Chocolate and Peanut Loaf Cake

If you like peanuts then you will like this cake. Use dry roasted peanuts for best texture and taste. Be warned this cake is very more-ish.

Time: 1 hour plus cooling

Serves: 8 - 10

INGREDIENTS

For the cake:

· 75g Dry roasted peanuts

· 100g Dark chocolate

· 175g Salted butter - softened

· 175g Caster sugar

· 3 Large eggs

· 1 tsp Vanilla extract

· 180g Self raising flour

· 50g Greek style yoghurt

· 1 tsp Instant coffee dissolved in 1 tablespoon of hot water

For the topping:

· 75g Chocolate (milk or plain)

· 75ml Double cream

· 100g Caster sugar

· 75g Dry roasted peanuts – lightly crushed

2 lb loaf tin, greased and lined

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 160C Fan/180C Conventional

2. Whiz the dry roasted peanuts in a food processor until quite fine.

3. Melt the chocolate either in the microwave or in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Set aside

4. Lightly beat the butter until soft and lump free then add the sugar and whisk to combine.

5. Add the eggs, vanilla, flour and yoghurt to the mixture and whisk to combine.

6. Divide the mixture into two bowls. Stir the melted chocolate and coffee into one bowl and the ground peanuts into the other.

7. Place blobs of mixture into the prepared tin, alternating between the chocolate and peanut mixes.

8. Swirl lightly with a knife or a chop stick to combine

9. Place in preheated oven and bake for 40 - 45 minutes or until a cocktail stick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

10. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes in the tin then remove and leave on a cooling rack until completely cold.

11. Make some peanut brittle by placing caster sugar in a heavy based saucepan with 2 tbs of water, stir once then cover with lid and heat very gently until all the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is bubbling. Do not stir.

12. Remove the lid and continue to simmer until the mixture is a golden colour. Stir in the lightly crushed peanuts and pour onto a silicone baking sheet or a tin lined with non stick paper. Set aside to cool completely.

13. When the peanut brittle is cold, crush into medium size pieces to use as decoration.

14. Make the chocolate coating by breaking the chocolate into small pieces in a heatproof bowl.

15. Heat the double cream in the microwave or a small pan until hot but not boiling. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, leave for a couple of minutes for the chocolate to soften then stir until the mixture is smooth.

16. When the chocolate mixture is cool but not set spread over the top of the cake and decorate with crushed peanut brittle.