Chocolate Loaf Cake

Nothing can pep me up more than a decadent piece of chocolate cake.I've said this before,I'll say it now,I am a big time Chocoholic but there is a catch,it is only limited to baked goodies-cakes,brownies etc.I can give a chocolate bar a pass if I am in no mood.I might eat a piece or two of cadbury's,but that's it.I don't eat Nutella straight from the jar but I eat spoonfuls of ganache from the fridge.Strange,isn't it?

On our last visit to Homecenter,I decided to get myself some new silicone baking pans and the first one was the loaf pan.Since we carry around our measuring tape everywhere,I quietly measured the size and to my surprise,it was the perfect sized loaf pan 9" x 5" .I've been thinking what to bake in it for sometime and a loaf cake was the best bet.


Thanks to my addiction with yeast,I am constantly scouring through bread baking sites.Came across this recipe on King Arthur Flour site and I immediately gave it a try.The cake takes a bit longer to bake but the end result was so worth it.Perfect crumb,chocolaty and moist and drizzled with ganache it makes for a perfect dessert.

Chocolate Loaf Cake
Recipe source - King Arthur Flour

Ingredients


Butter - 100gms
Sugar - 1 1/2 cups
Salt - 3/4 tsp
Vanilla extract - 2 tsp
Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
Instant coffee powder - 1 tsp
Cocoa powder - 2/3 cup
Eggs - 3 large
All purpose flour - 1 1/4 cups
Milk - 3/4 cup


Method


Preheat oven to 160C.Grease and line a 9" x 5"  loaf pan.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, salt, vanilla, baking powder, espresso powder, and cocoa to make a sandy, somewhat clumpy mixture. 

Don't worry; the eggs will smooth things out. 

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl midway through this process. 
Add half the flour to the bowl, beating at low speed to combine. 
Add all of the milk, beating at low speed to combine. 
Add the remaining flour, beating gently just until the batter is smooth. 

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. 
Bake the cake for 75 to 80 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The top may look a tiny bit damp; that's OK. 
Remove the cake from the oven, loosen the edges, wait 10 minutes, and turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool. 
Store completely cooled cake well wrapped, at room temperature. 
Yield: 12 to 18 servings. 

To make enough ganache for pouring on top of the cake - Heat up 100ml of cream(I use Amul)in a microwave safe bowl for 1 minute or until bubbles start appearing on the sides.Add 100gms chopped dark chocolate and mix.You could add a tbsp of rum or coffee to pep it up.If the chocolate doesn't melt completely keep the bowl in the MW for a further 30 seconds.Refrigerate until it thickens enough to pour.


Notes 

• Though the recipe says the batter yields enough for a 9x5 loaf pan,I had some batter extra-enough to make six small cupcakes.
• The cake tastes great on its own,but a little drizzle of ganache can always pep it up.The original recipe suggests peanut butter frosting-YUM
• Cake remains moist even after refrigerating.Perfect for a trifle pudding or even cake pops!