Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate......

I can't believe Brianne is 10 years old. Where does the time go? I asked her if she wanted a "store bought cake" or if she wanted me to bake a cake. You guessed it....She loves her moms cooking. She is such a sweet girl. So here we go, my plan is to bake a "Chocolate Loaf Cake" I found this recipe in, How to be a Domestic Goddess: Baking and the art of comfort cooking by Nigella Lawson. The recipe follows:

Dense Chocolate Loaf Cake

1 C soft unsalted Butter

1 2/3 C dark brown sugar

2 lg eggs, beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 oz. best bittersweet chocolate, melted

1 1/3 C all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 C plus 2 Tbsp boiling water

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, put in a baking sheet in case of sticky drips later, and grease and line a 9x5 inch loaf pan. The lining is important as this is a very damp cake: Use parchment or one of those loaf-pan-shaped paper liners.

Cream the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon or with an electric hand held mixer. Then add eggs and vanilla, beating in well. Next fold in the melted and now slightly cooled chocolate, taking care to blend well but being careful not to over beat. You want the ingredients combined: you don't want a light airy mass. then gently add the flour, to which you've added the baking soda, alternately spoon by spoon, with the oiling water until you have a smooth and fairly liquid batter. Pour into the lined loaf pan, and bake for 30 minutes. Turn the oven down to 325 degrees and continue to cook for another 15 minutes. The cake will still be a bit squishy inside, so an inserted cake tester or skewer won't come out completely clean.

Place the loaf pan on a rack and leave it there to get completely cold before turning it out. Don't worry if it sinks in the middle: It may do so because it is such a dense and damp cake..

Makes 8-10 slices

After the cake cools, I am adding a chocolate glaze and we will serve it with vanilla ice cream and fresh berries.....

Chocolate glaze:

8 oz semi sweet chocolate (melted)

1 1/2 sticks Butter

1 1/2 tsp light corn syrup

Make glaze by melting chocolate and butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in corn syrup. Allow glaze to cool slightly (to about 80 degrees).

Pour over cake and cool