It’s the dates that give this chocolate loaf it’s marvellously moist texture and a toffee like flavour.
This recipe came about like so many others because I had an excess of ingredients and this time it was dates. I did think about adding a new recipe to my extensive sticky date recipe collection but in the end I decided that dates and chocolate would be a winning combination and by golly, I was right!
This recipe calls for melted chocolate rather than cocoa in the batter and it’s the chocolate that gives the cake it’s deep, rich flavour.
As you know all my teeth are sweet and I think that too much chocolate is a paradox, so I put some value added chocolate chips in this loaf too. I love that they’re all squidgy, melty and delicious, adding both taste and texture to every slice and making a napkin a necessity!
If you want a change from chocolate (I don’t know why that would be, but just in case,) you can chuck some nuts in too. Whatever you do, don’t skip the demerara sugar on the top, it gives the crust the most delicious crunch.
The chocolate and the dates give the loaf such a rich flavour and wonderful texture you won’t need to butter it, it’s stand alone delicious!
Do you think there is a thing as too much chocolate? What would you choose, more nuts or more chocolate?!
Ingredients
100g pitted dates, chopped
150ml boiling water
225g plain flour
40g caster sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
150g dark chocolate
40g butter
1 egg
150ml milk
100g choc chips
demerara sugar, for sprinkling
How to – Traditional
- Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a large loaf tin and line with baking paper.
- Roughly chop the dates in a small bowl. Pour over the boiling water and leave to soak for 30 minutes.
- Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and bicarb in a large bowl and set aside.
- Break up the chocolate and melt with the butter in a small bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally.
- In a small bowl, combine the eggs and milk and mix well.
- Beat the egg mixture into the dry ingredients, then add the dates and the soaking liquid and the chocolate mixture. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Spoon into the prepared tin, smooth the top and sprinkle with demerara sugar. Bake for about 1 hour or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the loaf comes out clean. Check the loaf near the end of cooking, if it is browning too quickly, loosely cover with foil.
- Cool in tin before turning out to cool on a wire rack.
How to – Thermomix
- Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a large loaf tin and line with baking paper.
- Place dates in TM bowl and chop for 5 seconds on speed 7 . Set aside in small bowl with boiling water and leave to soak for 30 minutes.
- Place flour, sugar, baking powder and bicarb in TM bowl and mix for 5 seconds on speed 5. Set aside.
- Add chocolate to TM bowl and grate for 5 seconds on speed 9. Add the butter and melt for 3 minutes at 60C on speed 2.
- Add the flour mixture, egg and milk and mix for 5 seconds on speed 4. Scrape down lid and sides of bowl and mix again for another 5 seconds on speed 4.
- Add the dates and soaking liquid and mix for 10 seconds on reverse speed 3.
- Scrape down sides and lid of bowl, add the chocolate chips and mix for 5 seconds on reverse speed 3.
- Spoon into the prepared tin, smooth the top and sprinkle with demerara sugar. Bake for about 1 hour or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the loaf comes out clean. Check the loaf near the end of cooking, if it is browning too quickly, loosely cover with foil.
- Cool in tin before turning out to cool on a wire rack.
