Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Cocoa Tea Cake



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I wanted to share this unusual quick bread with you today. I found the recipe for it on Food52 and it received such generally good reviews, that I wanted to give it a try. I haven't made a lot of chocolate quick breads because I've found them to be too heavy for my taste. This one, made with cocoa, was offered as a breakfast bread and I thought that anything designed to be eaten so early in the day would be lighter and not too intensely chocolate for a still sleepy palate to bear. It was also ridiculously easy to make. The bread is a two bowl endeavor that can be made with a wooden spoon and a whisk. It certainly wins points for simplicity and I must admit it has a nice flavor. That being said, I had some difficulty deciding how and when to serve it. It is barely sweet and the chocolate-espresso flavor may be not be pleasing to all. I decided it would be most appreciated with afternoon coffee or tea and I served it with a lightly sweetened mascarpone that dressed it up a bit. The bread has a wonderful crust that I know you will enjoy, but I do have one caution to share with you. This bread tends to be on the dry side, so you'll want to be careful about how long you bake it and how you measure the flour you use. I used the fluff, spoon and scoop method and had a bread with an acceptable moisture level that was done in 50 minutes. If you are looking for something a bit different to serve with afternoon tea, you might want to give this cake a try. Here is how it is made.


Cocoa Tea Cake...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of SmallKitchCara and Food52

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons good-quality, natural cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1 egg
1-1/2 cup milk

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a loaf pan and set it aside.
2) Mix together flours, baking powder, salt, cocoa, and cinnamon.
3) In a separate bowl, combine butter with sugar and espresso powder. Add egg, beating to distribute evenly, then pour in milk. Using as few strokes as possible, stir in dry ingredients.
4) Transfer batter to loaf pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until top is dry and slightly cracked. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a rack and cool further before slicing. Yield: 1 loaf.







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30 comments :

Daniela Grimburg said...

This is a great recipe:
it looks delicious, is easy to prepare and....I love chocolate bread :)
Thanks for sharing, Mary!

Ginny Hartzler said...

I would love to try this. I cannot eat any whole wheat though. Do you think it might be too much of a change to use all white flour?

Sugar et al said...

I am always looking for recipes to go with tea. This one is a keeper! Simple to make but looks fantastic.

Cindy@NorthofWiarton said...

This Cocoa Tea Cake might be a winner, not just for tea time. Blessings for the day even though it was such a sad one in Boston yesterday.

Rafeeda AR said...

i'm surely going to try this one soon... :)

QembarDelites said...

That looks so yummy Mary, would love to try this out too!

Lynn said...

Sounds like something I'd like Mary! I've bookmarked it to try:@)

Sheherazahde said...

It's amazing how you and I so often are on the same wavelength. I just pulled a loaf of Chocolate Beer Bread out of the oven. I had never made a chocolate bread before. And suddenly I have your recipe to compare it to.

Prema said...

wow perfect made tea cake,luks so soft and yum...

Priya Suresh said...

Love to have few slices anytime.

Diane said...

As soon as I read chocolate you have my attention LOL. Will certainly give this a try. Thanks. Have a good day Diane

Buttercup said...

I'd like to try this. It looks so good and I think it's perfect with a big mug of coffee.

Kim said...

Love this cake, it has a great color!

Unknown said...

I've only tried making one chocolate quick bread before and it turned out like a rock... so incredibly heavy that it really wasn't all that enjoyable. Did I just say that about something with chocolate in it? Yikes :) Well, at least I can give it another shot with this recipe...sounds perfect!

Anonymous said...

this is really different, something lovely for tea, the Baked Alaska is amazing that was my mum's favorite desert for company, she did this well,

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

I am always drawn to cake recipes Mary. I give a lot of sweets away just for that reason.

Joanne said...

Wow this sounds great! The perfect tea-time treat!

Tricia @ Saving room for dessert said...

Easy and chocolatey - absolutely going on my list. Thanks for the recipe and review :)

Pam said...

I wish I would have had a slice of this to go with my morning coffee. It looks wonderful.

A PaixĂ£o da Isa said...

ficou mt bonito e com uma cor linda gostei mt bjs

Susan Lindquist said...

That bread has a beautifully capped top to it! Nice looking when cut too! I have liked Food 52's posts, by and large! It's a great site! Thanks for sharing this one, Mary!

teresa said...

mmm, i'm always looking for a good midday snack, this looks awesome!

Alicia@ eco friendly homemaking said...

Oh this bread looks so delicious and I think I am going to have to check out that recipe from this past year. Strawberry cream sounds awesome.

Kathy said...

Mary, This looks like such a lovely tea cake. Love the flavors and the addition of espresso. Chocolate always gets my attention!

Mr. & Mrs. P said...

What a picture perfect loaf!! What a great combination of flavors!

Ellen Whyte said...

Looks good! I made chocolate cookies yesterday. Needed a choco fix :-)

Roz | La Bella Vita Cucina said...

I love quick breads and I love chocolate, so with your expertise and advise, I'd say that this is one delightful cake to enjoy Mary!

Roz

Chiara said...

this looks like such a delicious tea cake,it's perfect and simple to make, have a good day Mary, blessings...

Angie's Recipes said...

The cake has such a moist and light crumb. Beautiful!

Gloria Baker said...

Mary this cake look awesome!!

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