Moist chocolate and brown sugar loaf

"This is THE most lovely, moist and versatile chocolate cake I’ve ever come across. The brown sugar imparts a lovely dimension. To add variety, you could throw in some spices like cinnamon and cardamom for echoes of chai. If you like the idea of turning the it into a more traditional cake with a black forest-esque finish, bake it in a 20 cm round cake tin. After cooling, slice into 3 layers and brush with Kirsch or Frangelico and fill with whipped cream and sour cherries." Poh Ling Yeow, Poh & Co.

• serves

  10

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  1 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 100 g dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
• 220 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 350 g brown sugar
• 1 tsp natural vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 250 ml (1 cup) freshly boiled water
• 1 tbsp instant coffee powder (optional) if you like the idea of a mocha-flavoured loaf
• 200 g (1⅓ cups) plain flour
• 1 tsp bi-carbonate of soda

Resting time 1 hour

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 170ºC (160ºC fan-forced).  Grease an 11 cm x 22 cm loaf tin and line with baking paper, leaving the sides overhanging.

To melt the chocolate, place a small saucepan or frying pan over the lowest heat possible for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, sprinkle the chocolate evenly over the base of the pan, cover and stand for about 3 minutes, then stir until melted and smooth.

Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla and salt until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the melted chocolate and whisk until no marbling is visible. Dissolve the coffee powder into the boiled water, if using, then whisk into the egg mixture until well combined.

Sift in the flour and bi-carbonate of soda and whisk until well combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin (it will seem quite runny) and bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Stand the cake in the tin for about 1 hour before turning it out and serving.

Note

• If you watch the video I melted the chocolate directly onto the heat because I used an induction stove. Be warned this is not recommended with less controlled forms of heat, in which case use the method described above.

• Just a warning, if you skewer the cake before it is fully cooked through it will result in an unsightly crater at the centre of your cake. I recommend waiting the full hour before skewering. This happens to me from time to time but the upside is it will still taste superb!

This recipe is from Poh & Co. Airs 8pm Thursdays on SBS ONE.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.