Dense Chocolate Loaf Cake - Nigella Lawson

Ingredients

• 225 g salt soft unsalted butter
• 375 g dark muscovado sugar
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 100 g best dark chocolate, melted
• 200 g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Directions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 190C/gas5. Grease and line a 23x13x7cm cm (9x5x3in) loaf tin. Cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla, beating in well.

2. 2

   Next fold in the melted and cooled chocolate, taking care to blend well but do not overbeat.

3. 3

   You want the ingredients combined: you don't want a light airy mass. Gently add the flour, to which you've added the bicarb, alternately spoon by spoon, with 250 ml of boiling water until you have a smooth and fairly liquid batter.

4. 4

   Pour into the lined loaf tin and bake for 30 minutes. Turn the oven down to 170C/gas mark 3 and cook for another 15 minutes. The cake will still be a bit squidgy inside, so an inserted cake tester or skewer won't come out completely clean.

5. 5

   Plaace the loaf tin on a rack and leave to get completely cold before turning it out. It improves if left for a day or so before eating. This cake will probably sink in the middle because of its denseness.