Classic cakes don’t get much more indulgent than those enriched with cocoa powder and chocolate, but there’s a danger the sponge will turn out dry and paler than intended. Quantities and cooking times are crucial for a successful bake, but sometimes, extra ingredients are the only way to reliably improve a recipe.
A self-taught baker and blogger has shared a unique recipe that will rival your favourite banana bread for its texture and trump sickly sweet chocolate cake with its intensity. The loaf cake has “a generous amount of bittersweet dark chocolate chunks in the batter,” but the addition of one seasonal vegetable gives it a “hearty texture” and “moistness”.
Sharing the recipe with Food52, Australian baker Thalio Oh detailed how courgette is her secret ingredient. The grated courgette releases moisture as it bakes, resulting in a more tender and moist cake.
The loaf cake isn’t just soft and moist, however. Thalia explains that she adds walnuts for their crunch and to yield “a delicious buttery taste and toasty aromatic flavour.”
You can bake the cake in an hour and enjoy it warm from the oven or a couple of days later.