recipe wanted: moist, dense chocolate loaf cake

I must admit that I have quite a poor memory;– albeit not so much in terms of mugging for school examinations as movies I’ve watched, books I’ve read, and (un)fortunately, some of life’s events. Of course I attribute it to having selective memory which often times prove to be of an advantage, particularly in the event of the latter. I’d like to believe, however, that what was lacking in the physical memory repository was made up for by a heightened sensory-centric memory of sorts.

I still remember the exact taste of the “Biskut Dam” (checkerboard cookies) that I brought to pre-school every day for lunch break, always picking out the exact same thing each time my mother brings me to the bakery near the school. I still remember the exact taste of the chocolate milk that I used to drink in primary school, which was given free to all the not-so-meaty little kids. And I still remember the rushed mornings I’ve had as a teenager, the breakfasts I’ve tried to skip when the mother’s not watching, but she would somehow always know, and already pack me a few slices of the moistest chocolate loaf cake that I now have grown to miss.

And my dear readers, that’s where I’ll need your help.

As in the case of all the aforementioned palate-related memories, nothing could come close to what I’ve had as a child, and I’m sure almost everyone can attest to that (let’s face it, nostalgia occludes our senses, mostly). But with your varied baking adventures, I appeal to anyone who has had success with a moist and dense chocolate loaf cake. One with a very tight crumb. Rich and most definitely chocolatey. Almost as of a pound cake texture. But rich as of a fudgy brownie. Nothing with frosting, just a simple homely chocolate loaf cake.

I would love to give any of the loaves a try, and while I may not have anything in return for your kind recipe share, you would certainly make me the happiest young lady who in turn hopes to share that same chocolate loaf cake memory with my future teenager who says she’s not hungry for breakfast, but never turns down the chocolate cake.

Chocolate Yoghurt Loaf Cake
(adapted from here)

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 egg
1 egg white
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup plain yogurt

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until the mixture is fluffy and resembles wet sand.
4. Beat in egg and egg white.
5. Mix in 1/3 of the flour mixture.
6. In a small bowl, whisk together water, cocoa powder, vanilla and yogurt until mixture is smooth. Add half of this mixture to the sugar mixture, followed by another 1/3 of the flour mixture.
7. Stir in remaining yogurt and remaining flour, stirring only until no streaks of flour remain.
8. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly.
9. Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
10. Let cake cool in pan for about 10 minutes, then carefully cut along the sides of the pan to release the cake and turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Note: Although this recipe was not the one for me (I found it a tad dry with loose crumbs), it made a good side-of-the-saucer cake slice. It received a couple of great reviews, so maybe you’d like it! Too bad it wasn’t what I was looking for

---

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)

• the allure of old fashioned chocolate
• book review: how to be a domestic goddess