Cocoa marzipan loaf cake

Somehow, even with all the cookies and treats sitting around the house, I still managed to do a little more baking during our holiday break.  I'm still "high" on all the wonderful, cozy memories from the holidays.  I know I may be breaking protocol by talking about things like cake right now in early January but I want sweet things like cake to be a part of my life every month of the year.  In moderation, if we must...

During our time off, I was browsing old cookbooks and decided to whip up this cocoa marzipan loaf cake I saw in one because it sounded so good.  By my way of thinking, one can always use a simple "everyday" cake around the house (no matter how many cookies you have on hand), ready for afternoon snacking and a cup of tea. And when something involves chocolate and almond paste, well, I just can't resist.  So if you're like me, you find yourself shrugging your shoulders, thinking 'why not', and heading into the kitchen to make it happen. 

Given the name, I thought this recipe would call for marzipan but it's actually almond paste, something I always have on hand and want an excuse to use (marzipan is essentially the sweeter version of almond paste).  I've come to think of this loaf cake as the chocolate cousin of the almond bread I make often.

In full disclosure, this cake is originally titled cocoa marzipan pound cake but I went with loaf cake because there is not a pound of butter involved and pound cake tends to conjure up that image for a lot of us.  But if you're like me, any time you see a loaf cake like this, you do think pound cake in terms of texture and flavor but I think this is better...you have added depth from cocoa powder and moisture and flavor from the addition of almond paste.  My family and I tend to love all bakes with almond paste and we enjoyed this cake without exception.  

I was glad I persuaded myself to squeeze this bake into our schedule last week. 


I found this recipe in The Great Book of Chocolate.  Being the serious chocolate lover that I am, I love this little book, which is packed with tons of chocolate info., along with some recipes like this one.  I like to take the book out once in a while for a little chocolate theme reading and inspiration.

I didn't need two loaves so I divided the recipe in half to make one.  As you can see below, it doesn't make a ton of batter, so it's not a very tall loaf cake.  Be sure to use a 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan (instead of a 9x5 inch).  

I really think almond paste makes so many things, so much better!  To cakes, it adds moisture, that sweet nutty flavor and fragrance, as well as a slight chewy texture that is always so satisfying.  

In the header to this recipe, David Lebovitz says that having almond paste in the pantry is like having that "little black dress" in the closet.  I could not agree more.

Recipe:

Cocoa Marzipan Loaf Cake
Adapted from The Great Book of Chocolate by David Lebovitz

- For one 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf cake (scaled down from original recipe for two loaves) - 

3.5 ounces (100g) almond paste 
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup (105g) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (25g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (115g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup milk (I used whole milk)
1/3 cup (50g) sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Spray an  8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan with baking spray (or butter, then dust with flour, tapping out excess).  If desired, line bottom with a piece of parchment paper and lightly spray with cooking spray (this is optional but will ensure easy removal without breakage).  

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat almond paste, sugar, and almond extract together until almond paste is broken up into very fine pieces, like small crumbs.  

In a separate bowl, sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt together.  (While I often whisk dry ingredients together instead of sifting, I highly recommend it here to remove any lumps from the cocoa powder.)

Add butter to the almond paste mixture and beat until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.  Stir in half the dry ingredients, then the milk, followed by the remaining dry ingredients.  

Scrape batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top.  Sprinkle sliced almonds evenly over the top.  Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.  Let cool on a wire rack for about 30 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan (removing parchment paper, if using) and let cool completely on a wire rack.