Chocolate Teacake

This chocolate teacake is closer to a British tea loaf than an American layer cake. Baked in a small loaf pan, it’s modest in sweetness (only ½ cup of sugar for the entire cake) and built for slicing thin and enjoying with a cup of strong tea or coffee.

Six tablespoons of cocoa give it a deep chocolate color and honest cocoa flavor without being overly rich. The buttermilk keeps the crumb tender and moist while adding a slight tang that balances the chocolate. Alternating the dry ingredients with the buttermilk in three additions is a classic technique that prevents gluten overdevelopment and keeps the texture fine and even.

Plumped currants and chopped pecans dot the crumb with little pops of sweetness and crunch. Soaking the currants in warm water first softens them so they don’t dry out further during the long bake. And this is a long bake: over an hour at a moderate temperature, which gives the loaf a beautifully even rise and a crust that’s firm without being tough.

Chef Tips

• Cream the butter and sugar for the full 5 minutes called for. This aerates the batter and is the main source of lift alongside the leaveners.
• Don’t over-mix after adding the flour. Stir just until the streaks of flour disappear. Overmixing makes the loaf dense and tunneled.
• Plump the currants in warm water for at least 10 minutes, then drain thoroughly. Wet currants add unwanted moisture to the batter.
• Test with a skewer at the 1-hour mark. The center of a loaf this size takes time to set.

Variations

• Replace currants with dried cherries for a chocolate-cherry combination.
• Add a teaspoon of espresso powder to the dry ingredients to intensify the chocolate flavor.