CHOCOLATE X 4 CAKE

Another Nigella number - this is her Quadruple Chocolate Loaf Cake.  With a recipe like that in my library, it's a wonder I have ever attempted anything else!!

This cake is incredibly easy to throw together, and if the syrup feels like a bit too much faffing about - don't bother, it will be fantastic anyway (you'll have to change the title though!!)  As you can see I used large chunks of dark chocolate instead of the chips recommended, I love the variation in size and therefore texture that the chunks give you.

 

I served this cake to some friends who popped in unexpectedly the other night - I was delighted to have something tasty to serve - felt very Suzie Homemakerish!!!!  By the way I found it much easier to slice the cake on the second day and as with most chocolate cakes it tasted that little bit better on day two (still good on day three and four!)


Quadruple Chocolate Loaf Cake

Cake

200g     plain flour
1/2 tsp  bread (bicarbonate of) soda
50g       cocoa (Green and Black is excellent)
275g      caster sugar
175g      soft butter
2            eggs
1 tbsp    vanilla extract (not essence K!!!)
80ml      sour cream (I have found that yogurt works just as well)
125ml    boiling water
175g      chocolate chips/cut up bar of chocolate - dark or milk to your taste

Syrup

1   tsp cocoa
125ml water
100g   caster sugar
25g     dark chocolate flakes (I will use a potato peeler and a large block of chocolate next time)


Preheat oven to 170 C
Prepare 2lb/900g loaf tin with parchment paper (not greaseproof!!)

Blitz the flour, bread (bicarb of) soda, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla and sour cream in the food processor.
Scrape down the sides then replace the lid and pour the water in while the motor is running.
Turn off the machine and add the chocolate chips/chunks and stir by hand.
Pour into the prepared tin.
Bake for about 1 hour, it will rise and a cake tester (dry stick of spaghetti) will come out fairly clean - it's a moist cake so don't worry too much if it's sticky.

Ten minutes before the cake is due out of the oven prepare the syrup.
Put the cocoa, water and sugar into a small saucepan and boil for 5 minutes or until the mixture reduces to a syrup.

When ready take the cake out of the oven, and pierce all over with a skewer or thin knife (keeping it in the tin) - it is not a good idea to use spaghetti for this step (I have learned to my cost!)
Pour the syrup over the hot cake as evenly as possible.
Allow to cool completely in the tin.
Sprinkle with the dark chocolate flakes before serving.

 

Enjoy!