Dense Chocolate Loaf

A moist, chocolatey loaf cake that will become your go-to dessert

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 1

Total Time: 1 20

Makes: 8 large slices

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Ingredients

1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (180 gms)
2 tbsps cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt, if using unsalted butter
200 gms dark cooking chocolate, finely chopped (see notes)
200 gms butter at room temp
1 and 1/3 cups brown sugar (280 gms) (see notes)
1/4 cup thick yoghurt or curd (55 gms)
2 eggs at room temperature (see notes)
2 tsps vanilla extract
1 cup freshly boiled water (250 ml)

Instructions

In a bowl, sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Melt the chocolate in the microwave (5-second increments, stirring in between) or in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, and set aside to cool a little.
In the meantime, line a 9x5 loaf tin with non-stick baking paper, leaving a little overhang for easy removal. This cake is moist and fragile and the paper makes it easier to take the cake out without breaking it. Preheat the oven to 175 C (See notes).
In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar with a hand mixer till pale and light. Add the yoghurt and beat gently to combine.
Add the vanilla and the eggs, one at a time, beating gently after each addition.
Now stir in the melted chocolate by hand, taking care not to be too vigorous, and mixing until just incorporated.
Finally, add the flour mixture and the boiling water, alternately, one spoon at a time. This step will feel a little slow, but it's important because adding the water and flour too suddenly causes lumps. Use a silicone spatula to gently stir the batter with each addition, again take care not to overbeat it.
If you still see lumps (I do, despite my best efforts), beat with the hand mixer on low speed until smooth. The batter is quite runny.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the cake has risen (it will dome and crack a bit, see notes), and a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean. If you feel the top is darkening too fast, cover very loosely with foil and continue baking. Because ovens vary, it's a good idea to check around 45 minutes and then add more baking time as needed, but avoid opening the oven before this.
Once baked, let the cake cool COMPLETELY at room temperature. Do not attempt to take it out of the tin as it's definitely a fragile cake. To make things easier, you can also chill it for 30 minutes before slicing. You'll get 8 to 10 large slices but I prefer to slice each one in half further for more manageable servings!
Store the cake at room temperature for 2 to 3 days and in the fridge for 10 days and in the freezer for longer. In humid weather, I usually store the slices in an airtight tin and place it in the fridge on day two itself as the cake is already very soft and moist. When you want to eat, lightly reheat the slices or let them come to room temperature. Happy baking!

Notes

*You can use 70% to 75% dark chocolate here, I've tried it with both. I like Cocoa Craft if you're looking for an Indian brand of baking chocolate, but lately, and for this recipe as well, I've been using Amul 75% chocolate which has worked well.

*As written the cake is not overly sweet, however if you taste the batter and feel the need to add more sweetness, 1/4 cup extra sugar would be ok to stir in at the end. I have never used white sugar in this recipe and brown sugar adds necessary moisture and texture.

*As you can see in the photo below, the cake has risen a little unevenly. Earlier, I'd always make a half batch of this recipe, which meant a smaller amount of batter so the uneven tops weren't an issue. In this large amount of batter though, the original temperature of 200 C for the first 30 mins, is a bit too high and causes it to rise very fast and crack, while the inside slowly cooks. Which is why in this updated recipe, I'm recommending that we stick to 175 C throughout the bake time to let the cake rise slow and steadily. Whether you make the full batch or half batch of the batter, this lower temperature is recommended. Keep in mind that loaf cakes do develop cracks on the top, it doesn't affect flavour or texture.

*And finally, while Nigella Lawson does say that the high proportion of moisture in this batter could cause the cake to sink as it cools, I've never experienced this. However, I know some readers have and if it does happen to you, don't worry because it's not unexpected. Also avoid opening the oven door too many times or taking the tin in and out often, and that will also prevent sinking.

*Adapted from a Nigella Lawson recipe in How to be a Domestic Goddess

*I recently created an eggless version of this recipe!