Serves 12
This loaf is dense, chocolaty and moist, with undertones of pumpkin and autumnal spices laced throughout. It’s also lower in fat than most dessert loaves, with only 2 tablespoons of oil in the batter. To add to the chocolatiness, I threw in some chocolate chips, and you may like to add other yummy things, like pecans or walnuts. But I’ll take my chocolate straight up, please!
There’s a funny little method with boiling water in this recipe and you may wonder why I use it. The answer is simple: I don’t exactly know. Well, I know why I use it, but I’m not positive why it works. What you do is add boiling water alternately as you add the dry ingredients to wet. I was introduced to this method in Nigella’s monumental book “How To Be A Domestic Goddess” with her recipe for a chocolate loaf cake, and I’ve used it ever since. I’ve tried to disobey it, thinking it was frivolous and unneeded, only to be greeted by a loaf whose crumb was not as fine and rise was not as perfectly formed. And so I’ve stopped fighting it. Maybe it has to do with the baking soda, I don’t know, just use it.
I love this loaf still a little bit warm, but anyway you slice it (har har) it will be delicious and no one will guess that it’s lower in fat.
PS I have a feeling that people will ask if they can make this in muffin tins, so let me get that out of the way. You can! I haven’t tried it, but I think you’re gonna’ want to fill the cups 3/4 of the way (you might not get 12, but let me know) and bake for about 20 minutes.
PPS I also have a feeling people will ask if they can completely omit the oil. I prefer a little fat in my baked goods, but I bet that subbing it with applesauce would be just dandy.
1/4 cup applesauce
2 tablespoons coconut oil (or canola oil)
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons boiling water, divided (see note)
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 F and lightly grease an 8 inch loaf pan. Also, boil some water in a tea kettle (no need to measure yet.)
Put applesauce, coconut oil and cocoa powder in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, spices, baking soda and salt.
Measure out 1/3 cup boiling water and pour into the bowl with the chocolate mixture, mixing quickly to make a smooth chocolate sauce. Add pumpkin, sugar and vanilla and mix well.
Dump about half of the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture and gently stir just to incorporate, then measure out 1 tablespoon of boiling water and stir again. Now add the rest of the flour mixture and another tablespoon of boiling water and stir just until smooth. Take care not to overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan. It will be good and thick. You can smooth the top out with a spatula.
Bake for 55 minutes to an hour. Stick a steak knife into the center of the loaf to check for doneness. A little bit of wetness is okay since it could be from a chocolate chip, but the knife should come out mostly dry.
Let cool for 10 minutes, then invert pan and place loaf on a cooling rack to cool most of the way. It’s yummy a little bit warm, or thoroughly cooled. Slice and serve!
Wow, that looks awesome. I can’t wait to try this boiling water technique!
i just made this and wow! i love the pumpkin spice and chocolate combination; and the crumb is perfect. super yum! thanks for the recipe!
I had an ancient brownie recipe that used boiling water and baking soda. Something magic in that combination!
Can’t wait to try this.
This looks DIVINE! My kids will go gaga! Thanks!
This recipe looks AMAZEBALLS. And the boiling water trick is way intriguing. Making this asap. Thanks!
I wish we had an oven!! What a lovely use of pumpkin.
I have a baking pumpkin just waiting for this. So this makes two delicious PPK recipes waiting for me, this and the chocolate pudding pie.
PS: I remember reading that method in Nigella’s book. *How to Be a Domestic Goddess* is beside my bed. I read it at night like some might read porn.
I made a very similar recipe today..chocolate pumpkin brownie like thing.. super good.. although I didn’t spice it up like you did.. I almost did, but then decided not to .. this looks great!
Holy Mother of Yum!
I *will* be making this!
What size can of pumpkin puree? I’ve seen the 15 oz as well as the very large ones… Thanks!!
It’s just a cup, not an entire can!
This looks yummy! I would like to say, thanks for being so generous with your awesome recipes.
My pleasure! Thanks for the thanks.
Hi this looks great! Is the applesauce just apple puree (Bramleys or dessert) as I haven’t cooked with that before? Thanks
I take it you’re not in the US? Just google American apple sauce and you’ll see!
I made this as soon as I read the recipe – it sounded like exactly the sort of comforting thing I needed, and boy was it! It also makes a great breakfast.
I remember reading somewhere once that “blooming” cocoa powder in hot water is a lot like brewing coffee, since both come from beans, and that you could get a more nuanced chocolate flavor by using hot water in recipes like that. I don’t know if that was Nigella’s intention or if the boiling water was to react with the baking soda, but either way, it really does make a difference. Yum!
Thanks so much for sharing! I can’t wait to try this!! We just purchased a a few of your cookbooks, and are having a lot of fun cooking our way through them 🙂
I was going to make the apple cider cupcakes from CTOTW, but this maybe just won…
Thank you! Have been waiting for a low-fat desset recipe! I’m going to make this this weekend–what size loaf pan did you use? (I think I have an 8″ and a 9″)
8 inch! I’ll add it to the recipe, thanks!
