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Easy Chocolate Chip Coconut Loaf Cake

This Easy Chocolate Chip Coconut Loaf Cake is soft, moist, fluffy, and bursting with melted chocolate chips and fresh orange zest. A simple chocolate chip loaf cake created with desiccated coconut is a delicious combination of chocolate, orange, and coconut in a loaf. 

Image of sliced loaf cake

This loaf is so easy to make and it produces a moist and fluffy crumb that is fragrant with freshly grated orange zest which you will also discover in my orange poppy cake.

With the amount of chocolate in this cake, orange zest is a must! Chocolate and orange anyone? 

The orange zest is infused into the warm melted butter and milk and then stirred through the chocolate chip and coconut mixture. 

Enjoy this easy chocolate chip coconut loaf cake plain or with a spread of butter for morning tea or dessert. It also makes a wonderful tea-time snack with family and friends. 

Close up of one slice of the chocolate chip loaf cake

Why You Will Love This Recipe

  • A flavorsome and fluffy loaf cake loaded with desiccated coconut which produces a lovely texture. 
  • Orange zest is infused into the melted butter and milk making it stand out in the final product. You will see the bits of orange zest in the crumb! 
  • Generous amount of dark chocolate chips throughout the batter and sprinkled on top before baking. 

Looking for more easy and delicious loaf-style cakes? Try my favorite Lemon Poppy Seed Bread, my Lemon Drizzle Loaf, this Vanilla Pound Cake, or my wholesome Chai Spiced Carrot Loaf

For a similar flavor profile and another breakfast treat, try my easy chocolate chip scones.

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

The individual ingredients needed to make this recipe

Dark chocolate chips: I’ve used both regular-sized and mini-sized chocolate chips and both work great! You can also use milk chocolate chips. 

Milk: Use either whole milk or dairy-free milk, I’ve made this loaf using almond milk and it works well. 

Orange zest: One small-medium orange yields one tablespoon of zest. Use a fine zester/grater. 

Flour: I have not made this loaf cake using gluten-free flour. 

Coconut: Use only desiccated coconut. 

Granulated sugar: You can use either golden/raw or white granulated sugar. 

Eggs: Must be at room temperature and beaten/whisked. 

Step By Step Instructions

There is a full and detailed recipe card at the bottom of this post.

1) In a small pot, add butter, milk, and orange zest. Place over low heat until the butter has completely melted, stirring occasionally. 

2) Once the butter has melted, remove the pot from heat and set it aside to cool. NOTE: This mixture must be cooled until just warm to the touch otherwise it will cook the eggs when added later. 

3) In a large mixing bowl, sift flour and baking powder. 

Process image showing the liquid mixture being heated and the flour being sifted

4) Add coconut and sugar and whisk to combine. 

Mixing through the sugar and desiccated coconut

5) Add the larger quantity of chocolate chips (3/4 cup) and whisk through until combined. 

Mixing in the chocolate chips

6) Pour in the cooled liquid mixture and then the beaten eggs. Using a spatula, fold and stir the mixture incorporated, ensuring not to over-mix. 

Folding through the melted mixture to create the batter

7) Spoon batter into the lined loaf pan, smoothing the top out evenly. Sprinkle over the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips.

8) Bake for 40-43 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

9) Remove and cool in pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Serve and enjoy! 

Batter in the baking pan ready to bake for 40 minutes

Tips For Recipe Success

  • As this loaf has chocolate chips on top, I recommend lining your baking pan with parchment paper with higher sides, making it easier for you to lift out after it’s baked. 
  • Ensure the heated liquid mixture is cooled down until it’s just slightly warm to the touch or at room temperature, as it can curdle the eggs. 
  • Your eggs must be at room temperature and whisked before adding them to your batter. Cold eggs will curdle when they come into contact with the melted liquid mixture. 
Baked loaf cake ready to serve

How To Store & Freeze

Store chocolate chip loaf cake in an airtight container, in a dry/dark pantry at room temperature for 4-5 days. It will dry out if stored in the refrigerator. 

Freeze this chocolate chip loaf cake without the chocolate chips on top, wrapped in plastic wrap, in a freezer-safe container, in the freezer for up to 3 months. 

Close up of a slice to show the texture and inside

If you enjoy this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️ star rating and a comment review below. I love to hear what you think and it’s much appreciated. Thank you! Your email address will not be published. Sam x

Easy Chocolate Chip Coconut Loaf Cake Featured Image

Easy Chocolate Chip Coconut Loaf Cake Recipe

Samantha Pickthall
This Easy Chocolate Chip Coconut Loaf Cake is moist and fluffy. Bursting with fragrant orange zest and loaded with melted dark chocolate chips.
5 from 8 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Bread, Cake, Loaf Cake
Servings 10 people
Calories 477 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips, regular or mini size
  • 100 g unsalted butter
  • 1 cup milk of choice, either whole milk or almond milk work
  • 1 Tbsp finely grated orange zest, approx. 1 small-medium orange
  • 300 g (2 cups) plain all-purpose flour scoop & leveled
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 cups desiccated coconut
  • 3/4 cup golden or white granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature and lightly beaten, (each egg weighing approx. 55g-65g in shell)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 180ºC (356ºC). Line a 9-inch x 5-inch loaf baking pan with parchment paper, leaving the sides a bit higher than the top of the pan. This makes it easier to lift the loaf out after baking. Set aside. 
  • First, measure out the 1 cup of chocolate chips and remove 1/4 cup, set both measurements aside.
  • In a small pot, add butter, milk, and orange zest. Place over low heat until the butter has completely melted, stirring occasionally.
  • Once the butter has melted, remove the pot from heat and set it aside to cool. NOTE: This mixture must be cooled until just warm to the touch otherwise it will cook the eggs when added later.
  • In a large mixing bowl, sift flour and baking powder.
  • Add coconut and sugar and whisk to combine.
  • Add the larger quantity of chocolate chips (3/4 cup) and whisk through until combined.
  • Pour in the cooled liquid mixture then the beaten eggs. Using a spatula, fold and stir the mixture incorporated, ensuring not to over-mix.
  • Spoon batter into the lined loaf pan, smoothing the top out evenly.
  • Sprinkle over the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips.
  • Bake for 40-43 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
  • Remove and cool in pan for 10 minutes.
  • Turn out onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
  • Serve and enjoy!

Notes

As this loaf has chocolate chips on top, I recommend lining your baking pan with parchment paper with higher sides, making it easier for you to lift out after it’s baked.
Ensure the heated liquid mixture is cooled down until it’s just slightly warm to the touch or at room temperature, as it can curdle the eggs.
Your eggs must be at room temperature and whisked before adding them to your batter. Cold eggs will curdle when they come into contact with the melted liquid mixture.
Store chocolate chip loaf cake in an airtight container, in a dry/dark pantry at room temperature for 4-5 days. It will dry out if stored in the refrigerator.
Freeze this chocolate chip loaf cake without the chocolate chips on top, wrapped in plastic wrap, in a freezer-safe container, in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 477kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 8gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 21gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 50mgPotassium: 372mgFiber: 4gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 341IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 137mgIron: 2mg
Keyword chocolate chip, chocolateorange, orange
Tried this recipe? Let us know how it was!

First published in June 2021, this recipe was updated in January 2024 to include new step-by-step images, expert recommendations, storage guidelines and more.

3 Comments

  1. made it today – husband likes it, I think our oven is quite fast so will cook for a bit less next time for a more moist loaf, nice and easy prep which works well for me.
    thanks

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