Death by Chocolate: Quadruple Chocolate Loaf Cake

September 29, 2012 by Ashima

I’ve recently fallen in love with the loaf cake. Funny isn’t it to fall in love with the shape rather than the flavour :). But I think there is something about Loaf cakes that sets them apart. It has that simple elegance that no other cake has… It needs to icing, no trimmings. Others are out there to lure the world with their charms but a loaf cake knows he doesn’t need these superficial decorations!

As Nigella also says in her book ‘How to be a Domestic Goddess’:

“This is baking at its simplest and most elegant. There is no folderol or fancy footwork: You just feel humble and worthy and brimming with good things”

… brimming with good things is exactly what I felt after making Nigella’s Quadruple Chocolate Loaf Cake – called so for the 4 different ways in which chocolate is used in the recipe – cocoa; chocolate chips; chocolate syrup and chocolate shavings! And that is why I christen it “Death by Chocolate”. Those living in Bangalore must be familiar with the famous ‘Death by Chocolate’ Sunday of Corner House! I just borrowed that name :).

Quadruple Chocolate Loaf Cake

Preparation Time: 20 mins | Baking Time: 45 mins | Makes 10-12 slices

For the cake

1 2/3 cup Plain flour (maida)
½ tsp baking soda
½ cup cocoa powder
1 cup caster sugar
175 grams unsalted butter soft
2 medium Eggs
1 tbsp vanilla essence
1/3 cup yoghurt
½ cup boiling water
Chocolate chip shavings for sprinkling on top (as much or as little as you want)

For the syrup

1 tsp cocoa powder
½ cup water
½ cup caster sugar

I loved the way Nigella has explained the process and particularly her choice of words like satiny brown batter. While I have tried to use my tone I think I have more or less reproduced her’s here :).

Take yoghurt, eggs and butter out of the fridge earlier so that they are at room temperature when you start.
Preheat the oven to 180°C, Grease and line a loaf tin. (Nigella’s recipe mentions 170°C but my oven moves up in steps of 20 so I either had the option of 160 or 180. I chose 180 and adjusted my baking time accordingly)
Mix the flour, baking soda, cocoa, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla and yoghurt in a processor. Blitz it till it becomes a smooth satiny brown batter. Now mix again while adding boiling water down the funnel. Switch it off, remove the lid and the blade and stir in chocolate chips.
Scrape and pour this beautiful batter into the prepared loaf tin and bake for about 45 minutes. When ready, the loaf will be risen and split down the middle and a fine skewer, will pretty well come out clean. But this is a damp cake so bit of stickiness on the skewer is good.
About 10 minutes before the cake is due; put the syrup ingredients – cocoa, sugar and water in a small saucepan and boil for about 10 minutes till you get a thick and dark syrup.
Take the cake out of the oven and sit it on a cooling rack and, still in its tin, pierce it here and there with a skewer. Then pour the syrup as evenly as possible. Let the syrup run to the sides and also get absorbed in the middle.
After the cake is completely cooled, take it out of the tin and onto the serving platter. Sprinkle the chocolate shavings loosely on the top. Some of the chocolate will stick to the surface while some will just fall down on the platter making a beautiful spectacle.

Enjoy as is; or with some vanilla ice-cream or with some custard. Enjoy during dessert, during tea-time or to satisfy a sweet craving in the middle of the night :).

If you love chocolate, you might want to try these easy breezy under 30 minute desserts: