Nigella's Quadruple Chocolate Loaf

Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate and yes another chocolate!  Since we've just had Nigella on Aussie TV recently, I thought why not jump on the bandwagon and make one of her cakes?  I've been using her books for years, and Feast is one of my faves.  I think I've made nearly every recipe in this book, including most of the cakes.  All except this one, for some odd reason.  So here we go; let's see how it went.  (Yep, good!)     

ready to bake

ingredients:


For the cake batter:


200g. plain flour

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

50g. cocoa powder

275g. caster sugar

175g. butter, softened (not melted)

2 large eggs

1 tbs vanilla extract 

80mLs sour cream

125mLs boiling water

175g. dark (or milk) chocolate chips


For the syrup:

1 tsp cocoa powder

125mLs water

100g. caster sugar

25g. dark chocolate, chopped/shaved with a knife or veg. peeler


Method:


Grab your food processor and throw in the flour, bicarb, cocoa, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla and sour cream

Give it a good whiz till you have a smooth batter

Scrape down the sides and pour the boiling water down the funnel while you give it another whiz

Remove the lid and the blade, and stir in the choc chips

Pour the batter into a lined, large loaf tin - I used a paper loaf-tin liner, while Nigella says to use greased foil or just clingfilm

Place the loaf tin on the baking sheet that you have already put into the oven at 170C

Bake for about an hour

About 45-50 minutes into the bake, make your syrup

Put the cocoa, water and sugar into a small saucepan

Bring to the boil, and simmer for about 5 minutes

Test the cake with a skewer; don't worry if it's a wee bit damp

Put the tin on a cake rack, and joyfully pierce the loaf all over with the skewer

Now pour the lovely, reduced syrup over the holey cake

Let it get completely cool then take out of the tin

Throw the chocolate shards over the top, and cut into pretty slices


Notes:

In Feast, Nigella uses clingfilm to line the tin, but the online recipe says to use greased alfoil.  Clingfilm is fine in the oven, apparently.  But tin liners are the easiest:=) 

I simmered the syrup for a couple of extra minutes so it was slightly thick

Nigella says to bring everything to room temp. but we have to be a bit careful in sunny QLD 'cos it is hot!  and you may end up with salmonella:=)

Her recipe states to use unsalted butter but I actually like the tang from salted butter - so there, my fine friends :=)

I didn't have any dark choc bars in the pantry, so I used a Flake bar - I know, lazy but still good:=)

My loaf tin is 23 x 12.5 x 6.5 cm. (9 x 5 x 2.5 inches)

gathered ingredients

everything except the choc chips goes into the food processor

yep, I want to eat it with a spoon too!

ready for the oven @170C for about an hour 

let the syrup simmer for about 5 mins. (or 6-7)

tip the chocolatey liquid all over your holey cake 

ready to eat:=)

artwork by sherryspickings