Esther Sánchez serves up a deliciously simple bake to ease the transition back into school and work routines
September means back to school and the return of those little everyday routines after the summer holidays. This vanilla and chocolate chip loaf cake is just the sort of simple homemade bake I love for this time of year.
Soft and buttery, with a hint of fresh lemon, plenty of vanilla and chocolate chips in every slice, it’s perfect for an after-school treat, lunchboxes (if permitted at your child’s school) or simply alongside a cup of tea or coffee.
It’s also a recipe to bake with children at the weekend, ready for the week ahead. Sometimes the simplest cakes are the ones everyone comes back to, and this is one of those recipes: comforting and easy to share. You can also find it at my Cake Shed in Brothers Place (CB1 8BN).
Ingredients
• 125g unsalted butter, softened
• 200g caster sugar
• Finely grated zest of 1 medium lemon
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 4 medium eggs, at room temperature
Dry ingredients
• 200g plain flour
• 50g cornflour
• 12g baking powder
• 180g chocolate chips
• Icing sugar, for finishing
Method
1. Beat the softened butter, sugar and lemon zest together until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla.
2. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Sift together the plain flour, cornflour and baking powder. Gently fold into the butter mixture until just combined.
4. Cover the cake batter and refrigerate for one hour. Meanwhile, lightly grease and line your loaf tin with baking paper.
5. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Lightly dampen the chocolate chips with a little water, then toss them in a small amount of flour. Shake off any excess flour and fold the chips through the chilled batter, reserving a few for the top.
6. Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin, level the surface and scatter over the reserved chocolate chips.
7. Bake at 200°C for 12 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 175°C and continue baking until the total baking time reaches approximately 45 minutes.
8. Insert a skewer into the centre to check the cake. It should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If the top is already golden but the centre needs longer, loosely cover
with foil and continue baking for a few more minutes.
9. Place the tin on a wire rack and leave the cake to cool for one hour, before removing it from the tin and leaving to cool completely.
10. Once cold, dust generously with icing sugar using a fine sieve. The cake can be stored in an airtight cake container at room temperature and enjoyed within three days.
Esther Sánchez is a Spanish pastry chef with more than 20 years of experience and the founder of Chocolatisimo Shop, now in Cambridge @chocolatisimo_shop