As you can see my recipe testing didn’t exactly get off to a good start this week. Truth be told, smashed eggs on the floor would normally be enough to change my mind about baking at all but this week I was making Chocolate Spice Bread. Nothing was going to deter me from trying this.
Admittedly this test was not so much about challenging my skills as it was about satisfying my curiosity (not to mention taste buds). Chocolate Spice Bread sounded decadent and perfect for weekend brunch or afternoon tea. I also thought I would surprise T. with something to take his standard PB and banana sandwiches to the next level.
The good news is the making of this sweet bread was easy breezy once I cleaned up my scrambled egg incident. The ingredients were simple: flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, white and brown sugar, eggs, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. I didn’t need to hit the store for anything, hurray! (I always love recipes that can be whipped up from pantry staples.) And the instructions were very straightforward, too. Basically whisk, bake and tada!
So what did I learn? Chocolate Spice Bread in my opinion is really just cake. Not that I’m complaining, I like cake. I mean I wasn’t really planning to make a ham sandwich with it after all. I also don’t think I would put it with peanut butter either though. I just don’t think the spices would be very complementary. I would however top it with raspberry jam or marmalade, and I did eat it warm with vanilla ice cream. Yum!
In fact, I think this recipe could be the perfect chocolate cake alternative for any one with only a moderately sweet tooth out there. It would also be perfect for intimate birthday occasions were a full cake isn’t required. Just top with cream cheese icing (my favourite) and start singing Happy Birthday.
Have a recipe you want me to test for you? Or maybe some advice for how I can improve my skills (I really want to). Leave me a comment below. I always appreciate the feedback.
