← Nouns Cooking · Bakery

Ingredients

• 175 g unsalted butter, soft
• 175 g caster sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 225 g Self-raising flour
• 1 pinch Salt
• 3 tbsp Milk
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp strong coffee or hot milk

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan, 350°F). Butter a 900 g (2 lb) loaf tin and line it with baking paper.
2. Beat the butter and sugar for 3–4 min until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a spoonful of the flour if it starts to curdle, then the vanilla.
3. Fold in the remaining flour and salt, then the milk, to make a soft batter that drops off the spoon.
4. Spoon half the batter into another bowl. Mix the cocoa with the coffee to a smooth paste and stir it into one half.
5. Drop alternate spoonfuls of the vanilla and chocolate batters into the tin. Drag a skewer through in a figure-of-eight once or twice to marble; don’t overdo it or the colours blur.
6. Bake for 50–55 min until risen and a skewer in the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 20 min, then on a rack.

Tips

• Coat it in melted dark chocolate for the classic German finish.
• Wrapped well, it stays moist for 4 days and freezes beautifully in slices.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

BBC Food King Arthur Baking Joy of Baking