Raspberry and White Chocolate Loaf Cake

Lately I've been on a breakfast food kick, whipping up quite a few recipes for the first meal of the day. Today I'm sharing this white chocolate and raspberry loaf cake, which would make for a more decadent way to jumpstart your morning. Like my strawberry cupcake recipe, this loaf is bursting with raspberry flavor, thanks to juicy berries inside and crumbled freeze-dried raspberries on top. The raspberries have a nice tartness to them, and the white chocolate balances that out here. You'll find some white chocolate chips in the loaf, too, and then the top is covered in a tasty white chocolate ganache.

Butter vs. Oil in this White Chocolate and Raspberry Loaf Cake

When I started dreaming up this white chocolate and raspberry loaf cake recipe, I knew I wanted a fruity yet sweet loaf that was tender and moist.

This desire led me down a rabbit hole of researching baking with oil versus butter. I typically make cakes with butter instead of oil. But I've lately been realizing that if you want a more moist baked good, oil can be very useful - and flavorful, too. This article from Handle the Heat explains some of the benefits of these two fats and their role in baking. They create more tender baked goods, assist in browning, and so much more.

This article from Epicurious really helped convince me to use both oil *and* butter. As the author explains, oil is physically more lightweight than butter. When melted, a cup of butter weighs around 227 grams, whereas a cup of vegetable or similarly neutral oil weighs around 218 grams. This helps explain why the texture of oil cakes tends to be lighter, too.

What I found most interesting in the oil vs. butter breakdown from Epicurious is that oil is 100% fat. However, butter sold in most US grocery stores is about 80% fat. The remaining 20% consists of approximately 5% milk solids and 15% water. This is noteworthy because that water helps create gluten in a cake's flour. That gluten can lead to a cake that's less tender than a cake made with oil. While a more "durable" cake has its place and isn't necessarily bad, this loaf didn't require that kind of structure.

With all that in mind, a combination of butter and oil seemed like a good idea. And after biting into this white chocolate and raspberry loaf cake, I can tell you I was onto something!

Conclusions on Butter vs. Oil in this Loaf Cake

Not only is this loaf soft and tender, the oil helps this white chocolate and raspberry loaf cake stay fresh for longer. This article in the Washington Post also weighs in on the debate. The author explains that "baked goods made with oil have a long shelf-life and actually age better." She goes on to say that a butter-based baked good, if left at room temperature, can begin to dry out within a few days of making it. Conversely, the flavor and texture of an oil-based baked good tend to become stronger over time.

Case in point: I was happily eating this loaf cake almost a week after baking it, and it remained tasty and moist. Thanks to both butter and oil for making this possible!

Ingredients in this White Chocolate and Raspberry Loaf Cake

Butter and oil are like the key backup dancers to this loaf. But the stars of this show are undoubtedly fresh raspberries, freeze-dried raspberries, and white chocolate chips and ganache.

Also worth noting: This recipe is for a loaf pan that is 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.5 inches. You can read more about loaf pan sizes here in this handy guide.

All in, for the loaf, you'll need:

• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda and powder
• Salt (preferably kosher salt but table salt will do, too)
• Butter, softened to room temperature
• Canola oil 
• Granulated sugar 
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract 
• Whole milk, full-fat Greek yogurt
• Fresh raspberries 
• White chocolate chips

For the glaze on top, you'll need:

• Heavy cream
• White chocolate chips 
• Optional: Freeze-dried raspberries

While you don't need those freeze dried raspberries, they add a lovely pop of color to the top of your loaf, once you've poured your white chocolate glaze. You can typically find freeze-dried fruits in speciality grocery shops.

If you can't get your hands on them but still want a colorful loaf, I'd serve each slice with a few fresh raspberries to brighten it up.

Steps for Making this White Chocolate and Raspberry Loaf Cake

About an hour before diving into this recipe, remove your eggs, butter, and full-fat Greek yogurt from the refrigerator. Place them on your counter so they can warm up to room temperature.

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

To prevent your raspberries from sinking in the batter, gently toss and coat them with your two teaspoons of flour and set aside.

Generously butter and flour your loaf pan or coat it with a release spray like Baker’s Joy or homemade equivalent.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder and soda, and salt. Set aside. 

With a hand mixer or electric mixer and paddle attachment, cream butter, vanilla extract, and sugar together until light and fluffy (about 4 minutes on medium-high).

Scrape down your mixing bowl and begin adding two of your remaining wet ingredients: Greek yogurt and canola oil. Mix until well-incorporated, about 1 minute.

Scrape down your bowl and then pour your eggs into the bowl one at a time, integrating the first one before adding the next. Mix on medium-high speed for three minutes.

Scrape the sides of your bowl, and add your dry ingredients to it, mixing together with the hand or stand mixer for about 30 seconds on medium-low. Fold in your flour-coated raspberries. Finish incorporating all ingredients with a spatula by hand to avoid over-mixing. 

Pour batter into pan and gently tap pan on towel-covered surface to remove air bubbles. Spread your white chocolate chips evenly across the top of your loaf.

Bake for 45 – 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and loaf is beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool loaf in pan for 10 minutes before inverting on a cooling rack.

Topping Off this Loaf with White Chocolate Glaze

There's just ¼ of a cup of white chocolate chips baked into this loaf. You'll get most of the white chocolate flavor from the delicious glaze on top.

To make it, once your loaf has cooled, heat your heavy cream in a pot over the stove. Once the cream is simmering, pour it over your white chocolate chips in a microwaveable bowl. Let heavy cream and white chocolate sit for about 3 minutes before whisking together until smooth. If your chips aren't melting, pop the bowl into the microwave in 5-second bursts on medium-high heat. Repeat until mixture is smooth.

Let glaze cool for 15-20 minutes. This helps it thicken. I don't recommend putting it in the refrigerator to speed up the process - it can change in consistency and separate. 

Generously pour the glaze over your loaf, and if you'd like, spread crushed freeze-dried raspberries on top.

Time: The Secret for an Even More Delicious Loaf Cake

While a freshly baked loaf is delicious to eat, this one will be noticeably more flavorful the following day. When possible, I recommend preparing it an evening or day before you actually plan to eat it. Allowing the flavors time to meld together in an uncut loaf makes the taste ultimately a stronger one.

Relatedly, hold off from cutting into this white chocolate and raspberry loaf cake immediately after baking. I know it's tempting! But when you cut into a freshly baked loaf, you’re releasing the steam. That steam is key in making your newest baked good remain moist and delicious.

Additional Tips for Baking Success: Use a Scale

If you're not already, use a kitchen scale for accuracy in baking. Weighing your ingredients and writing or following a recipe using a standard metric like grams ensures consistency. You may use a set of measuring cups, but the problem is that yours and mine could be quite different, resulting in noticeable differences in the end product between what each of us is baking.

I highly recommend investing $30 or less in a kitchen scale. I almost always write my recipes using grams and many other food bloggers do, too. If you want the same kinds of baked goods and treats you see from recipes online, this is an important step to take.

More Breakfast Recipes

If you liked this loaf cake, you may also want to try this Nutella ganache version! It's got chopped hazelnuts inside, along with a swirl of Nutella and a glaze to match on top.

And if you're looking for another fruity dessert, I suggest you check out these very cute mini lemon Bundt cakes. They're great for sharing with a crowd because everyone gets to enjoy his or her own mini cake! They'd make for a more decadent breakfast dessert or anytime of day dessert, really.

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