Chocolate Marzipan Loaf

Many years ago, my husband gave me The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Chocolate, and this loaf cake is one of the great recipes in the book. It is not too sweet and the marzipan gives it at wonderful flavor.

Ingredients: (original recipe in The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Chocolate)

• 115 g unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
• 150 g light brown sugar (5.3 oz)
• 2 eggs
• 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 150 g all-purpose flour (5.3 oz)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 130 g marzipan / almond paste (4.6 oz)
• 100 ml chocolate chips ( 1/2 cup)

Method:

1. Grease a loaf tin and line bottom with parchment paper.

2. Preheat oven to 350 F/ 180 C.

3. Cut marzipan into small (1/2 inch / 1.5 cm ) cubes. 

4. Beat butter and sugar with a mixer until creamy.

5.Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.

6. Add the flour, salt, baking powder and cocoa and mix.

7. Fold in most of the chocolate chips and marzipan pieces, reserve about 2 tbsp of each.

8. Scrape the batter into the loaf tin and smooth out.

9. Sprinkle the reserved chocolate chips and marzipan pieces on top.

10. Bake for about 45-50 minutes. The cake should be firm and the marzipan on top browned.

11. Let cool in the tin for about 5 min, and them gently remove and continue cooling on a wire rack.

Easy and yummy and a bit different. I recommend using a serrated knife or bread knife to cut it, as it is a bit crumbly.