Bake of the Week: Midnight Chocolate Loaf Cake

THE World’s Biggest Coffee Morning is a Macmillan fundraising event for people facing cancer.

All over the UK, people host their own coffee mornings and donate to Macmillan.

Given we’re all about the cake here we think this is a great idea we should all support.

Learn more at macmillan.org.uk and treat yourself to this delicious loaf cake, from Let’s Bake by Cathryn Dresser.

Julie Walters, Judi Dench and Joanna Lumley raise a mug for Macmillan Cancer Support

You’ll need

150g plain flour

50g cocoa

120ml olive oil

100g light brown sugar

60ml black treacle

60ml golden syrup

1 tsp bicarb of soda

3 medium eggs, beaten

100g each dark & white chocolate, chopped

For the glaze:

60ml whole milk

50g unsalted butter

1 tbsp golden syrup

75g dark chocolate

2 tbsp cocoa powder

1 tbsp icing sugar

Edible glittery gold stars

Method

Grease a loaf tin and line with strips of non-stick baking parchment. Preheat oven to 170C/150C fan/gas mark 3/325F.

Put the flour, cocoa and a pinch of salt into a small bowl. In a large bowl, whisk together oil, sugar, treacle and syrup until well combined.

Put the bicarb of soda into a mug and add 80ml hot water. Stir gently, then pour into the oil and sugar mixture and whisk. Add the flour mixture, stir and continue to gently whisk until all are just combined. Add eggs and whisk. Stir the chocolate through the mix.

Pour mix into the loaf tin and bake for 40-50 mins. Remove from oven and rest in the tin for 10 mins, then leave to cool on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, prepare the glaze. Heat the milk, butter and syrup in a small pan. Stir until everything is mixed together and the butter has melted.

Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl, pour the hot milk and syrup mix over it and stir until melted. Then whisk in the cocoa powder and icing sugar. Leave to cool and thicken a little.

Put some greaseproof paper under the cooling rack and pour the icing over the cake. This will catch any icing that runs over the side.Sprinkle with glittery gold stars to finish.