Chocolate and Rosemary Loaf

Name: Rukmini Iyer Chocolate and Rosemary Loaf Recipe | Easy Bakes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: Serves 8
Ingredients: 120g natural full-fat yogurt; 50ml olive oil; 170g soft dark brown sugar; 3 medium free-range eggs; 120g self-raising flour; 1 tsp baking powder; 50g cocoa powder; 2 sprigs of rosemary, needles finely chopped; 30ml milk; 100g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), cut into small chunks; 100ml double cream; 2 sprigs of rosemary; 100g dark chocolate, finely chopped or blitzed

by Rukmini Iyer from The Sweet Roasting Tin

Infused with rosemary and topped with a gooey chocolate ganache, this decadent chocolate loaf cake is one that you’ll find hard to resist.

Vegetarian Baking Family Friendly

Serves 8

Total 1 hr 5 min

Prep 15 min

Cook 50 min

Easy

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Introduction from Rukmini Iyer

Chocolate loaf cakes are among my favourite – possibly as I over-indulged on Mr Kipling’s very chocolatey mini loaf cakes as a child, with their chocolate chips and thick layer of chocolate fondant icing. This triple chocolate version – including the all-important chips – includes rosemary for a subtle herbal note, and a thick ganache topping, with a yogurt base for a beautifully textured sponge.

Ingredients

120g natural full-fat yogurt

50ml olive oil

170g soft dark brown sugar

3 medium free-range eggs

120g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

50g cocoa powder

2 sprigs of rosemary, needles finely chopped

30ml milk

100g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), cut into small chunks

For the ganache:

100ml double cream

2 sprigs of rosemary

100g dark chocolate, finely chopped or blitzed

Essential kit

You will need: a lined 900g loaf tin and a wire rack.

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C fan/180°C/gas 4. Whisk the yogurt, olive oil and sugar together; when smoothly incorporated, beat in the eggs one at a time.

Gently fold in the self-raising flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and rosemary, taking care not to overmix. Stir in the milk, then transfer the mix to a lined 900g loaf tin.

Scatter the chocolate chunks all over the cake mix, and use a teaspoon to gently stir them into the top layer of the cake. (They will try to sink, so don’t stir vigorously, this is more to half-cover them with a thin layer of cake batter.)

Transfer to the oven and bake for 45–50 minutes, until firm to the touch and a skewer inserted comes out clean (less any chocolate chips that you hit).

Let the cake cool on a wire rack. Once cool to the touch, you can start on the ganache: heat the double cream in a saucepan until just under boiling, along with 1 sprig of rosemary. Tip the finely chopped or blitzed dark chocolate into a large bowl and pour the hot cream over the top, removing the rosemary. Let it sit for 2 minutes, then whisk quickly until smooth and glossy.

Spread the ganache over the cake and place the remaining rosemary sprig on top. Serve once the ganache has set: the cake will keep well in an airtight container in a cool room for 2–3 days.

FOR DIABETICS: Replace the dark brown sugar with 170ml date syrup and use diabetic-friendly dark chocolate.

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