Eggs
- All purpose flour
- Unsweetened cocoa powder - You can also use Dutch processed cocoa powder.
- Espresso powder or instant coffee powder - Optional to enhance the chocolatey flavor.
- Baking powder
- Salt - Use either non-iodized table salt or fine sea salt for the best flavor.
- Milk
- Chocolate chips
How to Make this Recipe
Below is the process to make this recipe. For the full step-by-step directions and ingredient quantities, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt.
2. Grind 2 cups of the walnuts in a food processor to a fine mixture. Set aside.
3. Chop the remaining 1 cup of walnuts. Set aside.
5. Add one egg at a time, mixing after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.
7. Add the flour mixture and mix with a large spoon.
9. Fold in the chopped chocolate and chopped walnuts.
11. Bake at 350°F for 65 to 80 minutes.
4. Beat the softened butter and sugar.
6. Add the ground walnuts to the wet ingredients while mixing on low speed.
8. Add the milk and mix on a medium speed.
10. Spread the cake batter into the greased loaf pan.
12. Cool the cake on a cooling rack. Slice and enjoy!!
Carissa's Kitchen Tip
I recommend lining your loaf pan with parchment paper that hangs over the sides. This makes it way easier to remove your baked loaf cake from the pan to cool and slice.
Recipe Tips
- Use High-Quality Chocolate: I recommend using unsweetened cocoa powder or Dutch processed cocoa powder which has a more intense “chocolatey” flavor.
And if you add chopped chocolate, using a quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate makes a world of difference in flavor. - Don’t Overmix: Overmixing the cake batter can make the cake tough and gummy. Once you add the flour and cocoa powder mixture, mix the batter with a large spoon or spatula just until there are no visible pockets of dry ingredients.
- Chop the Walnuts: Chop the walnuts fine enough so each bite has some crunchy nuts.
- Don't Overbake: If you notice that the top of the cake is starting to get brown before the cake is done baking, loosely cover the top with aluminum foil to prevent the top from overbaking or burning.
Variations
- Different nuts: You can swap out the walnuts for other nuts like pecans, peanuts, cashews, or hazelnuts.
- Different chocolate: Use white chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, or mini chocolate chips.
- Different pan: You can also bake this chocolate walnut cake in an 8-inch by 8-inch square cake pan.
Storage
- Room Temperature: Wrap leftover hazelnut cake tightly in plastic cling wrap, and store at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: You can freeze this cake by wrapping the whole loaf or individual slices in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow the frozen bread to thaw at room temperature.
Related Recipes
Looking for more delicious cake recipes like this? Try these:
Chocolate Walnut Loaf Cake
Equipment
- measuring cups and spoons
- mixing bowls
- whisk
- Large Spoon or Spatula
- hand mixer
- food processor
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole walnuts
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (2 sticks)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon espresso powder or instant coffee powder (optional)
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon table salt or fine sea salt
- ⅓ milk dairy or non dairy milk work
- ½ cup chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch by 5 ½-inch (or similar sized) loaf pan.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Grind 2 cups of the walnuts in a food processor. Set aside. Chop the remaining 1 cup of walnuts. Set aside.Optional: Spread the ground walnut flour onto a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, to toast it and deepen its nutty flavor. Set aside to cool.
- In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand whisk, beat the softened butter and sugar together until it is pale and fluffy, after 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add one egg at a time, beating the mixture after each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl to ensure it’s evenly mixed in. Then add the vanilla and mix again.
- Gradually add the ground walnuts, one large spoonful at a time, to the butter mixture while mixing on low speed.
- Add the flour mixture and mix with a large spoon or spatula to combine.
- Add the milk and mix on a medium speed until the batter is evenly mixed. Scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure there are no pockets of dry flour.
- Fold in the chopped chocolate and remaining chopped walnuts.
- Spread the batter into the greased loaf pan.
- Bake for 65 to 80 minutes, until a wooden skewer or knife comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake.Cool the cake on a cooling rack, then slice and enjoy!!
Notes
- Note: This cake is really a mix between quick bread and a loaf cake. It has a really soft texture, like cake. But the exterior gets a little crispy, like a delicious quick bread.
- Don’t Overmix: Overmixing the cake batter can make the cake tough and gummy. Once you add the flour and cocoa powder mixture, mix the batter with a large spoon or spatula just until there are no visible pockets of dry ingredients.
- Don't Overbake: If you notice that the top of the cake is starting to get brown before the cake is done baking, loosely cover the top with aluminum foil to prevent the top from overbaking or burning.
- Storing: Wrap leftover hazelnut cake tightly in plastic cling wrap, and store at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Freeze this loaf cake by wrapping the whole loaf or individual slices in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Mila
My husband said this is the best cake/bread he has ever eaten... lol thank you!
Carissa Erzen
Wow that's a big compliment! Thank you!!
flora
The walnut flavor with the chocolate pieces in each bite tasted nice, thanks for sharing!
Carissa Erzen
Thanks! I love chocolate and nuts together 🙂