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Mocha Swirl Bread with Espresso Glaze


Happy Friday everybody! Today I have a recipe that reminds me a bit of My Great Grandma’s Jimmy Cake, bringing in the flavors of coffee and chocolate.


I spotted this recipe for Mocha Swirl Bread at Coach and Counselor, originally posted at Portuguese Girl Cooks.  Many thanks to them for the recipe. It is a delicious vanilla and mocha swirled bread topped with an espresso glaze. Basically it is a cup of coffee in a sweet bread form.

I made a slight change to my recipe. The original recipe calls for cornmeal, which I am not a fan of and don’t keep on hand. I subbed regular flour in equal amounts for the cornmeal.

Knowing your oven is key to baking. My oven runs way too hot and I have to shave off about one quarter of the baking time from any recipe I make. Be sure to check your bread ahead of time if you have a temperamental oven like myself.

Also I will note that when I added the unbaked dough to the pan to create the checkerboard design, I was only able to make two rows, not three. As you can see it still turned out very pretty. Enjoy!


Mocha Swirl Bread with Espresso Glaze
Makes one 8″ x 4″ loaf

For the Bread:

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
  • 1 tablespoon boiling water
  • 3/4 cup greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup cornmeal (I subbed flour for cornmeal)
  • 8 tablespoons (4 oz or 1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons cocoa powder


For the Glaze:

  • 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
  • 2 teaspoons boiling water
  • 1 tablespoon greek yogurt
  • 2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted


For the Bread:


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease and flour an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan.

2. In a small bowl, dissolve the instant espresso powder in the boiling water. Set aside and allow to cool.


3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add in the yogurt, cornmeal, butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and vanilla extract.


4. Beat on medium speed until all ingredients are well combined, about 1 to 2 minutes.


5. Divide half the batter into another bowl and add in the dissolved espresso and cocoa powder. Mix until combined.


6. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, alternating spoonfuls of the vanilla and mocha batter, creating a checkerboard pattern. Create 3 layers of this pattern. Run a knife or long skewer through the batter, using a swirling motion, to create the marble effect.


7. Bake for about 55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 15 minutes, then remove from loaf pan, and cool completely on a cooling rack.


For the Glaze:


1. In a medium bowl, whisk the espresso powder and boiling water until dissolved. Whisk in the yogurt. Then whisk in the sifted powdered sugar until smooth. If the glaze is too thick add in a few drops of water and mix. Spread the glaze onto the cooled cake.


Recipe from Coach and Counselor, originally posted at Portuguese Girl Cooks. Sharing this recipe at the following fun link parties.

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21 Comments

  1. Yum!! This looks amazing! Since there's yogurt in it, can I call it healthy and have some for breakfast??

    I found you via the Tell Me Tuesday link up at Him&Her and I am your newest follower. Partially because of this post and partially because of your blog name and the inspiration behind it!

  2. Oh, this sounds absolutely delicious, Ali! Thank you so much for submitting it to my How To Tuesdays link party.

  3. I would love to have this facing me, in the morning, with a cup of coffee. This is being featured in the Recipe Box.

  4. Ahhh! I love this so hard! That swirl is perfect…mine always come out all funky looking!

    Thanks for linking up to What's Cookin' Wednesday!

  5. Found you from karly's site! And your bread is so perfectly swirled – love the big chunky sections of color-blocking! and how SOFT and moist it looks!

  6. My wife made this last night. Brought it into work. First of all, this is really yummy. Second, the entire load lasted less then 20 minutes.

  7. That is so gorgeous! Where do you find the espresso powder? I have tried looking for it for months and I feel like I'm most likely looking in the wrong spot.

    Stopping by from Two Cup Tuesday – pinned to share!