Two types of chocolate give this elegant loaf cake deep flavor for a Valentine's Day treat

Chocolate is a must-have for Valentine’s Day, but it needn’t be fussy. Instead of melting bars for chocolate-covered strawberries or spending money on store-bought bon bons, give your valentine an intensely rich double chocolate loaf cake with a plush, velvety crumb.

Inspiration for this cake came to us by way of Claire Ptak of Violet Cakes, a bakery-café in East London. In this recipe from our cookbook, “ Milk Street Bakes,” we achieve a complex chocolatiness using a generous amount of bittersweet chocolate and unsweetened cocoa powder. Any type of bittersweet chocolate will work, but for best results use one that’s tasty enough to eat out of hand and contains about 70% cocoa solids.

Don’t use natural cocoa. Dutch-processed is best because the alkali used in its production gives the cocoa a richer, deeper hue and smoother taste that’s important for color and flavor intensity. If your cocoa does not indicate type on the label, check the ingredient list. If it reads “processed with alkali,” the cocoa is Dutch-processed.

Serve slices with fresh berries and spoonfuls of crème fraîche, which has a subtle tang and creaminess that are fantastic foils for the cake. Store leftovers at room temperature, tightly wrapped, for up to three days.

Double Chocolate Loaf Cake

·      Start to finish: 1¼ hours (20 minutes active), plus cooling

·      Makes one 9-inch loaf cake 

Ingredients:

·      200 grams (7 ounces) bittersweet chocolate (see headnote), finely chopped

·      198 grams (14 tablespoons) salted butter, cut into several chunks

·      195 grams (1½ cups) all-purpose flour

·      214 grams (1 cup) white sugar

·      43 grams (½ cup) Dutch-processed cocoa powder

·      2 teaspoons baking powder

·      ¼ teaspoon table salt

·      3 large eggs, room temperature

·      1 cup boiling water

Directions:

Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position. Mist a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray, then line it with an 8-by-14-inch piece of kitchen parchment, allowing the excess to overhang the long sides of the pan.

In a medium saucepan over medium, bring 1 inch of water to a simmer. Put the chocolate and the butter in a large heatproof bowl and set the bowl on top of the saucepan; be sure the bottom does not touch the water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter are melted. Remove the bowl from the pan and cool until barely warm to the touch, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt.

Add the eggs to the cooled chocolate mixture; whisk until well combined. Add the dry ingredients and stir with a silicone spatula until evenly moistened; the mixture will be dryish and thick. Gradually stir in about half of the boiling water; when fully incorporated, whisk in the remaining boiling water. The batter will be smooth, glossy and fluid. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake until the center of the cake rises, forming deep fissures on the surface, and a toothpick inserted at the center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 55 to 60 minutes.

Cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes. Lift the cake out of the pan using the parchment and set it directly on the rack. Cool to room temperature. Peel off and discard the parchment before slicing.