Any advice on how to lower the sugar? I’m not into super sweet stuff. (I’m weird, I know!!)
Just reduce it a bit. I wouldn’t go lower than 3/4 cup, though.
Super YUM and easy to make! Thanks for another great recipe!
What perfect timing you had with this recipe! I made your pumpkin pancakes the other day and I wasn’t sure what to do with the leftover pumpkin. I just made these as muffins- I got 12. They’re yummy!
I just baked this. I then proceeded to eat two pieces and dubbed it the chocolate wonder-cake. It is delightful and thank you for posting! I made mine with 210 grams of gluten-free flour, and it strikes me that this version is free of all 8 major allergens. Hmm.
Baked this tonight came out great with only 2/3 cup sugar.
I baked this tonight. Yummy! Love the rich chocolatey-ness with fall spices and flavors. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
This might sound like a strange question, but i’m out of applesauce. Can I substitute more coconut oil or does it work that way? This recipe came at the perfect time because I have exactly one cup of pumpkin left, no eggs, and about 1/2 cup chocolate chips! Woohooo!
I think that might be good, but you can also probably get away with 1/4 cup extra pumpkin.
We just made these with pumpkin to replace the applesauce. Delicious! Thank you.
Mmm this sounds lovely!
Thank you for all of your amazing recipes &tips and for being your fun, sassy, caring self! You’re blog and cookbooks are super fun to read even if I don’t make the food! 🙂
Anyway, quick question: do you use whole cloves in this recipe? It doesn’t specify ground so I would assume whole– only I can’t see crunching down on a clove while turning my tongue over chocolatey, pumpkin goodness. Maybe I am over thinking this & being a little dense. Perhaps you’ll never notice with only 1/8 a tsp. Thanks again!!
It’s 1/8 t ground cloves. Thanks!
Made this recipe as cupcakes (added chocolate frosting). Came out awesome! Thanks!
Made this today, and it was great! I’m going to make several loaves for a bake sale for a sick friend. Helping a friend and showing how yummy vegan food is…definitely a win-win! Thanks!
Made this today with Whole Wheat Pastry flour and 3/4 cup sugar. I had my doubts…chocolate plus pumpkin and spice. But it is wonderful. I don’t make to many sweets….I am more of a whole foods healthy vegan …but this was such a nice compromise. I hope you do more healthier bake goods, maybe even a book to compliment AFR. I’d be first in line to buy a copy! Thank you for being so generous with free recipes.
I am normally super-suspicious of low fat desserts, because they taste like… low fat desserts. But this was incredible! I made the recipe as written and will definitely make it again. Thanks Isa!
Also, in my fantasy world, your next cookbook would be lower fat vegan desserts. 🙂
this was unbelievably delicious. it made my apartment smell amazing. the spices with the pumpkin and chocolate were just perfect. thank you for all of your generous, delicious recipes!!
These were SO good! I made them tonight as muffins since I didn’t have a loaf pan handy and 20 minutes was the perfect amount of baking time. I also cut the sugar down to 2/3 cup and they were sweet enough for me 🙂 Pretty sure these were the best low-fat baked good I’ve ever had!
I made this tonight as cupcakes and they were DEEELISH!! I’m with Lorri… please write a baked goods book to pair with AFR. I’m a huge fan of that book — make something from it at least 5 days a week.
Thanks for sharing your cooking/baking genius with all of us lucky souls!
This was fricking fantastic… made a double-batch for game night and everyone was in love – – – very oooey gooey – and soooo good right outta the oven.
I have been staring at two cans of organic pumpkin on my kitchen counter. Now I know what ELSE I’ll be making this week! (the other is Vegan Dad’s pumpkin pull apart rolls). thanks!
I saw this recipe, then looked at the just-roasted butternut squash that came out of my oven and asked: why not? This cake came out great with the squash, which I have heard often masquerades as pumpkin in those store-bought cans anyway. Another winning recipe–thanks!
Just made this gluten free and into cupcakes, I have a really crappy oven so loafs usually don’t cook through. They burn on the outside and are mush inside…but the cupcakes worked out fabulously!!! Thanks so much for another awesome recipe!!
I made them in a muffin tin and got 12. They are great!!
i didn’t have any pumpkin so i used mashed bananas instead and this came out so delicious!! also used whole wheat flour (sifted 1 1/4 cup) and added a few spoonfuls of sifted almond flour as i was out of all purpose! still nice and moist and wonderful. next time i will remember to get the items i’m missing so i can try the recipe exactly as is.
Just popped this in the oven. Instead of using boiling water I used pumpkin chai tea, and I added walnuts. Can’t wait!
Loved this recipe and so rich and moist. I used 1/3 cup choc chips instead of 1/2 cup and was still yummy!
Absolutely wonderful! I made this for staff in my office, and they devoured it. Low fat, vegan, and delicious. They could hardly believe it! 🙂 Another winning recipe! THANK YOU!
I made this after reading the post and it was YUM! Thanks Isa Chandra!!!
This is such velvety, chocolaty spicy goodness. Can’t believe it’s low fat.