Triple Chocolate Loaf Cake

Ingredients

• 175g softened butter, plus extra for greasing the tin
• 175g golden caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 140g self-raising flour
• 85g ground almonds
• 1/2 tspn baking powder (level)
• 100ml milk
• 4 tbsp cocoa powder - I used dark
• 50g plain chocolate, chopped - I used Rainforest Alliance Certified dark chocolate from Costa Rica.
• a pinch of salt

Decoration:

• 50g milk chocolate
• 50g white chocolate

Method:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 3 and line a 2lb/900g loaf tin with two strips of baking parchment. Ensure the corners of the tin are well greased.

• Beat the softened butter and sugar using an electric whisk until light and pale in colour.

• Sieve the self-raising flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder and add this to the mix along with the eggs, ground almonds and milk. Beat until smooth.

• Stir in the chocolate chips and then pour the mixture into the tin.

• Bake for 45 - 50 minutes until cooked and well risen. To test that the cake has cooked insert a skewer into the centre of the cake. If the skewer comes out clean then your cake is cooked.

• Allow to cool in the tin, then lift out, remove baking paper and place onto a wire rack over some kitchen paper.

• Melt the extra milk and white chocolate separately in pans over barely simmering water.

• Then use a spoon to drizzle each type of chocolate in turn over the cake.

• Leave to set before slicing.

Triple Chocolate Loaf Cake - Will cut a piece later...

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 50 minutes