Since we moved into the new house four weeks ago, exercise has mostly consisted of walking the dog around the short block, running up our 3 flights of stairs a couple of times a day, and eating. Needless to say, I am out-of-shape. I am huffing and puffing my ass around, and it's time things changed, because I am someone who prides myself on being fit. Last weekend, Brent and I had every intention of going for a hike, and then we decided that there are still many things around the house that need fixing. I have deemed this my new excuse for all things. I don't have any time to exercise. That's because I need to install those new light fixtures. I don't have time to make a meal. That's because I need to paint the walls for the fourth time. Oh, that party sounds really fun. But wait, I need to finish digging out the concrete from the garden in time to plant grass seed before summer is here. Last Monday, I told myself that there will be no more excuses, enough is enough. Then I put on my running shoes and ran 1 mile before almost vomiting on the street. Today I ran that same mile with slightly more endurance and pizazz. Things are looking up. Brent started biking to work this week and pretty soon he is going to be in better shape than I am. The competitive side of me will be damned if I let this happen.
In the spirit of exercising, getting my groove back, and putting those runners back on despite my tight hamstrings, I thought it wise to indulge in a treat-yo-self dark chocolate raspberry loaf cake, for a bit of positive reinforcement and mental sanity. I was inspired by Ashlae's insanely delicious looking double chocolate raspberry brownies, and after staring at her pictures for AWHILE I knew that something chocolate/raspberry was in my future. And now that I've made this cake, I think something chocolate/raspberry is going to always be in my future.
The thing I love most about this loaf cake is that you can eat it for breakfast and no one will judge. This is perfect for me because I always struggle with finding things to eat for breakfast. If you are looking for other foods that double as dessert and also breakfast, pancakes, waffles, and muffins are all totally acceptable, even if you cover them in chocolate and raspberries, caramel, ice cream, and sprinkles, am I right? This dark chocolate raspberry loaf cake is basically a cake, but because it is in a loaf pan, we can call it breakfast and leave it at that. This is what I told myself yesterday and today, and what I'm probably going to tell myself tomorrow. And now you can see why I need to start exercising. So I can eat cake for breakfast.
I adapted this recipe from one of my
in existence. Nigella Lawson makes the most insanely delicious and d
, so whenever I'm looking for a recipe, or inspiration that involves chocolate, I head on over to her
.
The whole process from start to finish was extremely easy. No fuss, no mess. A gentle stir of all ingredients in a bowl, and then the addition of some some chopped dark chocolate and raspberries at the end. The loaf cake took around 1hr 20min - 1hr 30min to bake, so you will need to set some time aside for something low key. Once you take the cake out from the oven, resist the temptation to take it from its pan right away. It is very soft when warm, and if you try and tamper too much, it may just fall apart right in front of you. Although, this may be a good thing, depending on how you look at the situation. The loaf cake is so soft and moist. The crack down the center is perfect. The raspberries are sweet and add the perfect little flavor pockets. I am pretty obsessed with this cake. Definitely one for the win!
CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY LOAF CAKE
makes 1 - 9 inch loaf
,
12 slices
recipe adapted from
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup natural cocoa powder
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temp
2 large eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
1/3 cup plain, honey, or vanilla Greek yogurt
1/2 cup boiling water
2 oz dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup fresh raspberries
Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, and yogurt. Start the mixer on low speed until the ingredients are moistened, and then turn to medium and mix until smooth and creamy.
Slowly drizzle in the hot water and mix on low speed until the batter becomes a thin liquid consistency.
Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and stir in the chocolate and raspberries.
Pour the batter into a 9 x 4 inch non-stick loaf pan, or if you don't have a non-stick pan, line a regular pan with parchment paper. If you have any left-over raspberries, you can gently press them into the top of the loaf.
Bake in the oven for roughly 1 hr 20 min - 1 hr 30 min, or until the loaf splits down the middle, is hard on the outside and soft on the inside. When you touch the top it should feel hard, not soft and jiggly. If you insert a toothpick to test for doneness, it may come out slightly wet, because the batter around the raspberries will be slightly moist. Remove from the oven and let cool.
When you remove the loaf from the pan, it will be very delicate. Turn the pan of its side and gently tap the cake onto a piece of parchment paper. Can be stored in the fridge for up to a week.
