COLUMN: Chocolate bread with a PB spread
When I was a kid, I wanted to be a grown-up. I wanted to be allowed to eat in the living room, ride my bike without having to wear a helmet and stay up as late as I wanted.
I begged my parents to let me get my ears pierced so I could wear real earrings instead of clip-ons.
I couldn’t wait to be older so I could do whatever I wanted. I wanted to eat chocolate cake for breakfast, never have to do chores, wear high heels and be allowed to go to the mall without grown-ups.
You know what? It is pretty great — being grown-up, I mean. Shaving my legs is a time sucker and since I like being alive, I still wear a helmet when I ride my bike; but I also stay up late and eat chocolate cake for breakfast every once in a while. I pretend it’s bread because it’s made in a loaf pan, which definitely means it meets the criteria for breakfast. Plus, it goes great with a peanut butter cream cheese spread, which is totally not the same thing as frosting. I mean, people put cream cheese on bagels and call it breakfast, right?
If you haven’t been appreciating the liberties you have as a grown-up and sophisticated college student, you should take a moment to think about all the things you’re allowed to do these days. And then you should make this chocolate loaf cake and eat it for breakfast. Just live it up. Own it. It’s fun being old, right?
Double Chocolate Loaf Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Spread
For the Cake:
¾ cup packed brown sugar
¾ cup white sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
¾ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
¾ cup buttermilk
½ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 ounces chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
For the Peanut Butter Spread:
5 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup powdered sugar
To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium mixing bowl combine the sugars, cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and whisk until well mixed. (Note: the best way to measure cocoa powder is to spoon it into the measuring cup until it’s full. This helps avoid packing it down and getting too much.)
In a smaller bowl whisk together the eggs and egg yolk, buttermilk, vegetable oil and vanilla. (Note: if you don’t keep buttermilk on hand, you can make your own. Just put a little white vinegar or lemon juice in the bottom of your liquid measuring cup and then fill it the rest of the way with regular milk. Let it sit in the measuring cup for about five minutes. It should thicken quite a bit. I usually use about 1 tablespoon vinegar for 1 cup of milk, but you don’t have to be too precise.)
Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture, whisking as you add them. Whisk just until the mixture is combined.
Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the chocolate pieces.
Pour the batter into a well greased 9 x 5 loaf pan and bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
(Note: you could also make this recipe into muffins if you want. Just grease the baking cups or line them with paper liners and bake for about 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.)
Let the loaf cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then carefully remove and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
To make the peanut butter spread — in a medium bowl combine the cream cheese and peanut butter and beat until completely smooth. Add the powdered sugar and beat until well incorporated. Keep the spread in a covered container in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.
– Jennelle Clark is a senior psychology major who runs the online food blog foodislikeart.blogspot.com. She loves making and eating food, and sharing her ideas with you. Email her at jenn.wilson@aggiemail.usu.edu