I make no secret of my great love of Peanut Butter. It is quite simply one of my favorite things. It is one thing I could not live without and I confess I have at least a tiny bit of it every day. True confessions here. Even if it is only a cracker with a bit of it spread on top.
Another love of mine is chocolate. But not cheap chocolate. I like the good stuff for the most part and I adore dark chocolate . . . and peanut butter and chocolate together? Well, it's just a perfect pairing!
Which is why I love this loaf/cake. It bakes up dense and moist and delicious . . . and stogged full of lovely peanut butter and studded with loads of chocolate chips.
You could of course add some toasted walnuts to the mix and that would be a very nice addition I feel. I like to sprinkle a few chocolate chips on top as well before it goes into the oven. It's quite simply a lovely cake that becomes very moreish with a hot drink at break time . . . or toasted lightly and buttered for breakfast . . . okay . . . now you know for sure I am a glutton through and through . . . sigh . . .
*Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Loaf*
Makes one 9 by 5 inch loafPrintable Recipe
If you like peanut butter and chocolate together, you will LOVE this delicious peanut butter loaf cake studded with oodles of semi sweet chocolate chips.
4 large free range eggs2 tsp vanilla extract320g of plain flour (1 1/2 cups)1 tsp baking powder1/4 tsp salt6 ounces of butter, at room temperature (3/4 cup)4 ounces smooth peanut butter (1/2 cup)200g of soft light brown sugar (1 cup, lightly packed)12 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 165*C/325*F/ gas mark 3. Butter and flour a 9 by 5 inch loaf tin, shaking out any excess flour.
Beat the eggs and vanilla together. Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. Cream the butter, peanut butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy, stopping to scrape the bowl a few times. Slowly beat in the egg/vanilla mixture in a steady stream, again scraping the bowl a few times. Beat in the flour mixture in three lots, scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition. Stir in the chocolate chips. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf tin, smoothing over the top.
Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about ten minutes before tipping out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Serve sliced.
Note - If you think the cake is browning too quickly you can tent the cake with foil after one hour. Store any uneaten cake in an airtight container, or tightly wrapped.