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Chocolate

Chocolate Zucchini Loaf

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Somehow I made a second chocolate loaf bread within a week without even realising I was doing so. I simply had 2 spare courgettes in the house, and a school bake sale to prep for. I’ve never been completely sold on regular Zucchini bread (I’m not sure the UK really makes ‘Courgette Bread’); although they can be light and fluffy, they never fail to let me down in taste. They’re simply meh. However, back to the bake sale. I had these 2 zucchini. Courgettes. And kids like chocolate. (Ok, ok, we all like chocolate.)

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I had a little dive through my trusty board of pins, and came across a tempting option at MakeandTakes‘ blog. Score! This recipe incorporates all the ingredients of a standard zucchini bread — oil, cinnamon, nutmeg — and simply added cocoa powder. But what a difference that wonderful ingredient makes! OH. My. Goodness. I’ll never make zucchini bread again without chocolate. Moist, light and fluffy and chocolate rich, too! Yes!

I did make the mistake of not adding chocolate chips — this is a must. The flavour and the texture of chocolate chips or chunks would be a coup de grace. Raisins aren’t my thing with chocolate (apart, ironically, from chocolate-covererd-raisins), but I’m sure that would be wonderful as well.

Chocolate zucchini loaf

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Chocolate Zucchini Loaf
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Recipe type: loaf cake
Serves: 2 loaves
Ingredients
  • approx 2 cups grated zucchini (2 medium zucchini)
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1½ cups brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • 1½ cups chocolate chips/chunks, nuts, or dried fruit
Instructions
  1. Note: In this recipe, I recommend avoid a stand mixer. This avoids crushing the zucchini and releasing moisture prematurely.
  2. Preheat oven to 350ºF / 175ºC.
  3. Grease and flour 2 8x4in (20x10cm) loaf pans.
  4. Grate zucchini and set aside in a colander to allow any excess water to drip out.
  5. Mix cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together. Set aside.
  6. Combine baking soda, baking powder, flour and cocoa powder together. Set aside.
  7. In a large bowl, mix eggs, oil, brown sugar and vanilla together.
  8. Add spice mix to wet mix.
  9. Add zucchini to wet mix.
  10. Incorporate flour mix.
  11. Lastly, add the chocolate chips, nuts or dried fruit if doing so — and I highly advise you do!
  12. Pour into loaf pans.
  13. Bake 50-60min at 350ºF / 175ºC, or until the loaf springs back when touched gently on top.
  14. Remove from oven and leave to cool 10min before taking loaves out and placing on cooling racks.
  15. Enjoy with a glass of milk or dollop of vanilla ice cream!

 

Chocolate loaf cake

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Chocolate loaf cake

I gave my family the option of my making Spinach & Cheese muffins or Chocolate loaf cake today. There was an immediate vote for the latter, though I was silently hoping for the prior. But as there was honest-to-goodness snow outside, decadent chocolatey goodness felt appropriate.

It came out exactly as it should — which is to say, absurdly moist and not at all pretty. It’s own dense, gooey weight made the whole cake fall in. I suppose I could work at boosting the leaveners, but I think that would begin to add a chalky taste; cooking it longer would simply dry it out. Instead, I think this is simply a cake that isn’t to be shown in its entirety to guests. Simply cut this bad boy up and serve it from the kitchen — ideally with a pitcher of cream or scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Oh, and be warned. This is one very, very moreish loaf!

Chocolate Loaf Cake

 

Chocolate Loaf Cake
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 10-12 slices
Ingredients
  • 225g / 1 cup soft unsalted butter
  • 375g / 1-2/3 cups dark brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 100g / 4 oz best bittersweet chocolate, melted
  • 200g / 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 t baking soda
  • 250ml / 1 c plus 2 T boiling water
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 190ºC / 375ºF.
  2. Line a 23 x 13 x 7cm bread pan with parchment paper so that the paper overhangs two sides; you'll need to use the overhang for pulling the loaf out once it's done.
  3. Melt chocolate using either a double boiler or microwave. It will need to be cool before incorporating below.
  4. While the chocolate is cooling, cream butter and sugar. I used a mixer, but you could easily use a wooden spoon for this recipe. Add eggs and vanilla. Fold in the chocolate delicately.
  5. Combine the flour and baking soda.
  6. Slowly add the dry mixture and the boiling water to the chocolate mixture, alternating between the two as they are added.
  7. Pour into the bread tin and bake 30min. Turn the oven down to 170ºC / 340ºF; cook for 15 additional minutes.
  8. The loaf shouldn't jiggle when done, but a knife inserted in its middle won't come out clean. Place the tin on a rack to cool for as long as possible. Nigella recommended cooling completely; I certainly couldn't wait that long.