I've been eyeing the Huckleberry cookbook for a while now, so when Serious Eats shared their chocolate teacake recipe, I knew I had to try it. After all, there's coffee in the batter, and I never say no to a combination of coffee and dark chocolate. And it's always fun to eat cake for breakfast!
The best part about this teacake is that it's wonderfully moist without being too dense—a surprisingly light cake contrasted with rich chunks of chocolate in every bite. Having said that, it's also not cloyingly sweet, making it a) acceptable to eat more than one slice and b) perfectly okay to eat at all times of day.
Chocolate is incorporated in three different ways—cocoa powder, melted chocolate, and chocolate chips—so we're not messing around here. The addition of coffee further enhances the chocolate flavor, and because there is coffee in the batter, this cake is the ultimate pairing for your morning or afternoon cup of joe.
If you're thinking about baking this but know you shouldn't eat it all to yourself, it would make a fabulous housewarming gift or potluck contribution. I brought mine to work on Friday, and all I was left with was a loaf pan of crumbs. Guess everybody liked it!
Dark Chocolate and Coffee Teacake
Makes 1 9-by-5-in. loaf pan, plus possibly a little overflow
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup pastry flour (or sub all-purpose flour)
- 6 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 6 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 3/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee, cooled
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups coarsely chopped dark chocolate (or use dark chocolate chips), 60 to 70% cacao
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp. sugar
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 3 eggs
- powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-by-5-in loaf pan.
In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the flours, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the coffee, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Set aside.
Gently melt 3/4 cup of the chocolate in a small bowl set over a small saucepan of simmering water. When it's melted, remove the saucepan from the heat, but leave the chocolate over the pan to allow it to stay warm.
Using either a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and salt on medium-high speed about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated, making sure not to overbeat the batter. Turn the mixer to low and pour in the coffee mixture. Using a rubber spatula, fold in both the melted and chopped chocolate.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Make sure not to overbake—you don't want a dry cake! Allow to cool completely. If you find yourself with a bit of extra batter, make a mini loaf or a cupcake or two. Once cooled, top with powdered sugar, if desired.
Recipe adapted from Huckleberry
Enjoy!
grace