Double Chocolate Marbled Loaf Cake

When I posted this recipe last year I left it as a very simple, quick and easy bake without any decoration or embellishment. More recently I’ve re-baked it and added some “extras”. The ingredients and method have hardly changed, but I’ll add a couple of picture galleries below. And here’s a new opening picture:

Here’s a simple, unadorned cake that’s so easy to make, but still has a lovely taste and texture. I’ve intentionally made it without any topping, but you could add a ganache if desired, or maybe just brush the top with warmed jam, honey or chocolate spread. When sliced it reveals an attractive swirly chocolateness (If that’s not a real word, it ought to be.)

2. Separately melt 75g/2½oz of each chocolate with 1tbsp milk in a bain marie or carefully in the micro wave using short blasts and regular stirring. Set both aside to cool.

3. Into a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, coffee powder and salt. Mix together then add the butter, sugar and eggs. Beat until everything is fully combined.

4. Put roughly half the mixture into another bowl. Into each half stir one of the melted chocolates, making a dark mixture and a light one.

5. Now stir the reserved dark chocolate pieces into the dark mixture and the reserved white chocolate into the lighter mixture.

6. Place alternate “blobs” of each mixture into the tin and swirl the two together with a skewer, chopstick or similar instrument. Don’t overdo this or the two shades will not be distinctive.

7. Bake for 50 – 65 minutes. Cool in the tin on a wire rack then turn out.

Latest

These galleries showcase the updated version. I baked it Gluten free for a friend. The difference was fairly minimal: I used GF flour* + a tsp of xanthan gum powder and added in about a tablespoon of extra milk. (*Doves Farm is very good and most supermarkets produce a good own brand version.)

A more noteworthy difference was that I chose to do a little more in terms of decoration, partly to bless the friend who received it, but also as a practice for a birthday cake I’ve been asked to bake.

In these galleries I show how to use a couple of simple decorating techniques, both of which use melted chocolate and patterned sheets. Patterned texture sheets* are inexpensive and can easily be ordered on-line. Bubble wrap is cheaper still, maybe even free. Simply smooth some melted chocolate onto these and leave to set, then carefully peel off and break into shards.  Provided you have covered the cake in a soft ganache they can be added onto the cake easily. (*Be aware that the pattern will only be on one side of each shard.)

I hope you enjoy making (and eating) this lovely cake. If you want more loaf cake recipes click here. Or for cakes in general try this link. To make a comment or ask a question go to the contact page.