Chocolate Loaf Cake

For years I have been using the recipe on the back of the box of cocoa to make chocolate cake, which would produce to circular cakes which I would fill with whipped cream.
Recently, however, I got bored with that, and decided to try something new. After a few recipes which turned out mediocre, at best, I found the Chocolate Loaf Cake recipe in Nigella Lawson's How To Be A Domestic Goddess. (I don't like the title.)

I made a few small modifications and it is Delicious.

It has:

1 cup of unsalted butter (225g, or 2 sticks)
1+2/3 of a cup of brown sugar + 5 tablespoons tablespoons (215g +5 tbl spoons)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
4oz of bittersweet chocolate (115g)
1+1/3 cups of flour (145g)
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 large pinch of salt
1 cup+2 tablespoons of boiling water

The ingrediant list in simple terms:
It has:

1 cup of unsalted butter (225g, or 2 sticks)
1+2/3 of a cup of brown sugar + 5 tablespoons tablespoons (215g +5 tbl spoons)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
4oz of bittersweet chocolate (115g)
1+1/3 cups of flour (145g)
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 large pinch of salt
1 cup+2 tablespoons of boiling water



And now with more details!


1 cup of unsalted butter (225g, or 2 sticks)
You can use pretty much any butter for this, though it should be real butter, and not some alternative.

1+2/3 of a cup of brown sugar + 5 tablespoons tablespoons (215g +5 tbl spoons)
If possible, get Muscovado dark brown sugar, though any normal brown sugar will work.
The extra 5 tablespoons are optional. You can sprinkle it on at the end to have it melt on top. (More info on a later step)

2 large eggs
Pretty self-explanatory. I prefer brown organic eggs.

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Entirely self explanatory.

4oz of bittersweet chocolate (115g)
Do Not use Hershey chocolate, or something like that. Use a good quality chocolate. I find the bars of dark chocolate at Trader Joe's work pretty well, as would any baking chocolate.

1+1/3 cups of flour (145g)
Just regular flour.

1 teaspoon of baking soda
You put less rather then more.

1 large pinch of salt
Salt always makes it better!

1 cup+2 tablespoons of boiling water
The cup will be for the batter, while the extra is for the melted sugar.

Furthermore you will need:
1 large mixing bowl
1 medium mixing bowl
An electric beater
A tablespoon
A teaspoon
A measuring cup OR a kitchen scale.
A 9x5 inch (23x13 cm) loaf pan

First you should melt the chocolate. The easiest way is by putting it in a microwaveable bowl on Low for a few minutes, checking it every 40 seconds of so.

You should also put the water to boil, so that you don't have to wait for it later.

Take the butter out of the fridge a few hours early. Alternatively, if you are like me and forgot, put it in the microwave on low for 20 seconds a few times, in the packaging, until it is just a tad moist. Then set it aside for the cake.

Finally, preheat your oven to 375F (190C) to get it ready.

In the medium mixing bowl, rapidly mix together (10 seconds with a normal spoon) the flour, the baking soda, and the salt.

1+1/3 cups of flour (145g)
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 large pinch of salt

In the large mixing bowl, whip the butter with the electric mixer for 10-20 seconds.  Beat in the sugar. Then, add the eggs, mixing for 10 seconds between each one. Add the vanilla, and then the chocolate, which should have cooled slightly by now.
Mix well, scraping the side to have an even dough.

1 cup of unsalted butter (225g, or 2 sticks)
1+2/3 of a cup of brown sugar + 5 tablespoons tablespoons (215g +5 tbl spoons)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
4oz of bittersweet chocolate (115g)

Add a bit of the flour , and then some hot water, mixing it together. Repeat a few times mixing thoroughly each time.

The dough will be extremely liquid, that's normal. You should mix it in the sink, to minimize having to clean up what splashes out.

1+1/3 cups of flour (145g)
1 cup+2 tablespoons of boiling water

Now you can either:
a) Butter the pan and line it with parchment paper (Recipes always say to do that, I never do.)

or
b) What I do, I butter the pan, then flour it, making sure the entire pan is covered, and it isn't too thick in any places.

Then pour the batter into it. Now you can taste the batter that's left in the bowl, then scrape what's left into the pan!

Now, with the oven pre-heated to 375F (190C) place the cake in it for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, turn the oven heat down to 325F (165C). Let it cook for another 15-17 minutes.
It won't test like a normal cake, that it a toothpick will come out humid. That's normal. As long as your oven temp is normal, it's fine.

Finally, this step if optional.
Sprinkle the brown sugar on top of the cake.
Add the water loosely along the top of the cake.
Stick it under the broiler for about a minute, until the sugar melts.
Stay at the oven! It can burn extremely quickly.

Let it cool overnight.

After letting it cool down over night, un-mold it.
If you followed the way I recommended, slide a knife around the edge of it, then flip it onto a a clean towel. Finally, gently flip it once more onto whatever you want to serve it on (Or a cutting board)

It looks ugly, but still taste delicious. Here are a few things you could do to make it more appealing:

Slice it, and serve it with a small scoop of ice cream.

Slice it and dab a little whipped cream on top before serving (For whipped cream made with 250ml of cream (That is a lot. You should make less if you wont eat it), put 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 1 small teaspoon of vanilla extract.
(I have a Siphon to make whipped cream, which makes it keep for a week or 2, which is why I make so much. To make it normally, whip it with an electric beater until it makes semi firm peaks.)

Or you could just serve two slices with a cup of coffee and a cup of orange juice as a father's day gift!



I dont have a laptop, or something like that that I can use to see recipes in the kitchen, so I always have to print everything out.
So, for that, I am providing you with a simplified PDF version of the recipe (1 page)