Quick and Easy Chocolate Loaf

I made this cake because my neighbours asked me to bake one for their shared morning tea at work tomorrow.  I couldn't be bothered baking brownies so I made this chocolate loaf instead. 

175g softened butter

175g soft dark brown sugar

1 Tblsp golden syrup

150g self raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

25g cocoa powder

3 free range eggs

Icing:

100g butter, melted

4 Tblsp cocoa powder

4 Tblsp milk

250g icing sugar

Preheat your oven to 170C/325F/Gas Mark 3.  Line a loaf tin, mine is 22cm x 11cm. 

Cream the butter and sugar together until they are light and fluffy.  Whilst that is whizzing in the mixer put the flour, cocoa and baking powder into a small bowl and mix them together with a fork.

Add the golden syrup to the creamed butter and sugar mixture and beat in for a minute.  Add the eggs one at a time with a third of the flour mixture, beating in well each time.  I usually run my mixer for about 1 minute for each egg and flour addition. 

Scrape down the sides of the mixer and give it a final 1 mintue burst then spoon the cake mixture into the lined loaf tin. 

Bake for about 45 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.  If there are still crumbs on the skewer I turn the oven down by 10C and out it back in the oven for about 5 minutes.  Then check again with a clean skewer and it should be cooked.

I left the loaf to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes then turned it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Icing:

I melted the butter in the microwave, added the cocoa powder and mixed thoroughly.  I then added the icing sugar and milk and mixed everything together well with a fork.  I then switched to my hand held electric beater and gave it a 2 minute beat with those to get rid of any lumps and make it nice and thick.

Cut the loaf in half and spread the icing over the middle, then replace the top half.  Spread the icing liberally over the top (and sides if you want) of the cake.  You can top with some grated chocolate if you want a proper chocolate overload.


Cake with icing on top and in the middle

Howver, after deliberating, I decided to spread the icing all over the sides of the cake to completely cover it in icing