Coffee and chocolate loaf

I never realised just how many chocolate things I make until I started this blog…hmmm I may have been in denial about just how much of a chocolate addiction I have. This is no-brainer kind of chocolate loaf.  You don’t have to think much-the ingredients are likely to be on hand, it’s simple to make and it’s most definitely going to taste great. It’s dense, rich and damp, one slice goes a long way and it’s perfect with a latte. It’s the kind of loaf that is very reassuring to have sitting in a cake tin on the kitchen table. It could however have been improved upon by a bag or half of chocolate chips and it definitely needs more than the stipulated 1 tbsp of coffee as you could hardly taste the coffee. Also one hour was slightly too long in my oven, I reckon it’s more like 50 minutes. It is again from the Hummingbird bakery’s cake days book.Recipe below.

Recipe:

Serves 8-10

190g softened unsalted butter

130g plain flour

190g soft light brown sugar

3 large eggs

60g cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

20ml whole milk

1tbsp strong coffee (brewed and cooled)

1 8.5x17.5cm (3.5x7in) loaf tin

Preheat oven to 170◦C(325◦F),grease loaf tin with butter and dust with flour

Cream butter and sugar ,add eggs one at a time, mix well after each addition scraping down sides of bowl as needed

Sift together flour, cocoa powder and baking powder , then pour the milk into a jug,add the coffee and mix together. Add the dry ingredients to the cake batter in two batches alternating with the coffee-flavoured milk. Mix well on low speed after each addition.

When finished mix on medium-high to get a smooth batter, place in oven for approx. one hour or until skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool for a while in the tin before turning it out on to a cooling rack.