Hidden Mickey Loaf Cake

Hidden Mickey Loaf Cake

Written by: Christine | September 2, 2022

For the Chocolate Loaf Cake:

Ingredients

·        1 C. AP Flour

·        ½ C. unsweetened cocoa powder

·        2 tsp. baking powder

·        1 tsp. ground ginger

·        ¼ tsp. salt

·        2 large eggs

·        1 C. granulated sugar

·        10 Tbsp. unsalted butter

·        ½ C. milk

·        1 tsp. vanilla

·        ¼ C. hot coffee (can sub hot water here)

Instructions

1.     Let your ingredients come to room temp.

2.    Preheat the oven to 350°F

3.    Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl.

4.    Spray a loaf pan with baking spray or brush with butter and flour. Cut a long piece of parchment that lines the bottom of the pan and overhands the short sides by a few inches (don’t worry about the long sides if you grease them well)

5.    Sift the flour, cocoa, bp, salt and ginger into a large bowl.

6.    Whisk eggs and sugar in a medium bowl until the sugar starts to look less grainy, add butter, milk and vanilla. Stir to combine.

7.    Add the wet ingredients into the dry. Stir until just combined.

8.    Pour in the hot liquid and mix.

9.    Pour batter into the pan and bake for 35-40 minutes until a knife inserted comes out clean.

10. Let cool in the pan on a rack for about 30 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool totally. (while cooling you can measure out the pumpkin loaf ingredients)

11. Slice into ¾-ish inch slices and use a Mickey cutter to stamp out your hidden Mickeys.

For the Pumpkin Loaf:

Ingredients

·      2 C. AP flour

·      ½ tsp. salt

·      1 tsp. baking soda

·      ½ tsp. baking powder

·      2 tsp. ground cinnamon

·      ¼ tsp. ground cloves

·      ¼ tsp. allspice

·      ½ tsp. ground ginger

·      ½ tsp. ground nutmeg

·      12 Tbsp. unsalted butter 

·      2 C. Sugar 

·      2 large eggs

·      1 15-oz can 100% pure pumpkin

 

Instructions

               1.    Let your ingredients come to room temp.

2.    Preheat the oven to 325°F

3.    Spray 2 loaf pans with baking spray or brush with butter and flour. Cut a long piece of parchment that lines the bottom of the pan and overhands the short sides by a few inches (don’t worry about the long sides if you grease them well)

4.    Sift the flour, spices, salt, baking powder, baking soda into a large bowl

5.    With a stand mixer using the paddle attachment or a hand mixer in a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together for 5-7 minutes.

6.    Add the eggs one at a time until combined.

7.    Add the pumpkin (may look like its separated, it will come back together after the dry ingredients are added)

8.    Add the dry ingredients and stir until just combined (don’t over mix)

9.    Pour out about 1-1 ½ C. of the batter into the bottom of the pans.

10. Line hidden Mickeys up in the batter, press down a bit so they stand on their own (leaning on one another).

11. Top with the batter and smooth out leaving some room at the top ½-3/4 inch of the pan for rising.

12. Bake for 60-70 minutes *remember to test the cake on the sides as to not slice the mickeys!

13. Top with the ganache (recipe below) when totally cool (I let cool overnight).

 

For the Chocolate Ganache:

½ C. heavy cream

½ cup good quality chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

Put the chocolate in a glass bowl. Bring the cream to a scald in a small sauce pan. Pour over the chocolate. Let stand for a minute or two. Stir until smooth. Let come to room temp on counter. Refrigerate until totally cool and spreadable. Stir.