Irish Coffee and Chocolate Loaf Cake

I made this puppy on Saturday night. Yep, Saturday PM, in the eve, late-night style. I know a 20-something city-slicker should be out doing 20-something city-slicking things, but you guys — I’m really a mid-30s-year-old at heart. In my heart, I’m maybe 36 and I have two small children in bed and a husband watching some man movie on the couch. And my handsome husband is going to think I’m a kickass wife with a heart of gold for whipping up something, anything, with chocolate, coffee, and whiskey, even if it’s not done until midnight.

I can’t decide if I want a high-five, a bear hug, or a kiss, so he gives me all three.

And then I collapse on the couch and eventually wake up from this fantasy. Suddenly, I’m a 20-something girl who is not donning her high heels for a night out, but who is with her roommate and her roommate’s mom, giving them bites, licks, and tastes of whatever magic is happening in the kitchen. The whole husband and kids thing might not be true, but it is true that I have a mid-30s-something side and sometimes there’s nowhere I’d rather be on a Saturday night than baking in my kitchen.

This particular recipe sends me a man-fantasy because this is a man’s loaf cake. The cake of a sophisticated man. One who appreciates a good cup of coffee. One who will never turn down quality chocolate. One who can toss back a shot of Irish whiskey.

Or maybe it’s a woman’s cake… because I did enjoy it like ohmygosh, I’ll just have one bite, just to taste test because I definitely have to tell my friends if it gives me the food warm fuzzies (it does, it so does), but then maybe I’ll eat that crusty edge piece too. Wait, that dense, moist bit in the middle is just screaming to be eaten NOW and then I may as well finish that slice off. And shouldn’t I save another one for dessert later, maybe with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top because that will be just divine.

True feelings. Good feelings. The best food feelings I’ve had in a while, to be sure. I <3 cakes and icing, but after today, I think I <3 <3 <3 Irish Coffee & Chocolate Loaf Cake (without icing) even more.

5 from 1 vote

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Irish Coffee & Chocolate Loaf Cake

We can pretend this is a breakfast loaf if you want, but let's face it -- it's really a decadent dessert. My favorite way to eat it? Warm with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. Adapted from Nigella Lawson's Dense Chocolate Loaf Cake.

Course Dessert

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 9 slices

Author my Bottomless Boyfriend

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
• 1 2/3 cups brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate melted and slightly cooled
• 2 tablespoons Jameson Irish Whiskey
• 1 cup freshly brewed coffee

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare a 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
2. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix well and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat well. Gently stir in the chocolate and Jameson.
4. Alternate adding the flour and coffee, stirring slowly until just combined and the batter is smooth.
5. Pour into prepared pan until 1-inch from the rim. If you have leftover batter, you can pour into muffin tins and bake separately. Bake the loaf 30 minutes. Turn the oven to 325 degrees F and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Remove the pan and let cool completely on a wire rack before turning the loaf out of the pan. Note: A toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf will come out slightly wet. My cake sunk slightly in the middle due to the density, but it still tasted delicious.