When it comes to Britain, London is one of the first things to come to mind, maybe that's because I'm a Londoner. So, this recipe using London Porter ale combines the earthy malty notes of the ale against the rich sweet element of
the chocolate, leaving you with a moist melt in the mouth cake so moreish you'll need to bake another asap. Teamed with homemade ice-cream you've got yourself a winning dessert.
Servings: 10+
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 45 mins
Skill level: 1
Ingredients
150ml London Porter ale100ml dark rum
250g unsalted butter or vegan butter
80g 70% Dark cocoa powder
400g caster sugar
2 eggs or an alternative
100ml single oat cream
280g plain flour
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1⁄2 tsp baking powder
For the ice-cream use my previous editions recipe, or shop bought will be fine though.
I've kept it simple with vanilla which compliments the flavours perfectly and topped with a chocolate sauce.
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F)/gas mark 3 and grease/line the base of your loaf tin.
2. Pour the ale and rum into a saucepan, add butter and gently heat until it has melted. Remove from heat then add the cocoa powder and sugar into the warm liquid and stir in.
3. Mix the eggs and cream together by hand in a large jug or mixing bowl and add this to the previous mixture in the pan.
4. Sift the remaining cake ingredients into a large bowl or use an electric mixer if you have one and set it on low speed, pour in the contents of the pan, mix thoroughly until all the ingredients are incorporated and it has a smooth consistency.
It might look too wet but trust me it's fine.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and bake for approximately 45 minutes.
You'll know when it's done as the sponge will bounce back when lightly pressed but I suggest you use a skewer and insert into the middle of the cake, if it comes out clean....success!
6. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes and then remove from the tin and place on a wire rack ready to portion.
7. Your ice-cream should be good to go if you've made your own so serve up however you wish, with or without sauce the choice is yours.
Rum Pairings
The dark chocolate and malt notes from the Porter work well with a light Latin or Caribbean style rum.
