Chocolate loaf cake

This chocolate loaf cake is very rich, chocolatey and fudgy. Lighter than brownies and soaked with sticky syrup with some extra chocolate sprinkled on the top. It tastes perfect with fresh strawberries and creme fraiche. This is one of the moistest and flavorful chocolate cakes I have ever made. You will fall in love with this cake!

Ingredients for the chocolate loaf cake:

• 200 g plain flour
• ½ tsp bicarbonate soda
• 50 g cocoa powder
• 200 g caster sugar
• 175 g butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 80 ml soured cream
• 125 ml boiling water
• 175 g dark or milk chocolate chips

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

Put the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cocoa, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla and soured cream into the food processor and blitz until a smooth, brown batter is achieved. Add the boiling water and mix. Stir in the dark or milk chocolate chips.

Prepare the loaf tin with dimensions 21 x 11 cm (7.5 cm deep) and line it with baking paper.

Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake at 170°C for about 60 minutes or until a stick inserted into the cake comes out dry. When it’s ready, the loaf will be risen and split down the middle.

Twenty minutes before the end of baking, prepare the syrup: boil water, cocoa, and sugar in a saucepan. Cook for a few minutes until some water evaporates, preferably until the syrup is sticky and the sugar is slightly caramelised. Take the cake out of the oven, sit it on a cooling rack, and pierce it with a cake tester. Then, pour the syrup over the surface of the cake. Scatter grated chocolate over the top of the cake (it will stick to the sticky cake).

Ingredients for the syrup:

• 1 tsp cocoa powder
• 125 ml water
• 100 g sugar
• 25 g grated dark chocolate, for sprinkling

Enjoy!

The source of the recipe – “Feast” Nigella Lawson.